Standard 5.E.1 – Planning and Evaluation

We are starting a new group of indicators, all involving planning and evaluation of library resources and services. We are moving into the home stretch of this process, and I have spent quite a bit of time preparing this information for the committee. I will be on vacation next week, so you have plenty of time to give some feedback! So here is the element statement for this group of indicators and the first indicator in this group.

Standard 5.E – Planning and Evaluation

Library and information resources planning activities support teaching and learning functions by facilitating the research and scholarship of students and faculty. Related evaluation processes regularly assess the quality, accessibility, and use of libraries and other information resource repositories and their services to determine the level of effectiveness in support of the educational program.

5.E.1 The institution has a planning process that involves users, library and information resource staff, faculty, and administrators.

The Director of Library Services actively participates in the institution’s three core functions of planning and evaluation: 1) Goal setting, 2) Budget planning, and 3) Assessment.

1) Each year the Library Director, in collaboration with the Library Technical Assistant, drafts departmental goals (see sample), derived from the mission and institutional strategies of the college and the mission statement of the Library. Proposed goals are forwarded to Leadership (Administration) for approval and are published on the website. At the end of each year, a final evaluation or reporting on progress toward these goals is prepared through semester reports (see sample)and annual reports (see sample) which are also published on the website.

2) Each year the Library Director prepares a budget request , (sample budget request) tied to departmental stated goals, and also participates as a standing member of the Budget Committee.

3) Assessment Reports on library resources and services are prepared each year and are published on the website. Though imperfect, we are trying to transition to a student learning outcomes based assessment. (see Assessment Report for Spring 2008)

There is no formal process to guide planning of library services, such as an internal advisory board, though periodic surveys of students, campuses, and faculty have been conducted for input. In a 2008 survey of faculty, when asked to rate, on a scale of 1-5, “I am provided an opportunity for input on library services and resources,” 18 of 19 responded with a score of 5, and 1 responded 4.

Another identified weakness in our planning process is that there is no documentation of formal acceptance of departmental goals by administration.