Communicating the Library's Value May 15th, 2015
Practical Library Assessment
A Webinar Series from the NY3Rs Association, Inc.
Communicating the Library's Value
Zsuzsa Koltay (Cornell University Library)
| Date: | May 15, 2015, 10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. EDT |
| Location: | Online – Your desk or conference room. |
| Registration: | REGISTRATION CLOSED. |
| Tech Support: | You will need – • An Internet-connected computer • Computer speakers, headset, or phone for sound; microphone or keyboard for 'chatting' • Computer projector is a group is 'attending' |
| Target Audience: | Librarians and others responsible for assessment. |
| Sponsored by: | NY 3Rs Association, Inc. |
| Webinar Goals: | Unquestioned support for the academic library can't be taken for granted any more. Our parent institutions challenge us for evidence about what we contribute to institutional outcomes. What does this evidence look like? Is it one irrefutable piece of data, or more of a composite picture? And how do we communicate it most effectively to users, opinion-leaders, and decision-makers?
Attendees will be able to understand the: |
Zsuzsa Koltay is Director of Assessment and Communication at Cornell University Library, a position that is unique in academic libraries. Zsuzsa has been at Cornell for over twenty years in a wide variety of leadership positions including being the founding project manager of Project Euclid, leading the Engineering Library for four years, and heading system-wide web development efforts. These positions have led her to appreciate data to aid decision-making. The breadth of her experience has helped her custom create a multi-faceted and integrated program of assessment and communication in the past five years.
The Library Assessment in Action Series
Does the phrase "library assessment" send you into a slight (or not so slight) panic? You know that it is crucial in determining how well your library or library system is meeting its mission, goals, and objectives-and in designing effective programs and services.
A library's "return on investment" can influence a library's funding. Academic and school libraries need to know that their investment in programs and services are making a positive difference in student outcomes and meeting researchers' needs. Recent research links hospital and health sciences libraries to improved patient care.
Library assessment is not new and most libraries are going to have existing data available to help them. How do you use this data in your decision-making? What data already exists in your library that you can draw from? How do you present this data in a meaningful way to your stakeholders?
This series of library assessment webinars will feature leading experts on library assessment. It will include general information and "the nuts and bolts of assessment" including survey design, focus groups, data-driven decision making, data visualization, and communicating outcomes. The webinars will run from one to 1.5 hours in length. There will be a "digging deeper" component enabling participants to continue the discussion and learn from each other.
The learning outcomes for the webinar series include:
• Obtain an overview of current library assessment practices in different types of libraries.
• Acquire practical experience in the development of assessment activities and materials through the webinar and the "digging deeper" component.
• Develop an assessment skill set.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration and continuing professional development.
About the Assessment Initiative
The Information Infrastructure for New York State, an initiative sponsored and coordinated by the NY 3Rs Association, Inc. has included opportunities for input and participation by leaders in the library and archive environments in the State. A two-day Summit in the Fall of 2012, followed by a statewide survey, and concluding with a "Reality Check" meeting of several leaders in the Spring of 2013 resulted in a final report: I2NY: Envisioning an Information Structure for New York State (May 2013). The report is available at http://www.ny3rs.org/i2ny/.
Outcomes & Assessment Priority. A priority articulated in the Summit, survey, and "Reality Check" meeting was "outcomes and assessment," i.e., how well library services are connected to patron needs and student outcomes. This was seen as important at every level of school and academic library, as well as in the public library for lifelong learners and researchers. This also ties into demonstrating the value of the library and return on investment (ROI).
NEXT IN THE SERIES: May 26, Robert Dugan, Dean of Libraries at the University of West Florida. Registration is opening soon. Watch for additional programs that will be offered from May to September.
