Library Assessment: Past Assessment Plans

Assessment Project

Type, Purpose, and Rationale

Academic Plan Mapping

Responsibility

Timeframe

Resources

The purpose of this project is to gather assessment data that will contribute to the success of annual planning processes. This will include a review of available data and revisions to future data collection.

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo

Consultation October 2022; Initial data collection Dec 2022; Further planning and additional data collection May 2023

The data dashboard project continues with two projects. Additions to the instruction and research help dashboard will strengthen this data and implement feedback received from librarians and staff. The creation of a dashboard focusing on CARL data will allow for institutional comparisons.

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo

This project will continue to implement the outcomes of the scan and deliver survey. Namely it will entail creating content to answer common patron questions and better explain how the service functions, such as an infographic and FAQ.

Student Experience; SRC & Graduate Studies

Knowledge Management related to Assessment

This project will refine the location of Library assessment data, enabling greater internal access to statistics modules, compiled data, and reports.

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo

Fall 2022

This project will determine what assessment data is required for the planned integrated library services (ILS) migration. It will include a review of the proposed system and may include system usage analysis or user experiencing testing. This data analysis will support a future ILS migration.

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo

Environmental Scan of Institutional Assessment Instruments

This project will consist of an environmental scan of large-scale, institution level assessment instruments and a needs assessment.

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo; Student Experience

TMU Libraries continue to grow and we anticipate the creation of branch libraries. This project will assess space needs in relation to current and future acquisitions needs.

SRC & Graduate Studies

This multi-institutional qualitative research study focuses on the COVID-19 research needs of graduate students with marginalized identities. The current focus of this project is on data analysis and publication, including recommendations for best practices for library services.

Student Experience; SRC & Graduate Studies; Advancing Indigenous Initiatives

Library statistics on instruction are important for demonstrating liaison impact. The module for inputting these statistics requires an update while retaining longitudinal data.

SRC & Graduate Studies

This project will build on existing statistics about law library space use to determine when and how frequently specific locations in the law library are used. This will allow for future space planning.

Student Experience

Assessment Librarian, Head Law Librarian, Law Library Technician (Kelley Doan)

Assessment Project

Type, Purpose, and Rationale

Strategic Plan Mapping

Responsibility

Notes

Resources

The purpose of this assessment is to determine the strengths and areas for improvement of the current liaison model.

Focus groups were chosen as an appropriate assessment method because they enabled librarian conversation across teams and match assessment used to create the new model. These focus groups were conducted in summer 2021.  

In fall 2021, the focus group data will be analyzed, shared back with liaison librarians, and followed by additional data collection.
 

Student Experience; 
SRC and Graduate Studies; Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo

Completed fall 2021.

Following the approval of Google Data Studio, the Assessment Librarian will create data visualizations of Library assessment data and share these with data stakeholders and users. The purpose of these consultations is to facilitate the streamlined collection of and access to data that can be used on a regular basis to better understand and improve Library services, as well as to capture and communicate the impact of the Library to the priorities of the University. The dashboard should also meet regular reporting requirements.  

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo

Marginalized Student Study

This multi-institutional qualitative research study will include a survey of graduate students and interviews with students from marginalized groups about their challenges during COVID-19. Its purpose is to learn about the Library service needs of researchers outside of the dominant majority, and this knowledge will be used to create best practices. Graduate students face research challenges that have been exacerbated by COVID-19 and are in need of study and support.

Student Experience, SRC & Graduate Studies; Innovation: Challenge the Status Quo

This is a two-year study. Initial results were shared at the QQML Conference in May 2022.

In order to better collect workshop data, workshop sign up forms and feedback forms have been revised and standardized to match other instruction data. 

The purpose of this revision is to make data collection easier, more accurate, more useful, and enable librarians to access sign up and feedback data. 

In order to understand trends in workshop registration and attendance, the fall workshop data will be analyzed. This will enable better planning of workshops and communication.
 

Student Experience; SRC & Graduate Studies; Community and Urban Partnerships

The purpose of this assessment is to identify measures to quantify and/or describe progress on strategic planning goals as they are developed in the current Library Strategic Plan.

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo

Due to changes in Library collections practices, the software used for book purchases is presenting challenges related to acquisition and data management. This project would identify issues with the Gobi system. The purpose of this project would be to improve Library collections data and processes, which would in turn improve the ability of the Library to support research. 

SRC & Graduate Studies

The Library is serving two new groups of students and instructors at the Universities of Canada, Cairo and Toronto Metropolitan University International College (TMUIC). The assessment of services that are provided and used by these students and instructors will be adjusted to capture data from them, and this will be assessed on an ongoing basis. 

Student Experience, Innovation; Challenging the Status Quo

This project will use EZProxy data to analyze trends and usage by faculty of study. The goal of this project is to support collections acquisitions and renewals, especially for new initiatives and programs where usage patterns could inform acquisition decisions. 
New solutions for how to analyze electronic resource usage patterns by patron type, program or faculty of study will be explored in this project.

SRC & Graduate Studies

Space assessment for winter 2022 will be guided by strategic planning and adapted as needed to changing needs and context. 
Newer furniture has been acquired for floors 6 and 7. Part of the project will include exploring student preferences for different types of library furniture. 

Student Experience; SRC and Graduate Studies; Community and Urban Partnerships

The purpose of this assessment is to understand how the Law Library space, which was established in 2020, is used. This data will be useful for making immediate service improvements and for planning for the planned new Law Library space. 

Student Experience; Community and Urban Partnerships; SRC & Graduate Studies

Deferred

Assessment Project

Type, Purpose, and Rationale

Strategic Plan Mapping

Responsibility

Notes

Resources

The strategic planning process is underway to create the next five year plan for TMU Library in line with the Toronto Metropolitan University Academic Plan. It incorporates several assessment methods, including broad environmental scans, staff feedback, and a surveys of library stakeholders.

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo

This work is ongoing.

As part of this assessment work numerous environmental scan working groups compiled data, staff consultation was held, and a large institutional survey was conducted.

Marginalized Student Study

This multi-institutional qualitative research study will include a survey of graduate students and interviews with students from marginalized groups about their challenges during COVID-19. Its purpose is to learn about the Library service needs of researchers outside of the dominant majority, and this knowledge will be used to create best practices for Library research support. Graduate students face research challenges that have been exacerbated by COVID-19 and are in need of study and support.

Student Experience, SRC & Graduate Studies, Advancing Indigenous Initiatives

The Assessment Librarian and a Liaison Librarian are members of a research team.

In 2020-2021 this study received funding and planned for data collection in 2021-2022.

Contactless Print Pickup, Scan and Deliver, and other developing services will be evaluated with usage metrics. Exit surveys will also be shared with patrons. The purpose of this assessment is to identify the success of new services, the goal of which is to enable access to print resources.

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo

This work is ongoing, with initial assessment completed August 2020.

Print Pickup: https://library.torontomu.ca/services/borrower/contactless/

Scan and Deliver:
https://library.torontomu.ca/services/borrower/scan-and-deliver-service/

COVID-19 Eresources

The acquisition costs of materials acquired due to COVID-19, the increased expenditure on electronic resources resulting from the pandemic, and usage patterns resulting during this time all require analysis. This can be done through a review of internal collections data and Summon and JUSP usage data. Eresource expenditure and usage have both been affected by COVID-19; it is important to assess this quantitatively and with an eye to improvements.

SRC & Graduate Studies

This research includes conducting focus groups with librarians about their experience with online teaching in workshops and appointments. During COVID-19, teaching and research help services, including appointments have moved online. It is important to assess these services to study what constitutes success in emergency remote instruction from a librarian perspective.

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo, Student Experience

A number of renovations are planned for the Library Building. Assessment data will support this work, including updates to floor maps, collections metrics, and space usage.

Student Experience, Community and Urban Partnerships

An exit survey is planned for patrons who book a study space and make use of the new furniture. This feedback will inform future furniture acquisition and space planning during COVID-19.

Student Experience

A usability study and review of relevant web metrics will enable librarians to assess the success of the redesigned website homepage. The redesign is intended to be easier to use, and we need to know how it has affected traffic, given that the Library website and access to Summon is vitally important for researchers.

Student Experience

The Library is partnering with a class studying ethnographic methods. This collaboration will give students an opportunity to exercise their skills with an applied research question, and it will lead to results that can be applied to improve Library services.

Student Experience

This was a collaboration between the Library and LIR400 Arts students in a course on Ethnographic research. The students reported that this was a useful learning experience for them, and the Library has received a report of their findings on how Library services are used and perceived by students. This collaboration was successful and may set a model for the future.

The fact sheet includes Library statistics that are included in program reviews and proposals. This fact sheet needs to be refined and its purpose reexamined. A redeveloped fact sheet will aid in communication.  

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo

The creation of a dashboard for viewing cleaned assessment data has been a long standing goal of the Library. This project will advance further this year through the creation of workflows for Library Lead Hands for data collection and management. This project will enable faster access to Library data, which will enhance its use.

Innovation: Challenging the Status Quo

Assessment Project

Type, Purpose, and Rationale

Strategic Plan Mapping

Responsibility

Notes

Resources

This qualitative study will examine fine appeal data to explore the question of why patrons incur fines. This will help the Library better understand patrons and develop more equitable services. This study was undertaken in the context of changes that are being made in Fall 2019 to Library fine policies. 

Student Engagement: Transform service models to enable the highest quality of service to our user communities

Interlibrary Loan Study

This survey will ask patrons about their use of the interlibrary loan service and the impact it has had on their research. The results will help the Library plan improvements to this service and communicate the value of this service for researchers.

SRC Excellence: Align processes and support structures to ensure the Library can provide excellent stewardship of research materials in a fiscally responsible, transparent fashion.

Student Engagement: Enhance the Library’s ability to support the information needs of diverse learners and facilitate the development of lifelong learning skills. 

Assessment Librarian and Interlibrary Loan Librarian

These forums will engage with students and seek their feedback about the Library through discussions and surveys. This feedback will allow the Library to better understand student perspectives and improve Library services to meet their needs. 

Student Engagement: Develop a robust assessment framework that will allow the Library to improve spaces,
services, and collections through ongoing user consultation and research; 

Innovation Ecosystem: Become a leader in the development of sustainable, innovative library technology tied to our values

LibQUAL+ Discussions

The results of the LibQUAL+ survey from Spring 2018 will be shared with staff through a series of meetings. Sharing information in this way benefits Library understanding of our patrons and allows for shared planning of responses to survey results.  

Student Engagement: Transform service models to enable the highest quality of service to our user communities.

Internal Library presentation

This review of circulation statistics will determine journal circulation following the stacks integration project. This will help the Library to gain a better understanding of the use of our collection. 

SRC Excellence: Align processes and support structures to ensure the Library can provide excellent stewardship of research materials in a fiscally responsible, transparent fashion.

This document, which gives an overview of library services and is used for program proposal and review documentation, is reviewed and updated annually in November. The updating of the fact sheet contributes to Library participation in program changes and accreditation. 

Innovation Ecosystem: Foster a culture of innovation among librarians and staff by supporting ongoing professional development and experiential learning.

An environmental scan for a replacement of the current gate counter software will be conducted. This will improve data collection that will lead to a better understanding of the use of Library space. 

Innovation Ecosystem: Build a flexible, sustainable and progressive technological infrastructure to address the
existing and emerging needs of the Library and its users.

Ongoing user experience testing of the Library discover layer is being conducted, which will lead to interface improvements and a better understanding of student needs. 

Student Engagement: Transform service models to enable the highest quality of service to our user communities.

This event bring together collections librarians to share strategies for using collections data through team learning. The Collections Data Day benefits the Library by strengthening our ability to make data-informed collections decisions. 

SRC Excellence: Align processes and support structures to ensure the Library can provide excellent stewardship of research materials in a fiscally responsible, transparent fashion.

A survey of students and a review of circulation data will be used to determine the strengths and areas for improvement of the textbook pilot program. This program was implemented in response to student need. 

SRC Excellence: Align processes and support structures to ensure the Library can provide excellent stewardship of research materials in a fiscally responsible, transparent fashion.

This qualitative study will engage patrons with specific physical accessibility needs about their use of Library space. This project supports the goal of ensuring that all patrons are able to access and use the Library. 

Student Engagement: Enhance the Library’s ability to support the information needs of diverse learners and facilitate the development of lifelong learning skills.

Expand Community Engagement: Build connections with TMU communities through targeted services, collaborations, and development opportunities.

Liaison Model Focus Groups

Assessment is necessary to assist with the implementation of a new liaison model. This work will allow the Library to better understand the effectiveness of newly implemented workflows. 

Innovation Ecosystem: Explore new organizational models and informal collaborations that better support collections building, research, and teaching in a dynamic, collaborative environment.

This internal study will examine interlibrary loan statistics based on information provided by the fall interlibrary loan study. This work will benefit liaison librarian work and program evaluation. 

SRC Excellence: Increase capacity to develop research-oriented collections in identified areas of TMU cross-disciplinary themes, involving special, archival and print and electronic collections.

This study will assess instruction data for the Archives and Special Collections and instruction in this area. This will improve understanding within the Library of these services, the impact of them, and researcher needs. 

Student Experience: Improve capacity for effective teaching, both online and in person, and engage faculty in embedding Library services, expertise and resources into the curriculum to enhance student achievement.

This is an open meeting within the Library to share assessment information and find opportunities for collaborations and new initiatives. This connects to the Library goal of creating a culture of assessment. 

Innovation Ecosystem: Foster a culture of innovation among librarians and staff by supporting ongoing professional development and experiential learning.

For the purpose of this plan, it is important to note ongoing work. This includes assessment work related to e-resources, print collections, space usage, research help services, instruction, and more. 

Assessment Project

Type, Purpose, and Rationale

Strategic Plan Mapping

Responsibility

Notes

Resources

This mixed methods study will explore the strengths and weaknesses of the current reference service model in place since 2015. The Library continually renews and experiments with a variety of service models and spatial arrangements designed to meet user's changing and information needs.

Student Engagement: Transform service models to enable the highest quality of service to our user communities

Learning Outcomes

This instruction questionnaire will determine the reason that students seek research help and their learning outcomes. Assessment will begin with DME tutorials and other service points will be assessed later. 

Student Engagement: Enhance the Library’s ability to support the information needs of diverse learners and facilitate the development of lifelong learning skills. 

Evaluation and Assessment Librarian & Digital Media Experience Coordinator

The need to determine data privacy and transparency policies was determined during research conducted for an assessment system. This report will establish practical policies for working with library assessment data. 

Student Engagement: Develop a robust assessment framework that will allow the Library to improve spaces,
services, and collections through ongoing user consultation and research; 

Innovation Ecosystem: Become a leader in the development of sustainable, innovative library technology tied to our values

The software Tableau will be implemented in order to increase the library's ability to create data visualizations. This will enhance our teaching ability within this area, as well as our internal assessment work. 

Innovation Ecosystem: Build a flexible, sustainable and progressive technological infrastructure to address the
existing and emerging needs of the Library and its users. 

The assessment committee will plan brown bag lunches at the rate of one per semester. The purpose is to share assessment results in an informal environment with all library staff. 

Innovation Ecosystem: Foster a culture of innovation among librarians and staff by supporting ongoing professional development and experiential learning.

In order to assist in ongoing electronic resource assessment, the Assessment Librarian will work with the electronic resources team and the head of collections to implement an assessment system to enable the collection of usage statistics. 

Innovation Ecosystem: Build a flexible, sustainable and progressive technological infrastructure to address the
existing and emerging needs of the Library and its users.

In order to improve library services, a LibQual survey will be conducted to learn more about user needs. LibQual has been used for several years by TMU Library to evaluate our services. 

Student Engagement: Transform service models to enable the highest quality of service to our user communities.

In order to support collections and the electronic resource team, a review of A&I databases will be conducted. This work is analytical in nature and will enhance our collection offerings. 

SRC Excellence: Align processes and support structures to ensure the Library can provide excellent stewardship of research materials in a fiscally responsible, transparent fashion.

Liaison Model Assessment

Assessment is necessary to assist with the implementation of a new liaison model. This work will allow the library to better understand the effectiveness of newly implemented workflows. 

Innovation Ecosystem: Explore new organizational models and informal collaborations that better support collections building, research, and teaching in a dynamic, collaborative environment.

Following the stack shift of summer 2018, assessment will be undertaken to determine its effect on collection use. 

SRC Excellence: Align processes and support structures to ensure the Library can provide excellent stewardship of research materials in a fiscally responsible, transparent fashion.

The UX Librarian conducts ongoing studies of researcher experience. 

Student Engagement: Enhance the Library’s ability to support the information needs of diverse learners and facilitate the development of lifelong learning skills. 

The Evaluation and Assessment Librarian provides ongoing support for collections analysis, including assessment of electronic resources. 

Increase SRC Excellence: Increase capacity to develop research-oriented collections in identified areas of TMU
cross-disciplinary themes, involving special, archival and print and electronic collections.

Assessment Project

Type, Purpose, and Rationale

Strategic Plan Mapping

Responsibility

Notes

Resources

This poster session will communicate the finding of prior assessment work related to noise and silence in the library. It will be useful for communicating the work of the assessment committee and for space planning. 

Student Engagement: Improve the Library’s facilities to create healthy, configurable, and flexible learning spaces that encourage collaboration, research, and independent study.

The assessment committee will plan brown bag lunches at the rate of one per semester. The purpose is to share assessment results in an informal environment with all library staff. 

Innovation Ecosystem: Foster a culture of innovation among librarians and staff by supporting ongoing professional development and experiential learning.

UX Assessment: 
Student research strategies: An exploratory study using cognitive mapping and interviews

Call for participants

TRY+ 2018 Presentation

These short interviews will ask students to navigate the library website. This will help improve user experience and web design. 

Student Engagement: Improve the Library’s facilities to create healthy, configurable, and flexible learning spaces that encourage collaboration, research, and independent study.

A survey of faculty, librarians, and SLS, and a UX study of students. Will help with the redesign  of RU Search, which will then be promoted.

Student Engagement: Develop the Library’s web presence to facilitate teaching and learning by enhancing the discoverability of our collections and services.

Method to be determined: working with reference staff to assess our discovery tool. This study will inform systems administration and electronic resource management. 

Innovation Ecosystem: Build a flexible, sustainable and progressive technological infrastructure to address the existing and emerging needs of the Library and its users.

Usage reporting will be used to assess electronic resource use and acquisition.

Innovation Ecosystem: Build a flexible, sustainable and progressive technological infrastructure to address the existing and emerging needs of the Library and its users.

This assessment tool is planned to track and evaluate the learning outcomes of the reference desk and DME. This will help evaluate student expectations of these services and allow the improvement of student experience.

Student Engagement: Develop a robust assessment framework that will allow the Library to improve spaces, services, and collections through ongoing user consultation and research.

Research Data Management Survey

The Research Data Management Surveys will be conducted and analyzed to understand TMU researcher's data management requirements and practices. This will help the library to plan potential service in the area. These surveys are being conducted by several universities across Canada making institutional comparison possible.

Increase SRC Excellence: Align processes and support structures to ensure the Library can provide excellent stewardship of research materials in a fiscally responsible, transparent fashion; Develop researcher-centred services that foster research collaborations and expose, publicize and preserve TMU’s SRC output.

In person interviews will be conducted with faculty and graduate students who have indicated an interest in RDM through the RDM survey. The purpose of these interviews is to gain in depth input from researchers on their data management needs. 

Increase SRC Excellence: Align processes and support structures to ensure the Library can provide excellent stewardship of research materials in a fiscally responsible, transparent fashion; Develop researcher-centred services that foster research collaborations and expose, publicize and preserve TMU's SRC output.