Assessing the impact of a public library's print collection: a case study of two public libraries in Cape Town

The purpose of these case studies was to explore the impact of a public library’s print collection on the community using the library. The motivation for this research is driven by three factors in the South African public library environment. Firstly, the huge investment in library print collections is not currently accounted for in any assessment of library performance, other than expenditure. Secondly, studies of the low levels of literacy and book ownership have established that the public libraries are potentially the only source of reading material for over fifty percent of the population. Thirdly, The Library and Information Services (LIS) Transformation Charter calls for more effective and meaningful performance measurement. The research design for this study was informed by the work of reading theorists. The methodology made use of the GLOs (Generic Learning Outcomes) developed and adopted by the United Kingdom Museums, Libraries and Archives Council as well as research into reading outcomes in public libraries. The study was undertaken within the framework of impact assessment as outlined in the ISO 16439 – Information and documentation – Methods and procedures for assessing the impact of libraries and the work of library assessment specialists, Markless and Streatfield. The research was conducted at two public libraries in two different communities of Cape Town. Questionnaires were distributed to fifty people at each site to collect quantitative data, with follow up interviews conducted with a smaller sample. The focus of the survey and interviews was the leisure reading activities of the participants. The results describe both the patterns of library use and reading behaviour, as well as the impact of using the print collection on the participants. While the results showed that taste in reading differed, in some respects, between communities, the participants all considered reading an important pastime. The reading experiences described by the participants in this study at the two libraries were similar, as were the benefits gained from leisure reading. This study mirrors the results of studies performed in the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom. Recommendations from this research are that the impact of the public libraries print collection on users, that primarily make use of the collection for leisure reading, is significant and should be documented as an important outcome of a library’s performance. Public libraries should focus efforts on providing leisure reading material, despite pressure to focus on literacy, skills development, youth programmes and other activities that are considered to produce more tangible outcomes. In order to uncover factors that make reading an activity of choice, further research needs to be conducted into what differentiates the serious leisure readers from those who do not engage in this pastime

Kemanfaatan Perpustakaan dalam Pembelajaran dan Penelitian Mahasiswa IPB serta Strategi Peningkatannya

          Facing the disruptive era IPB Library needs to anticipate various changes by conducting self-evaluation through assessing the impact of their existence for students. Therefore, this study aims: (1) Knowing the relationship between the frequency of student visits to the IPB Library and the GPA; (2) Knowing the relationship between the number of IPB library books borrowed by students and the GPA; (3) Knowing the benefits of the IPB Library in supporting student learning and research processes; (4) Knowing the role of IPB librarians in supporting the learning and research processes of their students; (5) Formulate strategies for the IPB Library to increase its benefits for the learning and research processes of its students.                     This research is a quantitative study, using a correlation test to see the relationship between the frequency of student visits to the IPB Library and the number of the IPB Library books borrowed by the students with the GPA. This study also used a survey method with a questionnaire accompanied by interviews with three IPB lecturers.           The results showed that there was no correlation between the frequency of student visits to the library and the number of library books borrowed on the student's GPA. However, students' perceptions regarding the support of the IPB Library on their learning and research are very good, the average percentage of respondents who agree on the benefits of the library in their learning and research processes is above 90%. Respondents' perception of librarian support in helping students learn is very good, but librarian support for student research is considered lacking.           Strategies to increase the benefits of the library and librarians on student learning and research process need to be adjusted to the behavior of the millennial generation. Therefore, it is recommended that the IPB Library immediately implement the concepts based on industrial revolution 4.0. IPB librarians should be improved their competence related to information literacy skills and mastery of information and communication technology.Menghadapi era disruptif Perpustakaan IPB perlu mengantisipasi berbagai perubahan dengan melakukan evaluasi diri melalui pengkajian manfaat keberadaannya bagi mahasiswa. Oleh karena itu penelitian ini bertujuan: (1) Mengetahui  hubungan antara frekuensi kunjungan mahasiswa ke Perpustakaan IPB dengan IPK; (2) Mengetahui hubungan banyaknya buku Perpustakaan IPB yang dipinjam mahasiswa dengan IPK; (3) Mengetahui manfaat Perpustakaan IPB dalam mendukung proses pembelajaran dan penelitian mahasiswa; (4) Mengetahui peran pustakawan IPB dalam mendukung proses pembelajaran dan penelitian mahasiswanya; (5) Merumuskan strategi Perpustakaan IPB untuk meningkatkan manfaatnya terhadap proses pembelajaran dan penelitian mahasiswanya. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif, menggunakan uji korelasi untuk melihat hubungan antara frekuensi kunjungan mahasiswa ke Perpustakaan IPB dan banyaknya buku Perpustakaan IPB yang dipinjam mahasiswa dengan IPK. Penelitian ini juga menggunakan metode survei dengan kuesioner disertai wawancara kepada tiga orang dosen IPB. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan tidak ada korelasi antara frekuensi kunjungan mahasiswa ke perpustakaan dan banyaknya buku perpustakaan yang dipinjam dengan IPK mahasiswa. Namun demikian, persepsi mahasiswa terkait dukungan Perpustakaan IPB pada pembelajaran dan penelitian mereka sangat baik, rata-rata persentase responden yang setuju akan kemanfaatan perpustakaan dalam proses belajar dan penelitian mereka di atas 90 %. Persepsi responden terhadap dukungan pustakawan dalam membantu mahasiswa belajar sangat baik, namun untuk dukungan pustakawan pada penelitian mahasiswa dianggap kurang. Strategi peningkatan manfaat perpustakaan  pada proses pembelajaran dan penelitian mahasiswa perlu disesuaikan dengan perilaku generasi milenial. Oleh karena itu disarankan Perpustakaan IPB segera mengimplementasikan konsep-konsep berbasiskan revolusi industri 4.0. Pustakawan IPB perlu ditingkatkan kompetensinya terkait keterampilan literasi informasi dan penguasaan pada teknologi informasi dan komunikasi

Students’ behaviour playing an online information literacy game

This paper describes how college students played the web-based BiblioBouts Information Literacy (IL) game, which ushers players through the library research process while they complete a research-and-writing assignment. The game teaches students basic IL skills including creating citations, judging citation completeness, assessing author expertise, assessing source relevance and credibility, judging quality, and assessing accuracy. BiblioBouts’ collaborative and social mechanisms help students leverage their own research efforts in finding sources, evaluating their usefulness, and choosing the best sources, with their classmates’ efforts so that everyone benefits. Players benefit from  receiving hands-on practice and experience with the wide range of information literacy (IL) skills that confront them during the process from conducting library research to completing writing assignments. Both quantitative and qualitative game-play data were gathered from game-play logs, game diaries, focus group interviews with student game players, and personal interviews with instructors. These data were analyzed to determine typical game-play styles, how long students played the game, and the impact of scoring on the way the students played the game and engaged in IL activities. The results were used to improve game mechanics and player engagement. The R&D team’s experience building an online, interactive IL game demonstrates that game design must first focus on evaluations of player behavior followed by game-system improvements that are expected to affect the desired game-play behavior. The BiblioBouts game presents an innovative method for learning IL competencies and is unique in its social, collaborative, and interactive approach to educational gaming. It is hoped that this article will encourage IL librarians to explore games and other alternative forms of IL instruction

Impact measures for libraries and information services

PURPOSE - To demonstrate the importance of impact / outcome research in libraries. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH - The paper gives an overview of purposes and methods used in impact research and illustrates this through project experiences. FINDINGS - Various projects worldwide are trying to prove that use of library services can positively influence skills and competences, attitudes and behaviour of users. The benefits that users experience by using library services can be assessed in terms of knowledge gained, higher information literacy, higher academic or professional success, social inclusion, and increase in individual well-being. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS - The main problem of impact research is, that influences on an individual are manifold and that therefore it is difficult to trace changes and improvements back to the library. The paper shows methods that are tested and used at the present. More investigation is needed to identify methods that could be used to show a library’s overall impact or to develop measures that would permit benchmarking between institutions. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS - The paper shows practical examples of impact assessment, covering “soft” methods like surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation and quantitative methods like tests, analysis of publications, or usage data. ORIGINALITY/VALUE - The paper acquaints libraries with a topic that is not yet well known and, by showing practical examples, demonstrates how libraries can attempt to assess their impact

The LIRG/SCONUL Impact Initiative: assessing the impact of HE libraries on learning, teaching, and research

The LIRG/SCONUL Impact Initiative took place between July 2003 and December 2005. Twenty-two higher education institutions in the UK attempted to measure the impact of their services on learning, teaching, and research. Within the context of the programme, each institution investigated the impact of a new innovation. This paper provides a final overview of the two phases of the Impact Initiative and highlights some of the findings. Measuring impact is not easy but there are significant benefits for the profile and development of academic libraries in trying to do so. It provides guidance for libraries on assessing impact drawing upon the experience of the Impact Initiative

Demonstrating the Value of the Public Library: Economic Valuation and the Advocacy Imperative

Promising developments in the field of library valuation over the last fifteen years are providing new options for demonstrating library value. Metrics-gathering has moved away from counting inputs and outputs toward measuring the value of the public library in monetary terms using increasingly sophisticated quantitative methods formerly reserved for business and industry. While it is premature to draw a firm conclusion as to the impact of economic valuation efforts on the success of library advocacy, the adoption of private sector concepts represents a new window of opportunity for library advocates. This critical review synthesizes the library valuation literature, exploring the various frameworks through which library value is being articulated, and finds that econometrics will be most useful to advocates when: 1) library valuation efforts are united with advocacy plans; 2) library services are linked to the achievement of public policy goals; and 3) public libraries are able to connect to a wider funding base

Library Instruction and Themed Composition Courses: An Investigation of Factors that Impact Student Learning

Many academic libraries partner with English composition in order to teach first year students skills related to academic research and writing. Due to the partnership between information literacy and first-year writing programs, it is important to evaluate how these programs can best support one another. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of two factors on student information literacy skill development: library instruction and section theme—defined here as class sections of the English 102 (ENG 102) program developed around a central topic selected by the instructor. A random sample of annotated bibliographies from 95 sections of ENG 102 were scored with two information literacy rubrics in order to find out if scores differed between sections based on the variables of library instruction and theme. The results of this study indicate that sections of the ENG 102 program that attended an information literacy instruction session scored significantly higher on the annotated bibliography assignment than sections that did not attend. We also found that themed sections of ENG 102 scored marginally higher on the annotated bibliography than non-themed sections of ENG 102. Implications for further research are discussed, including the potential impact of theme-based writing on information literacy learning

Greening information management: final report

As the recent JISC report on ‘the ‘greening’ of ICT in education [1] highlights, the increasing reliance on ICT to underpin the business functions of higher education institutions has a heavy environmental impact, due mainly to the consumption of electricity to run computers and to cool data centres. While work is already under way to investigate how more energy efficient ICT can be introduced, to date there has been much less focus on the potential environmental benefits to be accrued from reducing the demand ‘at source’ through better data and information management. JISC thus commissioned the University of Strathclyde to undertake a study to gather evidence that establishes the efficacy of using information management options as components of Green ICT strategies within UK Higher Education environments, and to highlight existing practices which have the potential for wider replication

Character and Impact of Social Innovation in Higher Education.

This article offers a strategic multi-layered model for assessing the character and impact of social innovation in higher education connecting social and economic benefit. Whilst research to date has recognised the varying importance of the social and economic benefit of social and technological innovation, the literature is mostly silent on the contribution of purpose and strategy in achieving effective social innovation or how a regionally embedded university can maximise its impact in its community and the wider society. Whilst technological innovation is a critical component of future economic growth, social innovation is equally important in building social capital and in improving life chances. Governments have widely recognised that a university provides economic, environmental and cultural benefits to its community and, critically, should play a central role in re-balancing the economy of a community under stress and promoting growth in one that is prosperous. In the absence of well-documented, convincing examples of such re-balancing, this article offers a case study of The Hive, the first combined University and Public Library in Europe, an example of a strategic approach to social innovation in higher education that is bringing current and potential social and economic benefit to the community in which it is located. A measure of impact is proposed that is multi-layered and reflects the range of qualitative and quantitative impacts of social innovation. This paper has value to all those concerned to identify, plan and maximise the beneficial impact of social innovation in higher education institutions both on their economies and their communities