An Action Plan for Outcomes Assessment in Your Library

Figures vii Preface ix Acknowledgments xi A New Day Is Here 1(17) Accountability 1(1) Terminology 2(2) Regional Accrediting Agencies and Assessment Requirements 4(7) Regional Accrediting Agency's Standards Applied to Academic Libraries 11(7) Assessment Plans, Reports, and Guides in Institutions of Higher Education 18(11) Guide Developed by Institutions to assist in Assessment Planning 18(3) Assessment Plans and Reports 21(3) Academic Libraries and University Assessment Planning 24(5) Developing an Assessment Plan for Measuring Student Learning Outcomes 29(14) Recognizing the Need for an assessment Plan for Student Learning Outcomes 29(4) Identifying the Processes and components of an assessment Plan for Student Learning Outcomes 33(2) Creating the First Student Learning Outcomes assessment Plan for the Sawer Library 35(3) Creating the First Faculty Support Outcomes Assessment Plan for the Sawer Library 38(5) Information Literacy Assessment Effort of some Academic Libraries 43(13) Some Libraries Accepting the Call for Assessment 44(4) Examples of Assessment Plans for University Libraries 48(8) Moiving Public Libraries toward Outcomes Assessment 56(10) Accountability 56(2) Performance measures and Standards 58(2) Outputs to Outcomes: What Will Be different for the User? 60(6) Outcomes Defined 66(14) Not Limiting Outcomes to Students 68(1) The Balanced Scorecard 68(1) Measures 69(2) Pharasing Outcomes 71(1) Distinguishing betrween Objective and Outcomes 72(1) Some Ways to Explore Outcomes 73(1) Public Library Outcomes 74(3) Best Practices 77(1) Assessment Plan 77(3) The Research Process 80(21) Stage 1: Reflective Inquiry 81(5) Stage 2: Procedures 86(12) Stage 3: Data Collection, Analysis, and Interpretation 98(1) Stage 4: Presentation of Findings and Use of the Data Collected 99(2) Evidence Demonstrating the Achivement of Outcomes 101(18) Often-Used Measures (but Not Outcomes) 102(1) Easy-to-Gather Indicators 102(1) Higher Order and Lower Outcomes 103(1) Data Collection 104(7) Illustrations of the Choice of Methods 111(4) Preparing to Use the Data Collected 115(4) Service Quality and Satisfaction 119(14) Service Quality 121(7) Satisfaction 128(1) Conducting a Service Quality or Satisfaction Study 128(5) Making a Commitment to Accountabillity and Learning Outcomes Assessment 133(50) Learning Assessment---an Imperfect Science 135(1) Waht Will Be Good Enough? 135(1) The Need to Clarify Terminology 136(1) Setting Priorities 137(1) A Taxonomy of Faculty and Library Relationships 137(1) Public Libraries and Assessment 138(1) A Challenge 139(2) APPENDIXES A. Southern Association of College and Schools, 1998 Criteria for Accrediation, Section V: Educational Support Services 141(2) B. Mildred F. Sawyer Library Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan for Information Literacy 143(4) C. MilddredF. Sawyer Library Faculty Support Outcomes Assessment Plan 147(2) D. Information Literacy 149(2) E. 1999-2000 Freshmen Pre/Posttest from the Daniel Library, The Citadel 151(2) F. 2000-2001 Freshmen Pre/Posttest from the Danie LibrarymThe Citadel 153(2) G. History 203, Student Research Survey from the Daniel Library, The Citadel 155(2) H. Information Literacy Standards, Performance Indicators, and Outcomes 157(4) I. Example of Research Components 161(9) J. Enhancing Skills ``Through Technology: A Project for Advanced Accounting Students 170(13) Sudip Bhattacharjee Lewis Shaw Some Recommended Resources 183(6) Index 189