Purpose & Goals

Assessment is critical in creating, measuring, and maintaining effective information literacy instruction for all students. Kuh and Gonyea (2015) recommended a necessary collaborative relationship between classroom faculty, student affairs, and library faculty to promote “educationally purposeful activities” (p. 373). Smith (2019) discussed assessment culture in academic libraries and used a single institutional case study to determine that there is importance in highlighting individual efforts related to assessment of information literacy instruction in academic libraries. Establishing strategic partnerships between academic libraries and campus partners can lead to more student involvement both inside and outside of the classroom. Libraries are positioned to provide the necessary collaborations needed to increase institutional involvement that leads to student success and retention. This case study sought to assess the impact of information literacy library instruction on first-year Living Learning Community (LLC) Criminology students at Western Kentucky University and asked the following question: Are the general information literacy class and the Special Collections information literacy class beneficial to Criminology LLC students? Information literacy and library instruction in higher education provide students with foundational research skills to locate, organize, evaluate, and synthesize resources and to communicate findings through writing and other means. Delivery of effective information literacy and library instruction can play “a greater role and responsibility in creating new knowledge, in understanding the contours and the changing dynamics of the world of information, and in using information, data, and scholarship ethically” (ACRL Framework, 2015). Association of College & Research Libraries, Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2015), accessed February 13, 2024, www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues/infolit/framework1.pdf. Kuh, G. and Gonyea, R. (2015). The role of the academic library in promoting student engagement and learning. College and Research Libraries, 76(3), 359-385. Smith, M. (2019). Working toward a culture of instructional assessment. Reference Services Review, 47(4), 487–502.

Design & Methodology

As a primary research method, the survey was designed to collect data directly from the subjects. The pre and post surveys measured students’ knowledge before and after the information literacy classes. Questions were designed to reveal students’ comfort and awareness levels related to services offered through University Libraries. Students enrolled in the Fall 2023 Criminology 101 course titled Introduction to Criminal Justice were the subjects of this case study. Students received a link to the pre and post-test surveys through their CRIM 101 Blackboard course site. The surveys were created via Qualtrics and consist of eight questions for the Helm/Cravens Library pre/post survey and six questions for the Special Collection Library pre/post survey. All questions were on a Likert scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree or similar response options. Upon institutional IRB approval, students received a message through their CRIM 101 Blackboard course site informing them of the study, which was conducted in collaboration with the course instructor. Students had access to the consent form prior to completing the pre and post surveys and were asked to read it before proceeding. Students then provided their responses to eight multiple choice questions for the general library pre/post survey and six multiple-choice questions for the Special Collections pre/post survey about their experience during these two information literacy sessions. The assessments took approximately five-eight minutes to complete during one sitting. Students had two days to complete the pre-surveys and two days to complete the post-surveys after the information literacy sessions. After two days, access to the survey links was closed.

Findings

Overall, the results of this case study showed that students’ comfort, awareness, and knowledge of library services increased from the pre to post surveys. For example, Special Collections Survey question one asked: On a scale of 1-5 (1 is extremely unaware, 5 is extremely aware), how aware are you of the Special Collections Library at WKU? Of the 11 total responses on the pre survey, four were extremely unaware, two were somewhat unaware, one was neither unaware nor aware, and four were somewhat aware. Zero respondents were extremely aware of the Special Collections Library at WKU. In contrast, the post survey showed that of the 11 total survey respondents, six were extremely aware, three were somewhat aware, one was neither unaware nor aware and one respondent was extremely unaware. Comparing the pre and post extremely aware and somewhat aware responses shows an increase in knowledge about Special Collections existence and awareness for the Criminology LLC students. Most pre and post responses showed an increase in knowledge gained during the general library and Special Collections library information literacy sessions. Some conclusions can be drawn from these responses including a sense that students are generally unaware of the services and resources available through the library as first-year students and that interaction via library visits can increase knowledge and awareness. The Criminology LLC students only visit the library once for a general information literacy session and once for a Special Collections information literacy session throughout the semester. Another conclusion could be drawn in relation to additional library sessions and a possible deeper understanding of library services and resources. Further partnership building and collaboration would be needed to increase the number of library visits throughout the semester.

Action & Impact

The researchers who conducted this case study include two WKU Department of Library Public Services librarians. One is the Core Curriculum Instruction Librarian, and the other is the Humanities/Social Sciences Librarian. They are currently collaborating to write an article for submission into an academic, peer-reviewed journal to share their findings with the academic library community. Their timeline notes a submission deadline of July 2024. Beyond publication, the librarians will share these findings with their colleagues to further solidify and encourage library involvement in LLC each academic year. Further sharing of this case study with campus partners include Housing and Residence Life as well as Student Enrollment and Success administrators. The institution has relied heavily on the success of LLC as a recruiting tool for future students and added data collected from this case study could improve and bolster recruitment efforts in the future. Within the Library, this assessment case study data will be used to show the impact WKU Libraries has on student success as the Library Dean prepares reaffirmation accreditation documentation for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Such data can assist in the reaffirmation process and show dedication to institutional effectiveness offered through library activities.

Practical Implications & Value

LLCs at WKU have proved to positively impact retention rates. According to the WKU Office of Institutional Research, 94.8% of first-time, first-year LLC students returned for the spring 2023 semester, compared to 90.4% of first-time, first-year students who did not participate in an LLC (WKU News, 2024). Administrators place value on LLCs and data collected related to library involvement with LLCs show a commitment to students’ success and persistence. The Department of Library Public Services (DLPS) at Western Kentucky University currently performs several outreach activities to the LLCs on campus each fall semester. Librarian involvement with the Criminology LLC has grown over the past few years to include a common reading and an author visit to campus. The assessment case study will impact future library outreach activities to LLCs and provide positive impact data to Housing and Residence Life personnel and campus administrator to show that information literacy can play a role in student success and retention. The researchers hope this case study data will contribute to the overall scholarly conversation related to library assessment. Specifically, the researchers foresee a positive impact on library involvement in LLCs and outreach to more student success initiatives. One of the researchers, along with other WKU Librarians, has already published in this area with hopes to build the literature related to library outreach to LLCs in higher education. See below: McCaslin, S., Howell, K., & DeLancey, L. (2022). Library outreach to Living Learning Communities: A case study. College & Research Libraries News, 83(10), 449. doi:https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.83.10.449 Howell, K., McCaslin, S., & DeLancey, L. (2023). Libraries and Living Learning Communities: Exploring strategies for outreach and programming. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 49(3), N.PAG. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2022.102657 WKU News. (2024, February 16). WKU announces significant fall to spring retention gains. Media Relations. https://www.wku.edu/news/articles/index.php?view=article&articleid=11768