“Use assessment measures to evaluate programs and services.”
Introduction
It is important to assess an organization’s progress towards achieving goals and objectives so that their plans can be adjusted as needed to better achieve their goals. Assessing a library’s Return on Investment (ROI) is also vital for convincing stakeholders to provide needed funding for information organizations.
Assessment Methods
Programs and services can be evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively. Quantitative assessment focuses on numbers and efficiency, while quantitative assessment focuses on effectiveness. Both are important for measuring how well an organization achieves its goals. Alman (2022) describes the following methods for assessing whether a specific marketing project is successful, most of which are quantitative: “head counts at events, an increase in circulation or participation in programs or services, focus group or survey data, correlations between factors, and ROI analyses.” Kroski (2022) notes that virtual library services should also be assessed with the use of software that tracks attendance and number of people using a website. Online surveys and video interviews can also be used.
Zaugg (2020) describes how assessment data can be gathered routinely from different departments of an academic library. Routine rather than “one-off” assessment are vital for continuing success in library operations. He also notes that one should avoid relying on only one assessment method. For example, he says that rather than just relying on a survey of students taking a library class, an instructor should also have a colleague observe the course and compare the student survey with their own impression of how things went as well as the colleague’s observations. Having multiple perspectives will make for a more accurate assessment.
Ferguson (2022) mentions the need to use a community-focused, bottom-up rather than top-down approach to assessments. For example, asking patrons what a successful library makerspace would look like to them, and having discussion groups to evaluate the library’s programs and services together in a collaborative effort. Such qualitative assessments, Ferguson argues, can gather richer data than a quantitative assessment can, and qualitative assessments should not be overlooked as a source of information.
Using Assessment Data to Improve Services
Assessment data should not be gathered just for the sake of gathering data. There should be a plan for what data should be gathered, how it should be analyzed, and what kinds of improvements should be discussed based on the data. Assessment is an important part of making a strategic plan. Zaugg (2020) describes how the Brigham Young University academic library uses assessment data to determine how well the library is fulfilling their goals. They recognize that the needs of the students and faculty change over time and they use assessments to determine how to better help them meet those needs. The library’s Assessment Office puts the data they obtain into what they call a “Library Impact Map,” or LIM. The LIM is divided into departments, and goals are listed along with whether the data shows that they are meeting these goals. This way each department can see at a glance where they need to improve.
Assessment can help organizations determine where better training is needed. Qualitative data from discussions and written feedback can help determine what specific aspects of employee training need to be improved. Assessments can also be used to figure out where and how better marketing can be implemented to help more people be aware of specific library services. The data gathered from assessments can help information organizations make decisions such as rearranging spaces, adding or removing items from collections, and getting more people to use the organization’s services.
Evidence Items
Evidence Item 1: Assessing the Impact of Free Book Sharing Boxes in Book Deserts
This item is a discussion post I wrote for the course INFO 204: Information Professions. I picked a specific goal to assess and described how I would assess that. The goal I chose to assess was to increase access to books and literacy rates in book deserts. I determined that assessing progress in this area could include keeping track of what books and how many books get taken from and placed in the book box, as well as asking community members who use the book boxes to take surveys. I also researched how other information organizations have assessed similar aspects of their organizations.
This item shows that I understand how to find a way to assess a specific information organization. Note that I used assessment research from a public library and an academic library to come up with an assessment method for a nonprofit organization that gives away free books. This shows my ability to apply assessment methods in different types of information organizations. Little Free Library is a unique organization with each book box run by an independent person or organization who may have their own idea of how to run things, so consistently assessing book boxes could be a challenge. I am sure there is more research and discussion that could be done in this area.
Evidence Item 2: Open Peer Review Position Paper
Item 2 is a position paper I wrote for the course INFO 281: Scholarly Communication and Publishing: Access, Intellectual Property, and Impact. In the paper I discuss the problems with the traditional peer review process of academic papers and the reasons why an open peer review process is better.
This paper demonstrates my ability to assess a service, determine its strengths and weaknesses, and identify specific ways in which it can be improved. One of the most important aspects of the assessment process is to make decisions for the organization based on the data gathered. This paper shows my ability to take a position and argue in favor of it based on the data. Even if everyone on my team at work doesn’t agree with my stance on an issue, taking a stance and arguing for it calmly and logically will help us develop ideas for better progress within the organization.
Evidence Item 3: My Experience as an Intern for the American Film Institute
This item is a review of my experience as an intern for the American Film Institute. In the paper I describe the specific learning outcomes or goals I intended to achieve in the internship, whether or not I was able to achieve those goals and why. I also described the work I did, my supervisor’s management style and how effective it was, my responsibilities, the technology I used, and the most difficult aspects of the job.
This item demonstrates my ability to evaluate a service I provide as an employee, and evaluate the performance of other employees in an organization. It also shows my ability to evaluate specific aspects of an organization, its employees, and the technology used.
Conclusion
When working in any position at any organization, I will want to make sure I am fulfilling the roles and responsibilities I have been assigned as part of my job. In order to ensure I am fulfilling those responsibilities the best way possible, I will want to perform evaluations and assessments on the services I provide. To stay up to date on library assessment trends and ideas, I will follow publications that regularly produce articles on the topic, such as the Library Assessment Conference.
References
Alman, S. W. (2022). Communication, Marketing, and Outreach Strategies. In Hirsh, S. (Ed.) Information services today: An introduction (3rd ed., pp.374-387). Roman & Littlefield.
Ferguson, A (2022). Examining the “culture of assessment” in public libraries. Pathfinder: A Canadian Journal for Information Science Students and Early Career Professionals, 3(1), 47-63. https://doi.org/10.29173/pathfinder55
Kroski, E. V. (2022). Virtual Resources and Services. In Hirsh, S. (Ed.) Information services today: An introduction (3rd ed., pp.143-152). Roman & Littlefield.
Zaugg, H. (2020). The development, design, and implementation of a library assessment framework. Journal of Library Administration, 60(8), 909–924. https://doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2020.1820277