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

User-Based Data Collection Techniques and Strategies for Evaluating Networked Information Services

published or submitted for publicatio

Information Outlook, October 2003

Volume 7, Issue 10https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_io_2003/1009/thumbnail.jp

ULS FY14 Planning and Budget Report

This document was submitted by the University Library System (ULS) to the University of Pittsburgh's provost's office on March 1, 2013. Incorporating the work of the ULS FY14 Planning Task Force, it reports ULS accomplishments for 2012-2013 and strategic priorities for 2013-2014

Access and usability issues of scholarly electronic publications

This chapter looks at the various access and usability issues related to scholarly information resources. It first looks at the various channels through which a user can get access to scholarly electronic publications. It then discusses the issues and studies surrounding usability. Some important parameters for measuring the usability of information access systems have been identified. Finally the chapter looks at the major problems facing the users in getting access to scholarly information through today's hybrid libraries, and mentions some possible measures to resolve these problems

Scholarly Communication Initiatives Department Jan 2018 - June 2019 Report

This report highlights the major accomplishments of the Scholarly Communication Initiatives Department (SCI) with a special emphasis on statistics from Digital Scholarship@UNLV, our institutional repository. The report reflects activities from January 2018 through June 2019. The significant highlights during this time include the 5 millionth download of a digital item from Digital Scholarship@UNLV, adding over 3,000 full-text theses and dissertations written at UNLV from 1977-2008, establishing pilot projects to support open access and research data management efforts, releasing the 2013 and 2017 Solar Decathlon collections, and hosting an ambitious and engaging Open Access Week slate of activities

Identifying and Encouraging Leadership Potential: Assessment Technology and the Library Profession

published or submitted for publicatio

Structuring Services and Facilities for Library Instruction

published or submitted for publicatio