LibInsight @ FIU

Going beyond traditional data collection, LibInsight allows the library to blend and analyze library data in a single dashboard. It enables decision-makers to see analytics presented visually, identify new patterns and quickly address problems or opportunities. LibInsight can visualize, evaluate and assess library services and collections and compare them both internally and against industry standards.

Presentation by Gretchen Scronce & Christa Poparad, College of Charleston

Most academic libraries perform some level of collection assessment for e-resources. However, traditional e-resource assessment procedures pose multiple challenges related to their adaptability, transparency, and sustainability.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate using student employees with expertise in niche areas to provide library services outside the traditional scope of full-time library employees. It examines a case study where an academic library employed undergraduate students to assist users in makerspace-related work and, more recently, graduate students to assist users in data analysis. This paper will determine whether such students can provide satisfactory service to users.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between librarians' perception of the difficulty of patron consultations and a variety of factors that characterize these interactions in the context of an academic library at a large public university. The study also provides insight into how changes in library service operations due to the global COVID-19 pandemic have affected the perceived difficulty of library consultations. Data samples were drawn from a LibInsight dataset and limited to consultations from Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 (N = 3331). Statistical analysis was conducted using ordinal logistic regression to quantify the relationship between perceptions of difficulty and factors indicating pre/post-COVID-19 modifications, patron type, scheduling, question format, library department, consultation duration, semester, and campus.

Some libraries are tracking metrics, such as instruction data and usage statistics, to illustrate the impact that their services are having on student retention and success. The data can be used as libraries advocate for adequate budgets, demonstrating the valued roles they play in the academic community. In addition to the traditional data collected, library outreach activities are used to demonstrate engagement with college communities and have a positive impact on student experience. The Berkeley College Library developed an outreach planning and assessment strategy using unified monthly initiatives across eight library locations, including an online campus, to measure Berkeley Library’s impact across the entire college. This article explains how the Library’s Outreach & Marketing Committee evaluated its methods for measuring library impact and how the Committee formulated a solution for effectively tracking outreach data to demonstrate the library’s value.

After identifying developing a culture of assessment as a strategic goal, Utah State University Libraries determined that the next step was to centralize its patron interaction tracking processes. Previous initiatives limited collection to specific library units, including using inconsistent data collection, storage, and reporting practices. A task force was charged with centralizing the processes for collecting all desk interactions, consultations, and instruction across the library. This paper details the process of platform selection, stakeholder input, form revision, marketing, and piloting the new workflow, including lessons learned, challenges, and next steps toward maintaining data collection consistency with staff and administrative buy-in.