Assessment In Academic Libraries

This summer the Northern New York Library Network, along with the other NY 3Rs, co- sponsored the Association of Research Libraries Institute "Creating a Culture of Assessment." Six academic librarians from four libraries in the region attended one of the three workshops, and the Network subsidized a substantial portion of their enrollment fees.

Building on this interest in assessment among academic libraries, the NNY Library Network, again in partnership with the other 3Rs in the state, is now participating in a state-wide assessment project called LibQUAL+. Seven academic libraries in our region have expressed interest in surveying their users through this initiative, and a $93,000 LSTA (Library Services and Technology) grant has been awarded the New York 3Rs to pay many of the costs associated with it.

LibQUAL+ is a research and development project undertaken by the Association of Research Libraries in collaboration with Texas A&M University and the U.S. Department of Education. LibQUAL+ is a way to define and measure library service quality across institutions and create useful quality-assessment tools for libraries. Academic libraries that use the LibQUAL+ service will be able to use web-based tools to assess library service quality and to identify best practices in providing library services.

There will be one-day orientation/training sessions on Nov. 4 in Albany and Nov. 8 in Rochester for all participants. Actual surveys will take place in winter, 2003. For more information, contact the Network office locally at 315-265-1119, or toll-free at 877-833-1674