Purpose & Goals

In response to internal questions about the value of Penn State University Libraries Open House, the largest library outreach event engaging approximately 2,500 participants annually, Library Learning Services and Library Assessment partnered to investigate and communicate the reach and impact of Open House on first-year undergraduate students. This project resulted in recommendations to articulate value to stakeholders to improve buy in and generated ideas for future research.

Design & Methodology

Open House, a core component of Penn State University Libraries foundational instructional curriculum, introduces students to available library services and expertise while learning to navigate library spaces. Participants swipe their IDs at various library stops and then again at the finish line to receive a participation certificate and complete a learning outcome survey. Utilizing institutional data from university data systems, a comparison of Open House participants to the target population of incoming first year undergraduate students was conducted. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were completed to identify differences in participation, potential gaps, and recommendations to increase engagement. In addition, completion survey data was analyzed for successful achievement of learning outcomes, satisfaction levels and areas for improvement.

Findings

A comparison of Open House participants to the target population of incoming first-year undergraduate students revealed that 1 in 5 first-year undergraduate students were reached through Open House. Open House participants were more likely to be white, female, younger, U.S. citizens, and not adult learners. Importantly, there was no significant difference found in participation for first generation students. This analysis also identified gaps in participation and generated ideas for increasing participation by targeting specific classes such as ENGL 15, COMM 100 and other First-Year Seminar (FYS) courses. While 97% of participants completed Open House, there were significant differences in program completion. Participants that did not complete Open House were more likely to be non-white, male, older, higher academic level, and a non-U.S. citizen. Again, there were no significant differences found in completion for first generation students. Open House learning outcomes were examined showing that after completion of Open House 98% of attendees were able to get help with their research, 97% could navigate the libraries physical spaces, 96% could use the library webpage to start their research and 89% could identify a library of congress call number.

Action & Impact

Much of library assessment consists of one-shot assessments, versus creating systems for assessment management to continuously track outcomes (Oakleaf, 2010). A Power BI report was created to track and display Open House reach and outcomes, facilitating effective communication of success and enabling prompt adjustments to improve practice. The report automatically updates after student swipe and survey data are uploaded and a process is in place to integrate institutional data as well. In addition, a library-wide presentation to faculty and staff was scheduled to articulate the purpose of Open House and its significance. Open House requires approximately 550 volunteer hours over the course of two days, and its success is entirely dependent upon buy in from faculty, staff, and Administration.

Practical Implications & Value

Prior research indicates that library usage is mostly influenced by users’ awareness and resources of the library (Andaleeb and Simmonds, 1998). The primary goal of Open House is to introduce students to the libraries’ services and spaces, which is a critical first step for success in their academic careers. In 2010, the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) released the Value of Academic Libraries report and called for libraries to research the link between library services and student success. The newly created Power BI report provides a practical tool for ongoing assessment and future research will explore not only subsequent library usage, but also measures of student success to better articulate the value of Open House.