Outcomes Assessment NCSU Libraries
3/24/08
Outcome Statements
Assessment Methods
Assesment of Outcomes
Mission of the NCSU Libraries:
The NCSU Libraries is the gateway to knowledge for the NC State University community and partners. We define the leading edge of information services and collections in support of the university's mission and to further knowledge in the world.
NCSU Libraries Clients:
The Libraries primary clients are the university community (students, faculty, and staff) and research partners. Clients external to the organization include the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN), the other libraries in the UNC system, and citizens of North Carolina (some restrictions apply to physical and virtual access for those not affiliated with the university).
- Students demonstrate improved skills in locating, analyzing, synthesizing, and using information as a result of the Libraries resources, services, and partnerships with faculty.
- Faculty, researchers, and students report that the collection offers what they need and that they have efficient access to library collections and services.
- Students and faculty report that the environments provided by the Libraries (both physical and virtual) are conducive to learning and research.
Objectives:
The NCSU Libraries engages incoming and future students (Net Gen and beyond) in order to understand their perspectives and address their needs.
Advisory Groups: Advisory groups provide direct contact with faculty and students on a regular basis. Advisory groups advise the Libraries on policies, services, projects, and collections on a regular basis. Advisory groups include the University Library Committee (ULC), Departmental liaisons, the ULC Student Subcommittee, and the Student Advisory Board.
Collections Analyses: Staff routinely collect and review data from a variety of sources to assist in making decisions related to building the collection (use of electronic resources, circulation, interlibrary loan requests, citation studies, comparisons with collections held by other libraries).
Consultations with faculty: Librarians who provide instructional services work closely with faculty and consult with them about the effectiveness of instructional sessions.
Examination of work done by students (exercises, papers, examinations, etc.): Librarians evaluate students' work, often utilizing metrics to judge mastery of the material.
Focus Groups: Focus groups are used to follow up general surveys and as a means of exploring campus opinions on specific subjects or projects.
Internal Efficiency Indicators: Many of the Libraries' departments track performance related to productivity and efficiency. Examples: Number of requests filled and time to fill requests (Interlibrary Loan); Number of items shelved and time to reach shelves (Access Services), etc.
Online Suggestions and Discussion Forums: The Libraries maintains a contact us link on its homepage and a discussion forum for the Learning Commons. An online discussion forum is also planned for the new Hunt Library building project.
Surveys (Users), General: General surveys (such as those administered by University Planning and Analysis) help gauge levels of satisfaction/dissatisfaction in broad areas.
Surveys (Users), Targeted: Targeted surveys are usually directed to users or potential users of specific services or products. Brief surveys are sometimes delivered to classes to help gauge students perceptions of the effectiveness of instructional sessions.
Surveys, Statistical and Subject (National, Regional, and State): These instruments provide a means of collection data in accordance with defined standards. Data can be useful in benchmarking with other institutions, both peer and aspirational, and in tracking trends over time. The Libraries also participates in evaluations of NCSU's academic programs by contributing collections data for accreditation reviews.
Usability Studies: Usability studies are conducted to assess the ease of use of the library's virtual environment.
Web Statistics and Log Analyses: Staff track the use of Web resources and analyze use logs to detect problems with interface design.
Assessment of Outcomes
Outcome 1. Students demonstrate improved skills in locating, analyzing, synthesizing, and using information as a result of the Libraries' resources, services, and partnerships with faculty.
Consultations with faculty: Given the ratio of instructional librarians to the number of students at the university, assessment of this outcome will rely heavily on consultations with faculty.
Schedule: Ongoing
Evaluation of student performance on selected work products (exercises, papers, and examinations): Librarians have been involved in developing assignments and rubrics to help gauge student performance in various disciplines. In Engineering, where instruction in the use of information resources has been well integrated into the curriculum, teaching assistants often grade the assignments using the rubrics.
Schedule: Ongoing
Use of LOBO: LOBO (Library Online Basic Orientation) is used in conjunction with English 101. LOBO has sixteen online modules, as well as lesson plans and handouts for instructors to use with their classes. LOBO has been designed for integration with course assignments, and faculty members evaluate the students' performance. Librarians work closely with faculty to refine the instrument and assignments.
Track online use of Lobo modules:
Schedule: Ongoing
Survey English 101 faculty about how they use LOBO:
Schedule: 2008 or 2009
Surveys, Targeted: In selected classes, librarians administer brief surveys to help gauge students' perceptions of the effectiveness of instructional sessions.
Schedule: Ongoing
Surveys, General: Level of satisfaction as reported on university surveys (e.g., Sophomore, Senior, Baccalaureate Alumni)
Schedule: Biennial (Sophomore and Senior Surveys)
ARL Statistics: Number of instructional sessions and students reached
Schedule: Collected annually
Outcome 2. Researchers and students report that the collection offers what they need and that they have efficient access to library collections and services.
Surveys, General: Level of satisfaction as reported on university surveys (e.g., Sophomore, Senior, Baccalaureate Alumni, Faculty Well Being)
Schedule: Biennial (Sophomore and Senior Surveys)
Advisory Groups:
The University Library Committee meets three or four times each semester. The group advises the Vice Provost and Director of Libraries about policies related to instruction and research; the allocation of funds for the collection; the allocation of library space; and library services (minutes).
Schedule: Ongoing
The Student Advisory Board meets each academic year with the Vice Provost and Director of Libraries to advise on a broad range of issues that impact student use of and satisfaction with library collections, services, and facilities.
Schedule: Ongoing
Departmental Library Representatives. Collection managers maintain close contact with faculty representatives in the academic departments.
Schedule: Ongoing
Collection Anlyses: Staff routinely collect and review data from a variety of sources to assist in making decisions related to building the collection (use of electronic resources, circulation, interlibrary loan requests, citation studies, comparisons with collections held by other libraries).
Schedule: Ongoing, including the following projects:
2006 TRLN OCLC Collections Analysis Task Force (to determine uniqueness and overlap of the collections of Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, NCCU, and NCSU)
2007 Analysis of interlibrary loan data (NCSU as a borrower and a lender) for the period covering 2003-2007
Log Analysis: 2006 Analysis of data from two months of search logs from the new online catalog (Endeca) to gauge how patrons use the catalog.
Efficiency Indicators: Interlibrary Loan: Number of requests processed, fill rate, turn-around time.
Schedule: Ongoing, reported annually
ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Statistics: Size of collections and resource expenditures.
Schedule: Collected annually
Accrediation Reviews: The Libraries submits data related to the adequacy of library collections and personnel to several accrediting agencies.
Schedule:
Spring 2004 ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)
Spring 2004 CSAB (Computer Sciences Accreditation Board)
June 2005 NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education)
2007 CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs)
2007 APA (American Psychological Association)
2009 CSWE (Council on Social Work Education)
Outcome 3. Students and faculty report that the environments provided by the Libraries (both physical and virtual) are conducive to learning and research.
Advisory Groups
The University Library Committee meets three or four times each semester. The group advises the Vice Provost and Director of Libraries about policies related to instruction and research; the allocation of funds for the collection; the allocation of library space; and library services (minutes).
Schedule: Ongoing
The ULC's Student Subcommittee meets monthly with the Director of the Learning Commons during the academic year. The group focuses on providing feedback on all services, technology, and events related to the Learning Commons.
Schedule: Ongoing
The Student Advisory Board meets each academic year with the Vice Provost and Director of Libraries to advise on a broad range of issues that impact student use of and satisfaction with library collections, services, and facilities.
Schedule: Ongoing
Online Discussion Forum
Anyone with a Unity ID and Password can post to the Learning Commons Discussion Forum. The forum allows users to share their ideas about the Learning Commons.
Schedule: Ongoing
Implement an online discussion forum in conjunction with the Hunt Library project.
Schedule: 2008 or 2009
Focus Groups
Learning Commons: Learning Commons: Twice each semester and once each summer, Libraries staff meet with several small, representative student focus groups to discuss Learning Commons issues and related library topics.
Schedule: Ongoing
Planning for Hunt Library: Representatives of the international design consultancy firm DEGW conducted focus groups of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, library staff, University Library Committee members, Building Committee members, and Centennial Campus Master Plan stakeholders. Individuals shared their perspectives and identified needs for the Hunt Library.
Schedule: Spring semester 2008 (2/6-8/2008)
Surveys, Targeted: The Libraries will occasionally conduct brief, targeted surveys to gauge users' level of satisfaction with specific products or services.
Schedule:
Spring 2008: Student perceptions of the NCSU Libraries Learning Commons, a voluntary survey administered by a student at UNC's School of Information and Library Science as a research project.
Usability Studies: When changes are planned for its virtual environment, the Libraries usually conducts usability studies.
Schedule:
2006: Usability testing conducted to compare student success in using a new catalog interface (Endeca) with the old catalog interface.
2008: The Libraries is taking the lead in the Search TRLN project (providing simultaneous searching across all TRLN collections).
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