811 Assessment Proposal

7/31/2019 811 Assessment Proposal

1/9

Assessment Proposal: A Partnership with Dark Horse Comics

Emporia State University

Betsy Summers


2/9


2

Program Overview

The Ledding Library conducted a thorough community analysis in April 2010.

The data collected from that analysis indicate two significant facts that are highlighted

in this paper: 1) boys ages 13-18 make up the lowest statistical percentage (9 %) of any

group of library users, and 2) the library is located near many businesses, offering the

opportunity for partnerships. Grover, Greer, and Agada (2008) define assertive service

as "applying collected data about a community to address[ing] the needs of the

clientele" (p. 174). The Youth Services department, along with the Teen Advisory

Board, decided to use assertive service by creating a new program that both attracted

teenaged boys and fostered a partnership with Dark Horse Comics, a nearby business.

Local Milwaukie resident Mike Richardson founded Dark Horse Comics in 1986,

and since then, it has "transformed the creative landscape in the Pacific Northwest,

turning the Portland area into the country's largest community of cartoonists and

graphic artists outside of New York" (Oregon Encyclopedia, 2011). The Youth Services

department saw a unique opportunity to create new programming, called Draw Me

Graphic, a graphic arts class aimed at teenage boys. A partnership was formed with

Dark Horse Comics, and classes began in September.

Assessment Questions

The overall objective in creating a partnership with Dark Horse Comics was to

bring more teenaged boys into the library. Therefore, the questions used to assess this

new program were as follows:

1) Did the Draw Me Graphic classes actually draw in more teenaged boys to

the library?

2) Did the boys enjoy coming to the library and participating in the Draw Me

Graphic classes and would they participate again?3) How could we improve on the Draw Me Graphic class?

There were a number of other questions that could have been asked, such as

have the teenage boys participating in the Draw Me Graphic classes been interested in

using other library programs and services, or was there a seen positive influence on the

behavior of the boys, outside of the library, while engaged in the program? Because of


3/9


3

the complexity involved in arriving at those answers, this paper will not deal with those

questions.

Methodology Used

Once the questions were chosen, a research methodology was needed to help

find the answers. Because of the small sample size in this study, the methodology could

be qualitative. "Qualitative research data are derived from interviews, observations, or

in-depth case studies" (Greenblatt, Dickinson, & Simpson, p. 75). At the same time, by

including observations in the study, a quantitative measurement would be used to

assess whether the library was in fact attracting more teenage boys.

By applying three different types of methodology, the library was able to get a

truer representative picture of the attendance numbers, the quality of programming,

and the overall interest in the library's services. Beck and Manual (2008) state that

triangulated "findings from each data collection group . . . provide a well-rounded view

of the research" (p. 93). The three methods used for data collection included:

1) Observation. The Youth Services staff used this method at the

time the class was held. The technique implemented was a simple

ticking off of attendance numbers, bystanders, and also age range and

gender.

2) Focus Group. This method was conducted near the conclusion of each of the

6-week session of classes, asking for overall impressions and comments

about the program.

3) Survey. A briefSurveyMonkeyquestionnaire was sent out via email to each of

the participants, as well as their Dark Horse Comic instructors who

taught the Draw Me Graphic classes.

The first method used observation to quantitatively collect data about the DrawMe Graphic classes. An online sign-up was utilized to limit the number of participants in

each session to ten, which also offered specific information about who was supposed to

participate in the class. The class met for six consecutive Thursdays from 3 - 5 p.m., and

was under the constant observation of the Youth Services staff on duty during those

times. The observation included a broad scan of the Youth Services area. Staff simply


4/9


4

put check marks which indicated a patron next to the appropriate boxes: male or

female; under or over 15 years of age; and, whether they were participating in the class

or using other services. This gave a more detailed picture of who was doing what in the

library during those times.

The second method used was the focus group, which helped in the discovery of

the thoughts and feelings of the Draw Me Graphic participants. At the very beginning of

the last class held during the 6-week session, students were asked to sit through a brief

focus group discussion. The questions asked were as follows:

1) Have you enjoyed the classes, so far?

2) What is the best thing about the classes?

3) If you could change one thing about the class, what would it be?

4) Would you participate in the class again?

5) Have you learned a lot about drawing that you didn't know?

6) Would you tell a friend about the class?

The focus group was held in an informal setting, was designed to be interactive, and to

get the students talking freely. The instructors in the class were also invited to

participate and share their thoughts. The youth librarian, or other Youth Services staff

on duty during that time, helped to record the answers.

The last method employed was the survey. A SurveyMonkeyquestionnaire was

sent out by email address to each participant, as well as the Dark Horse instructors.

They were asked to reply to the following questions:

1) How satisfied were you with the Draw Me Graphic class?

Extremely satisfied

Very satisfied

Somewhat satisfied

Slightly satisfied

Not at all satisfied


5/9


5

2) How would you rate the library in terms of overall support for the Draw

Me Graphic classes?

Extremely supportive

Very supportive

Somewhat supportive

Slightly supportive

Not at all supportive

3) If you could change one thing about the Draw Me Graphic class, what would it

be? Please be specific.

4) Do you think it's likely that you'd participate in a Draw Me Graphic class

again?

Extremely likely

Very likely

Somewhat likely

Slightly likely

Not at all likely

5) Do you think it's likely you would tell a friend about the library's Draw Me

Graphic class?

Extremely likely

Very likely

Somewhat likely

Slightly likely

Not at all likely6) What was your favorite part of the Draw Me Graphic class? Please, be as

specific as possible.


6/9


6

Methodology Pros and Cons

The three types of methodology used in assessing the Draw Me Graphic classes

might be known as "convenience sampling" which is defined by Beck and Manual

(2008) as "using what is available" (p. 85). It is easy to conduct and therefore prone to

bias; however, Youth Services can be "more confident with [the] result if different

methods lead to that same result" (p. 85). Choosing to apply a triangulation of

methodologies has helped to create a more complete picture of the class and thoughts

of its participants.

The observation methodology in this assessment was used to corroborate the

online sign-up sheet with the actually participation of students. Because this type of

quantitative data collection cannot discern "what users think or feel about [the]

library['s] services or resources" (Beck & Manual, p. 117), it was important to also

conduct methodology testing to analyze the cognitive aspects of what the teenagers

were thinking.

Using a focus group is a concrete way to get genuine, direct feedback from the

teen participants enrolled in the Draw Me Graphic classes. "In a usability study, a focus

group helps researchers and designers understand users' reactions" (Beck & Manual, p.

125). The Raby (2010) study of focus groups using teenagers, cites a number of

compelling reasons to use them:

Although focus groups are staged social events, they

nonetheless are an attempt to capture the way meaning

is made and negotiated: Participants explain and defend

their positions (Warr, 2005), challenge others comments

(Hyde, Hewlett, Brady & Drennan, 2005) and share excitement

(Vaughn et al., 1996), teasing, and joking (Kitzinger, 1994).

Kitzinger particularly values turning points, when participantschange their minds through group interaction. (p. 2)

The last piece in the triangulation of methodologies was the use of the survey.

Grover et al. (2008) indicate, "questionnaires are appropriate for uses in certain

situations, and a waste of time in others" (p. 69). Because of the small sampling, and the

specificity of the SurveyMonkeyquestionnaire, it was thought that valuable information


7/9


7

could be collected. In a recent reliability study on surveys, researchers found that

"participants may differ in interest and awareness throughout long questionnaires,

which can affect reliability of their answers" (Wentzel-Larsen, Norekval, Ulvik, Nygard,

& Pripp, 2011). Therefore, it was important to make the questionnaire as brief as

possible. Arlene Fink, author ofThe Survey Instrument, said that surveys are used to

"find out about people by asking questions about feelings, motivations, plans, beliefs

and personal backgrounds" (Beck & Manual, p. 28). The SurveyMonkeyquestionnaire

tried very hard, in a very simple way, to find out those exact determinants.

Application of the Data

While the triangulation of methodologies strengthened the assessment study of

the Draw Me Graphic classes, it is important that a practical application of the data be

employed. In the article Evidence Based Practice: Science? Or Art?, Koufogiannakis

(2011) states that librarians need to recognize the science as well as the art of applying

collected data to library programs and services. She emphatically states:

Without the art side of the equation, meaning and context

may easily be lost. Someone can gather all the best evidence,

but not know how to effectively implement it. Or if you are overly

reliant on perfect evidence before you make a decision that is in

the best interest of your community, you will likely lag behind

and not serve peoples needs. No research study, no matter how

perfectly conducted is going to provide all the answers for what

we do in practice. (p. 2)

The actual numbers derived from the assessment ofDraw Me Graphic classes are

remarkable. Since its inception in September 2010, the library has seen a 54 percent

increase in usage by boys ages 13-18. Youth Services concluded this through the tally ofactual attendance numbers and observation gathering methods, compared to that of the

community analysis which showed a 9 percent usage by boys ages 13-18. The focus

group responses and the SurveyMonkeyquestionnaire reflected nothing but positive

feedback about theclasses. Both instructors and students agreed that the class was

educational and enjoyable. The number of participants 76 in the 8 classes offered so


8/9


8

far is quantitative evidence in itself, and indicates how a successful partnership with

a local business can increase usership of the library.

This extraordinary increase in the number of boys using the library is significant,

but perhaps as importantly, Youth Services must provide their findings to the library's

administration and Board. According to Wilson (2010), "presenting evidence either

self-generated or found in the literature at library meetings or other internal venues

can be the spark needed to push new ideas forward, and can contribute to an evidence

based culture shift within the organization" (p. 100). It is also necessary to engage

those boys who are actively participating in the Draw Me Graphic classes by inviting

them to be on the Teen Advisory Board, asking them for their ideas, and helping them

understand that they can influence the library's services and programming.

Conclusion

The Draw Me Graphic classes and partnership with Dark Horse Comics has been

an overwhelming success. The community analysis diagnosed the needs of Milwaukie;

Youth Services assertive service created a treatment. The desired outcomes of

increasing the usage of the library by teenage boys and creating a partnership with a

nearby business were both achieved. The partnership with Dark Horse Comics will

continue into the future, as programming expands to cater more to this underserved

population group. Representatives from Dark Horse Comics have expressed an interest

in starting up new classes, aimed at 9-12 year olds. The Youth Services department will

strive to seek the opinions of youngsters, while continuing to offer quality programming

and look to form new, exciting partnerships with the community's businesses.


9/9


9

References

Beck, S. E., & Manuel, K. (2008). Practical research methods for librarians and

information professionals. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman.

Greenblatt, M., Dickinson, G., & Simpson, C. (2004). Implementing the research

question. Knowledge Quest, 33(2).

Grover, R. J., Greer, R. C., & Agada, J. (2010). Assessing information needs: managing

transformative library services. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

Koufogiannakis, D. (2011). Evidence based practice: Science? or art?. Evidence Based

Library and Information Practice, 6(1).

The Oregon Encyclopedia (2011). Dark Horse Comics.

http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/entry/view/dark_horse_comics/ (accessed

November 17, 2011).

Quinones, V., Chew, I., Bon I., & Muller, P. (1996). Guidelines for library services for

young adults. International Federation of Library Associations and

institutions (IFLA) Professional Report. PDF file.

Raby, R. (2010). Public selves, inequality, and interruptions: The creation of meaning

in focus groups with teens. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 9 (1).

1-15.

SurveyMonkey (2011). www.surveymonkey.com/ (assessed November 13, 2011).

Wentzel-Larsen, T., Norekval, T. M., Ulvik, B., Nygard, O., & Pripp, A. H. (2011). A

proposed method to investigate reliability throughout a questionnaire. BMC

Medical Research Methodology, 11(137). doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-11-137

Wilson, V. (2010). Disseminating your research. Evidence Based Library and

Information Practice 6(1).

Young Adult Library Services Association (2010). Competencies for librarians

serving youth: Young adults deserve the best.www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/guidelines/yacompetencies2010.cfm (accessed November 12, 2011).

Documents

811 Assessment Proposal