Purpose & Goals

The purpose of this poster is to provide examples of two types of library assessment projects completed through undergraduate course partnerships. Libraries have far more potential assessment projects than capacity to complete. Staff size, time, budget, and other resources determine the quantity, breadth, and depth of assessment queries. Some questions may never be investigated because other questions take priority. Libraries are also encouraged to involve students throughout the assessment process, but it can be challenging to find students willing to participate in the design and analysis part of the process. Undergraduate business students learn how to conduct basic research studies and create a product or plan to address a client's need. Experiential learning (EL) is an evidence-based pedagogical approach to teach the skills needed to serve future clients. However, undergraduate courses often rely on fabricated or historical case studies for EL, and students have limited access to current, real-life opportunities outside of an internship or directed learning course (Mitchell & Rich, 2021). The CBU library had two assessment projects they could not pursue due to capacity limitations, but were able to complete by partnering with undergraduate courses. These assessment projects are 1) a mixed methods investigation of the underutilization of the Interlibrary Loan book borrowing service by CBU students and 2) the creation of an interactive data dashboard on database cost and usage.

Design & Methodology

The first partnership was with an upper division marketing research course where students learned how to design a mixed methods study, collect and analyze data, and make recommendations to the client. One librarian visited the course to present the issue: Why are so few CBU students using the Interlibrary Loan book borrowing service? The presentation included an explanation of the service, the current usage data, and other relevant information. Students were then split into teams of 4-5, and each team spent several weeks designing and implementing a questionnaire and analyzing the data. A librarian and course instructor provided feedback to drafts of each team's survey instrument. After project completion, each team gave a 15-minute presentation to multiple library staff members on their findings and recommendations. All data collection instruments, raw data, write ups, and presentations were given to the library. The second partnership was with two students in an upper division business analytics course to design a streamlined data dashboard. We met with our assigned students to present the current data and data entry processes and explain what we were looking for in a data dashboard. After the initial meeting, the students met with one of us every 2-3 weeks to exchange questions and feedback. After the dashboard was completed, the students made a formal presentation. We tested it for user experience and final adjustments were made.

Findings

The ILL project validated what we suspected but lacked data to support: students were not using the ILL book borrowing service because 1) they did not know the service existed and 2) it takes longer compared to requesting journal articles. However, the teams unearthed a third reason for low usage: the request process for books is not integrated into our databases like journal article requests are integrated. Each team also made several recommendations for improving general social media practices and presence. Feedback from each team was collected through course evaluations and, more informally, through class discussions after the presentations. Feedback was very positive. Students enjoyed having a legitimate, current issue to investigate, and felt their work was a valuable contribution to the library's assessment processes. Students felt heard and seen when library staff responded positively to their many recommendations, particularly for the ILL project. The two students who created the data dashboard indicated their excitement in creating a tool that would improve workflow, decision-making, and reporting. An unexpected outcome was both students and faculty indicated a greater appreciation for the library. In particular, the faculty and students involved in the database usage dashboard project all commented that they had no idea just how expensive library databases could be and were surprised at the complexities of database usage and cost analysis. We consider both projects a success. The time spent meeting with the faculty and students was far less than we would have spent completing each project internally. Although the ILL project methodologies had significant limitations, it still gave us enough to confirm our hypotheses while also providing unexpected findings. The data dashboard project was more straightforward and easily adopted.

Action & Impact

The ILL project findings and recommendations were used to adjust marketing strategies, and there has been an increase in student usage of the ILL book service. We are currently investigating a way to better integrate an ILL request link for books within relevant databases. Additionally, the library is creating a paid marketing intern position to improve and expand our outreach through social media. The data dashboard for database cost and usage has been adopted by the library and improved the data entry, analysis, and reporting processes. The data dashboard has also been a useful tool educate faculty about database usage and cost without revealing potentially sensitive information or overloading faculty with raw data. We are currently working on designing projects for future classes.

Practical Implications & Value

This project serves as a model for how other libraries can partner with campus faculty to improve student learning experiences and expand library assessment practices. Partnering with undergraduate business students benefits students and libraries. Libraries can complete more labor-intensive projects and begin answering those questions often left on the back burner. Students can apply what they're learning through coursework to meet a real world need and bolster their project portfolios. It is challenging to engage students throughout the assessment process, and this can be a potential stepping stone to drawing student interest in library assessment projects. We hope this project helps expand the profession's conception of what library assessment looks like and the ways in which we can involve the people our libraries serve.

View Poster (PDF)