In academic libraries, communicating and using assessment data for action is the key to enacting change and improvement. This workshop offers a comprehensive framework enabling librarians to share assessment results with stakeholders and provide decision makers with evidence that can drive meaningful change and achieve desired outcomes. Participants will learn to plan for action from the start, engage assessment participants early on, reflect on findings, share compelling results with stakeholders and colleagues, and inspire decision makers to prioritize and implement change. Through engagement with frameworks, hands-on activities, and discussions, participants will design plans for communicating and using assessment data in conversation with assessment participants and stakeholders to create buy-in and drive meaningful and inclusive action. Throughout this workshop, participants will develop their ability to make the most of assessment results, ensuring that they are seen, understood, and used to translate assessment outcomes into informed decision-making and action plans. With assessment projects that are designed to foreground communication and use of results, librarians will be better equipped to anticipate needs, inform decision-making with clearly communicated data and evidence, identify ways to align opportunities with institutional priorities, demonstrate value and impact, and ensure that the library remains a vibrant hub of learning and research within the academic community.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Develop assessment plans that engage participants from the initial stages of an initiative to its completion, ensuring results are communicated clearly and stakeholders have an open path for ongoing engagement with librarians for shared problem-solving and improvement.
• Develop their ability to make the most of assessment results, ensuring that they are seen, understood, and used by colleagues to inform decision-making and action plans. 
• Design communications that share compelling assessment results with key decision makers, provide evidence to drive meaningful change, and inspire prioritization of ongoing engagement in assessment for improvement.

Facilitators 
Becky Croxton, Head of Strategic Analytics & Special Projects, J. Murrey Atkins Library, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Megan Oakleaf, Professor, LIS Program Director, Syracuse University