Contextualizing library assessment within a broader ecosystem

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to draw a picture of the current landscape of library assessment based on the data gathered in interviews. The authors will focus specifically on the continuum between micro and strategic assessment and share the lessons learned from diverse institutions and geographies about how to build a culture of assessment. Design/methodology/approach Between 2015 and 2017, the researchers have interviewed more than 75 library directors and leaders, library assessment practitioners, and academic experts on four continents about library assessment and its current state in their institutions. Findings The results reveal a varied landscape, with libraries in widely varying stages of assessment performance and readiness. Originality/value This paper presents the results of a large-scale study over more than two years. More than 75 people have been interviewed in five countries. The scale and scope of the work is both significant and unique.

Understanding EBLIP at an Organizational Level: An Initial Maturity Model

“…Harland, Stewart, and Bruce (2017) reported that university library directors stressed the necessity of evidence in increasingly complex decisionmaking processes and in using evidence based value measurements to articulate the library's contribution to their university. The value of the library is increasingly judged by its demonstrated ability to help students learn and researchers research (Madsen & Hurst, 2018). The Council of Australian University Librarians identified an aspirational long-term goal to nurture a culture of evidence based thinking and communication across university libraries in Australia (Owen, Peasley & Paton, 2017).…”

“…Looking more broadly at the literature on library assessment (a term often used synonymously with EBLIP), many libraries have adopted tools, such as balanced scorecards, values scorecards, performance indicator frameworks, benchmarking, frameworks, and typologies, to demonstrate their value and impact and to assess cultural change (Urquhart, 2018). Madsen and Hurst (2018) proposed a Library Assessment Success Model that places the library as an organization within the eco-system of higher education. Their model focused on how well the library aligns with the strategic goals of the parent entity and rated a library's performance along an eight-point scale (Madsen & Hurst, 2018).…”

“…Madsen and Hurst (2018) proposed a Library Assessment Success Model that places the library as an organization within the eco-system of higher education. Their model focused on how well the library aligns with the strategic goals of the parent entity and rated a library's performance along an eight-point scale (Madsen & Hurst, 2018). Maturity models have emerged in the information science literature and have been used as tools for internal and/or external benchmarking, identifying future improvement and providing guidelines for organizational development and growth (Lasrado, Andersen, & Vatrapu, 2015).…”

Culture of assessment in academic libraries in Kuwait: investigating the current situation and future prospects

“…Farkas and Hinchliffe (2013) used the high-performance programming model for organizational change to investigate the culture of assessment in academic libraries whose librarians were faculty members. Based on interviews with 73 library directors and experts across four continents, Madsen and Hurst (2018) developed a flexible library assessment ecosystem model to help libraries understand the landscape of library assessment and contextualize the unique assessment-related efforts and measures of success within their larger ecosystems.…”

Strategic Library Assessment: Aligning with Your University’s Strategic Plan

“…The libraries in this study reported that assessment activities were closely tied to their strategic planning; fewer libraries, however, reported a strong link with their university's strategic planning. 14 The authors recommended that, with the current progression toward impact assessment as opposed to service quality improvement, libraries need to better align assessment to their institutions priorities; also, libraries need to pair their data with better reporting tools and link it directly to both the library's and institution's mission and goals. 15 A few librarians have published articles specifically about tying assessment to library and campus strategic planning efforts.…”