Developing an Assessment Program: From Zero to Sixty

In 2016, the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries created a new position and hired an Assessment Librarian. Five years later, the program is highly agile and supports a larger culture of assessment. This talk will outline the steps, and missteps, as well as the scope of a program that includes an Assessment Advisory Team and multiple sub-teams. The program supports grant applications, IRB submissions, assessment resource recommendations, user engagement, usability and user-experience studies, public service assessment, dashboard development, and continues to expand. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the key steps for implementing a successful program, of the elements of UF’s current assessment program, and of what the horizon looks like as we build infrastructure to support local initiatives. The presenters will utilize interactive technologies to engage the audience in the talk and to share more widely their own institution’s unique assessment path

Using Social Networks for Library Funding Advocacy: A Discourse Analysis of the Save the Miami-Dade Public Libraries Facebook Campaign

In July 2013, the social media campaign, Save the Miami-Dade Public Libraries (SMDPL) sought to influence the Miami-Dade Mayor and County Commissioners to reverse proposed budget cuts and maintain existing library funding levels. This study examines the SMDPL campaign by conducting a discourse analysis of the SMDPL Facebook posts and Twitter account @MIALibraries to examine the public value statements and interactive policymaking process using Moore’s Creating Public Value Theory. Information sharing using social network sites can be important sources of the wishes of a community but may not direct the actions of public officials and can become a source of community conflict. While the use of SNS may be disruptive in disseminating or implementing an unpopular policy that is desired by public officials and may be an inefficient way to obtain consensus, the pursuit of social equity may outweigh the potential obstacles and challenges facing public officials navigating social networks.ye

Library Renovations and Student Behaviors: A Longitudinal Case Study

Many academic libraries renovate physical spaces to address the needs of the 21st century learner. This study presents the assessment tools used to evaluate the use of space prior to a branch library renovation as well as results of two post-renovation assessments to examine the success of the project. The pre-renovation survey showed that library users desired extended hours of operation, better furniture, more power outlets, more private and group study spaces, better lighting, and more comfort. Both post-renovation survey results indicated an increase in satisfaction of all areas except access to food options and hours of operation

Studying the Night Shift: A Multi-method Analysis of Overnight Academic Library Users

Abstract Objective – This paper reports on a study which assessed the preferences and behaviors of overnight library users at a major state university. The findings were used to guide the design and improvement of overnight library resources and services, and the selection of a future overnight library site. Methods – A multi-method design used descriptive and correlational statistics to analyze data produced by a multi-sample survey of overnight library users. These statistical methods included rankings, percentages, and multiple regression. Results – Results showed a strong consistency across statistical methods and samples. Overnight library users consistently prioritized facilities like power outlets for electronic devices, and group and quiet study spaces, and placed far less emphasis on assistance from library staff. Conclusions – By employing more advanced statistical and sampling procedures than had been found in previous research, this paper strengthens the validity of findings on overnight user preferences and behaviors. The multi-method research design can also serve to guide future work in this area

Improving the Enhanced Journal Access through an Academic Library and Publisher Collaboration

In May 2017, the George A. Smathers Libraries (Libraries) at the University of Florida (UF) andElsevier delivered the Phase I findings of a pilot project that aimed to maximize visibility, impact and dissemination of articles by UF researchers who have published in Elsevier journals. Beginning April 2016, the collaboration provided metadata with article links automatically delivered toUF’s Institutional Repository, the IR@UF, in theIR@UF-Elsevier Collection. As of December 31, 2018, links to over 42,000 articles by UF authors published between 1949 and 2018 are available through integration of the IR@UF with theScienceDirect application programming interfaces (APIs) that are freely available to libraries. Access to full-text articles on ScienceDirect written by UF authors is available for all UF institutional repository users who are affiliated with a ScienceDirect subscribing institution

Academic Library and Publisher Collaboration: Utilizing an Institutional Repository to Maximize the Visibility and Impact of Articles by University Authors

The George A. Smathers Libraries (Libraries) (http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/) at the University of Florida (UF) (http://www.ufl.edu/) and Elsevier (http://www.elsevier.com) have embarked on a pilot project to maximize visibility, impact, and dissemination of articles by UF researchers who have published in Elsevier journals. Article links and metadata are automatically delivered to UF’s Institutional Repository, the IR@UF (http://ufdc.ufl.edu/ir), in the IR@UF-Elsevier Collection (http://ufdc.ufl.edu/ielsevier). The metadata, with links for approximately 31,000 articles by UF authors, is made possible through integration of the IR@UF with the ScienceDirect application programming interfaces (APIs) (https://www.elsevier.com/solutions/sciencedirect/support/institutional-repository) that are freely available to libraries. Access to the full text on ScienceDirect is available for all institutional repository users affiliated with a subscribing institution. In the next phase users without subscriptions will be able to access the manuscripts of articles published from 2013 forward. This will be done by embedding metadata and links to accepted manuscripts available on ScienceDirect into the IR@UF. We will conduct user and usability testing of this cross-platform user experience. This article provides an overview of the project’s current status, how it works, what it delivers, and next steps expanding the project to include articles by UF authors from other publishers. It concludes with strategic considerations, future developments, and reflections on the value of library/publisher collaboration

Meeting the Needs of IT Stakeholders in a Northwest Florida State College

Many studies support the important role that two and four-year college programs can play in certification training and as a gateway to the four-year IT degree. In an effort to determine if one Florida Panhandle community college was delivering its intended IT education goals and meeting the needs of local employers, the researchers performed five comparative analyses that stemmed from the overarching research question, “How do IT program learning outcomes compare to the requirements of IT job postings as well as to IT student and faculty perceptions of what is learned and what is taught?” The results of this study, when contextualized with extant literature, suggest that schools are challenged in aligning curricula with IT employers needs especially in clarifying the value of certifications and obtaining meaningful experiential learning opportunities for students as they manage their education and career pathways.ye

Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

Introduction: The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures. Methods: In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025. Findings: Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2–6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p<0·0001) and independently associated with COVID-19 status (odds ratio [OR] 2·9 [95% CI 1·5–5·8]; padjusted=0·0023) after adjusting for relevant confounders. Compared with controls, patients were more likely to have MRI evidence of lung abnormalities (p=0·0001; parenchymal abnormalities), brain abnormalities (p<0·0001; more white matter hyperintensities and regional brain volume reduction), and kidney abnormalities (p=0·014; lower medullary T1 and loss of corticomedullary differentiation), whereas cardiac and liver MRI abnormalities were similar between patients and controls. Patients with multiorgan abnormalities were older (difference in mean age 7 years [95% CI 4–10]; mean age of 59·8 years [SD 11·7] with multiorgan abnormalities vs mean age of 52·8 years [11·9] without multiorgan abnormalities; p<0·0001), more likely to have three or more comorbidities (OR 2·47 [1·32–4·82]; padjusted=0·0059), and more likely to have a more severe acute infection (acute CRP >5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23–11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation. Interpretation: After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification

Studying the Night Shift: A Multi-method Analysis of Overnight Academic Library Users

Abstract Objective – This paper reports on a study which assessed the preferences and behaviors of overnight library users at a major state university. The findings were used to guide the design and improvement of overnight library resources and services, and the selection of a future overnight library site. Methods – A multi-method design used descriptive and correlational statistics to analyze data produced by a multi-sample survey of overnight library users. These statistical methods included rankings, percentages, and multiple regression. Results – Results showed a strong consistency across statistical methods and samples. Overnight library users consistently prioritized facilities like power outlets for electronic devices, and group and quiet study spaces, and placed far less emphasis on assistance from library staff. Conclusions – By employing more advanced statistical and sampling procedures than had been found in previous research, this paper strengthens the validity of findings on overnight user preferences and behaviors. The multi-method research design can also serve to guide future work in this area