Valueof Academic Libraries

What do we want to know:Completing an Action-Oriented Research Agenda

Lynn Connaway, OCLC

Alan Carbery, Champlain College

The Value of Academic Libraries

• ACRL Goal-area committee– Part of the associations Plan for Excellence

• Goal: Academic libraries demonstrate alignment with and impact on institutional outcomes.– Promote the impact and value of academic and

research libraries to the higher education community.

Valueof Academic Libraries

What’s come before…

Valueof Academic Libraries

2010 – The Value of Academic Libraries: A comprehensive research review and report published, written by Megan Oakleaf for ACRL.

• review of the quantitative and qualitative literature, methodologies and best practices for demonstrating the value of academic libraries

Valueof Academic Libraries

Followed by a whitepaper in 2012 Connect, collaborate, and communicate: a report from the Value of Academic Libraries Summits by Karen Brown & Kara Malenfant

• Introduced 5 recommendations for Academic Librarians to help demonstrate value of libraries.

In 2015, the VAL committee conducted a gap analysis of work carried out based on the recommendations of the 2010 Value report and 2012 Summit whitepaper.

Research Agenda

Valueof Academic Libraries

• The Value of Academic Libraries Committee recommended that ACRL seek a consultant to lead a research agenda development process with the assistance of a committee with members from the VAL Committee as well as other ACRL individuals and representatives from interested groups/sections/committees

Research Agenda

Valueof Academic Libraries

• Spring 2016 – call for proposal for the research and delivery of a new ACRL “Action-Oriented Research Agenda on Library Contributions to Student Learning and Success.” – Provides an update on progress since the publication of

2010 Value of Academic Libraries Report – examines important questions where more research is

needed in areas critical to the higher education sector– focus of the research agenda will be on institutional

priorities for improved student learning and success (i.e., retention, persistence, degree completion).

Timeline

Valueof Academic Libraries

• June/July 2016– Review of proposals

• August 2016– Awarding of the contract to OCLC Group.

• Spring 2017– Research Agenda publication due.

Along the way

Valueof Academic Libraries

• VAL Committee & OCLC to engage the community in updates and progress at various stages throughout the next 6-9 months– Including today!

PROGRESS TO DATE

Valueof Academic Libraries

Research process

Valueof Academic Libraries

Overview current literatureCollect and analyze interview data

Facilitate further research via RQs and visualization tool

Initial codebook development

Valueof Academic Libraries

Higher education trend

Trend defined Example of library responses to trend

Learning in college (and beyond)

Less objective concepts of learning. Usually not tied to a specific graded assignment or graduation.

Space: Collaborative working space for students 

Research support Outcome tied to research outside of a class.

Service: Teach data management

Teaching support Outcome viewed from an instructor perspective and deals with a specific course.

Collection: Online repository of syllabi

Response to Students

Response to Students/Faculty

Response to Faculty

Content analysis of literature

Valueof Academic Libraries

Literature Reviewed• N=194 documents from LIS and Higher Ed. databases

• 2010-present, US-centric• Nvivo and Excel for

analysis• 100% agreement on

coding schemes among three raters

Other study n=60

Key thematicn=53

Other thematicn=43

Key studyn=38

Valueof Academic Libraries

Valueof Academic Libraries

AccreditationInclusivity/Diversity

Provision of techCommunication

Teaching supportSpace

CollaborationCollection

Research supportSuccess in college

AssessmentLearning in college

Service

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1

Percent difference between thematic codes by read-ing type

Thematic (%) (n=96) Studies (%) (n=98)

Valueof Academic Libraries

Valueof Academic Libraries

Accreditation

Inclusivity/Diversity

Communication

Provision of tech

Assessment

Teaching support

Space

Learning in college

Collaboration

Research support

Collection

Success in college

Service

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Number of studies by study methods

Quant Qual Mixed

Valueof Academic Libraries

Discussion

• Librarians not focusing on same thematic topics as higher ed. administrators

• Provision of technology and communication as two promising themes

• Minimal amount of empirical methods association with assessment and communication

• Minimal use of mixed methods• BUT… Librarians have identified many topical higher

ed. themes