Principles and Guidelines for Australian Higher Education ... · Higher Education Standards...

Principles and Guidelines for Australian

Higher Education libraries: capturing valueSue Owen, Director Excellence and Engagement, Monash University Library

Jennifer Peasley, University Librarian, LaTrobe University

Barbara Paton, University Librarian, University of New England

Second Annual TEQSA Conference: Students, Quality, Success. 29 Nov - 1 Dec 2017, Grand Hyatt, Melbourne

A true story …

Alumni’s strongest affinity – their university library!

Source: http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/02/we-are-instant-number-crunchers/

We need to understand!

5

▪ Library core business remains “access to information”

▪ For library users, what’s changing is how …

– How to find sources through searching and navigating

– How to use sources through critical analysis and interrogation

– How to disseminate the new knowledge created and to connect with others

▪ Proactive library leadership and workforce, driving core business solutions for tomorrow … through evidence …

21ST CENTURY EDUCATION : 21ST CENTURY ACADEMIC LIBRARIES

QUALIPEDIA*

*a collection of quality activities by academic libraries

Sue Owen

7

Decades of proactive Library Quality development:

▪ Standards for academic libraries in the US, Canada, UK

▪ ISO Standards: Information and documentation

▪ Benchmarks – datasets of activity/input performance in Australia (Council of Australian University Librarians, since 1969)

▪ Best practice guidelines for academic libraries – funded in 2001 by Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs

▪ Standards of professional excellence for teacher librarians (ALIA/ASLA, 2004)

▪ Guidelines, standards and outcome measures for Australian public libraries (ALIA, 2011)

QUALIPEDIA – STANDARDS, TOOLS, GUIDES

8

Decades of student feedback gathered by the Library sector and institutions

▪ LIBQUAL+ used in USA, UK, Europe, UAE, Egypt, South Africa

▪ Library Client Survey used in Australia since 2000, later New Zealand

o Gap analyses – questions constantly evolving, coordinated by Council of Australian University Librarians

o Introduction of value elements, linked to university outcomes (student engagement, student success)

o Increased segmentation of data : domestic/international; undergrad/postgrad

o Voluntary, yet most libraries run the survey: annually - triennially

QUALIPEDIA - SURVEYS

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paky/51567882/

http://www.caul.edu.au/content/upload/files/best-practice/principles-guidelines2016public.pdf

11

MAKING SENSE OF LIBRARY QUALITY

Decades of quality tools commonly used

by Australian libraries:

- Activity Performance datasets (CAUL, 1969 - )

- Resource Benchmarking datasets (CAUL, 1969 - )

- QILT, SETU, Staff Experience Survey (by Universities)

- Standards in Australian Higher Education

and Library Quality (HESF 2015 and ISO 2014)

- Guidelines for the application of best practice

in university libraries (Wilson, Pitman, Trahn 2000)

- Stakeholder gap analysis

(Library Client Survey [Rodski/Insync] since 2000)

New overarching quality framework for

academic libraries in the Australian context:

Principles and Guidelines for Australian Higher Education

Libraries (2016)

Strategic Priorities

Principles

Guidelines

Indicators*

*in development in 2017

12

DEVELOPING THE FRAMEWORK

▪ Strategic Priorities – super themes, defining academic libraries

▪ Principles – value statements relating to the strategic priorities, divided into several components

▪ Guidelines – elements of activity or deliverables that further define the Principles

13

DEVELOPING THE FRAMEWORK

Principles and GuidelinesStrategic Priorities:

1. Strengthening learning, teaching and research outcomes 2. Fostering the creation and dissemination of new knowledge 3. Growing a dynamic, sustainable and accountable organisation

14

DELIVERING THE FRAMEWORK

▪ Strategic Priority 3: Growing a dynamic, sustainable and accountable organisation

– Principle 3.1: The Library is effective, sustainable and accountable, engaged with and responding to the university’s needs

▪ Guideline 3.1.2 : The Library’s policies, practices and processes are designed to accommodate stakeholder diversity

15

DEVELOPING THE FRAMEWORK

Source: Principles and Guidelines for Australian Higher Education libraries, 2016, page 6.

16

MAPPING TO: HIGHER EDUCATION STANDARDS FRAMEWORK (2015)

Higher Education Standards Framework (2015) Principles and Guidelines for Australian Higher Education

Libraries (2016)

3.3.4

Learning Resources and Educational Support

Students have access to learning support services that are consistent with the requirements of their course of study, their mode of study and the learning needs of student cohorts, including arrangements for supporting and maintaining contact with students who are off campus

1.3.2 All students have access to library learning programs and activities consistent with the requirements of their course of study, their mode of study and the learning needs

3.2.5 Staffing

Teaching staff are accessible to students seeking individual assistance with their studies, at a level consistent with the learning needs of the student cohort

1.3.6 Library staff are accessible to students seeking individual assistance with their studies

Higher Education Standards Framework (2015) Principles and Guidelines for Australian Higher

Education Libraries (2016)

2.1.3

Facilities and Infrastructure

The learning environment, whether physical, virtual or blended, and associated learning activities support academic interactions among students outside of formal teaching.

1.4.2 The library’s learning environment, whether physical or virtual, and associated learning activities support academic interactions among students outside of formal teaching

4.1.3

Research

A system for accurate and up-to-date recording of the research outputs of staff and research students is maintained.

2.3.2 The library has and maintains a system for accurate and up-to-date recording of the research outputs of staff and research students

2.2.1

Diversity and Equity

Institutional policies, practices and approaches to teaching and learning are designed to accommodate student diversity, including the under-representation and/or disadvantage experienced by identified groups, and create equivalent opportunities for academic success regardless of students’ backgrounds.

3.1.2 The library’s policies, practices and processes are designed to accommodate stakeholder diversity

18

ROLLING OUT Principles and Guidelines for Australian HE Libraries

Adoption is a choiceChallenging area to get industry-wide acceptance – not mandatory to useDivergent views welcome to assure continuous improvement

Leading adoptersSeveral libraries have identified trial Indicators for a selection of guidelines and are applying the methodology.

Leading practitionersValue and Impact Community of Practice (CAUL/CONZUL-sponsored)

Remit to further professional capacity by collaborating as a communityTaken on identifying maturity indicators, step-by-step growing the bank…

19

Development Goals

▪ Align outcomes with institutional outcomes that relate to “student enrolment, student retention and graduation rates, student success, student achievement, student learning, student engagement, faculty research productivity, faculty teaching, service and overarching institutional quality”*

▪ Draw further links - assistance from University planning/statistics expertsPrinciples and Guidelines: QILT (Student experience)

QILT (Graduate satisfaction)*Oakleaf, M., (2010) The value of academic libraries: a comprehensive research review and report. Chicago, IL: ACRL.

CONCLUSION

20

Gold-standard goals

▪ Nurture a culture: evidence-based thinking, communication decision-making

▪ Grow library staff capability: indicators, analytics, value and impact storylines

▪ Identify ‘impact’ within the Principles and ‘value’ within the Guidelines –what kinds of value scenarios can the framework paint? In particular, how can we embrace the needs of students, academics and scholars of 2027?

▪ Adeptly evolve the Library’s excellent contributions to University outcomes in meeting the challenges of our turbulent world.

CONCLUSION

Source: http://www.loromedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/albert-einstein-quote.jpg

Sue Owen sue.owen@monash.edu

Jennifer Peasley j.peasley@latrobe.edu.au

Barbara Paton bpaton@une.edu.au

Principles and Guidelines for Australian Higher Education libraries: capturing value

Second Annual TEQSA Conference: Students, Quality, Success. 29 Nov - 1 Dec 2017, Grand Hyatt, Melbourne