Methods to Tame the Madness: A Practitioner’s Guide to User Assessment Techniques for Online Finding Aid and Website Design

Hu, Rachael

doi:10.5860/rbm.13.2.381

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…More recent literature, particularly the Fall 2012 special RBM: A Journal of Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Cultural Heritage issue on assessment, focuses on a varied array of hypothetical assessment strategies for special collections and archives. Articles from this issue establish the framework for an evidence-based practice approach to assessment (Chapman & Yakel, 2012), outline methods for conducting archival collections assessment (Conway & Proffitt, 2012) and instruction assessment (Bahde & Smedberg, 2012), and considerations for assessing online finding aid and website design (Hu, 2012). Only one article offers a practical case study, detailing how assessment methodologies might be applied in a specific circumstance (Gustainis, 2012).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Data-Driven Decision Making: An Holistic Approach to Assessment in Special Collections Repositories

Griffin¹,

Lewis²,

Greenberg³

2013

EBLIP

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2013 Griffin, Lewis, and Greenberg. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons-Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike License 2.5 Canada (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-ncsa/2.5/ca/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly attributed, not used for commercial purposes, and, if transformed, the resulting work is redistributed under the same or similar license to this one. AbstractObjective -In an environment of shrinking budgets and reduced staffing, this study seeks to identify a comprehensive, integrated assessment strategy to better focus diminished resources within special collections repositories.Methods -This article presents the results of a single case study conducted in the Special and Digital Collections department at a university library. The department created an holistic assessment model, taking into account both public and technical services, to Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 2013, 8.2 226 explore inter-related questions affecting both day-to-day operations as well as long-term, strategic priorities.Results -Data from a variety of assessment activities positively impacted the department's practices, informing decisions made about staff skill sets, training, and scheduling; outreach activities; and prioritizing technical services. The results provide a comprehensive view of both patron and department needs, allowing for a wide variety of improvements and changes in staffing practices, all driven by data rather than anecdotal evidence.Conclusion -Although the data generated for this study is institutionally specific, the methodology is applicable to special collections departments at other institutions. A systemic, holistic approach to assessment in special collections departments enables the implementation of operational efficiencies. It also provides data that allows the department to document its value to university-wide stakeholders.

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