The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations [1 ed.] 9780838989012, 9780838989005

Citation preview

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and Research

The Small and Rural Academic Library: Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations

edited by Kaetrena Davis Kendrick and Deborah Tritt

Association of College and Research Libraries

A division of the American Library Association Chicago, Illinois 2016

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences–Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992. ∞

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Kendrick, Kaetrena Davis, editor. | Tritt, Deborah, editor. Title: The small and rural academic library : leveraging resources, overcoming limitations / edited by Kaetrena Davis Kendrick and Deborah Tritt. Description: Chicago : Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, 2016. Identifiers: LCCN 2016021640| ISBN 9780838989005 (pbk.) | ISBN 9780838989012 (PDF) Subjects: LCSH: Academic libraries--United States--Administration. | Small libraries--United States--Administration. | Rural libraries--United States--Administration. Classification: LCC Z675.U5 S567 2016 | DDC 025.1/977--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016021640 Copyright ©2016 by the Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved except those which may be granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976.

Printed in the United States of America. 20 19 18 17 16 5 4 3 2 1

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Table of Contents XI ����� INTRODUCTION

Kaetrena Davis Kendrick and Deborah Tritt xiv ����� Acknowledgments xiv ����� Notes

SECTION ONE: LIBRARY AND OUTREACH SERVICES 1 ������ CHAPTER 1. Cracking the Competition: Collaboration in Programming

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Kate S. Lewallen 1 �������� Introduction 2 �������� Literature Review 4 �������� The Study 4 Methodology 5 Results Library Outreach Efforts Characteristics of Success Marketing Collaborations Advantages and Challenges Supporting Others Impact of Collaborative Outreach 8 �������� Discussion 9 �������� Best Practices 11 ������ Conclusion 12 ������ Appendix 1A: Collaboration and Academic Library Programming Survey 13 ������ Notes

15 ���� BIG IDEAS, SMALL LIBRARIES. A Personal Touch at Kentucky Christian University

Naulayne R. Enders 21 ������ Note

iii

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

23 ���� CHAPTER 2. Strengthening the Small Library: Creating Opportunities for Archives Development

Tina Schneider and Calvin Cleary 23 ������ Introduction 25 ������ Literature Review 27 ������ Establishing the Archive 29 ������ Growing the Archive 30 ������ Promoting the Archive 33 ������ Best Practices 34 ������ Future Plans 37 ������ Conclusion 37 ������ Notes

39 ���� CHAPTER 3. Removing Barriers and Building Bridges: Distance Learning Library Services in Small or Rural Academic Libraries

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Karla J. Aleman 39 ������ Introduction 40 ������ Literature Review 40 Distance Education 41 Distance Student Demographics 42 Distance Student Preferences 43 Library Support of Distance Education Library Services Administrative Support 46 ������ Morehead State University 46 The Campus 47 The Library 49 ������ Streamlining Distance Learning Library Services 49 The Library Website and Online Services The Website Request and Delivery Systems 50 Developing an Online Library Instruction Program Research Guides Instructional Videos 52 Providing Face-to-Face Research Instruction at Distant Locations 53 Partnering with Regional Community College Libraries 54 ������ Best Practices for Distance Learning Library Services at Small and Rural Academic Libraries 54 1. Stay Student-Focused 54 2. Know the Limits 54 3. Embrace Embedding 55 4. Collaborate 55 5. Use Student Workers and Interns 55 6. Keep All Files and Records 56 ������ Conclusion 56 ������ Notes

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Table of Contents

SECTION TWO: HUMAN RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 61 ���� CHAPTER 4. Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library

Marisha C. Kelly 61 ������ Introduction 62 ������ Literature Review 62 Staffing Shortages 63 Recruitment Challenges 65 Attracting Talent 66 Hiring Limitations 67 ������ The Staffing Dichotomy between Urban and Rural Campuses at One College 68 ������ Barriers to Library Staffing at the Belle Glade Campus 72 ������ Making the Case with Data 75 ������ Best Practices for Actively Attracting Talent to the Small and Rural Academic Library 77 ������ Discussion 78 ������ Conclusion 79 ������ Notes

82 ���� BIG IDEAS, SMALL LIBRARIES. Leading Locally

Rebecca Freeman

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

87 ���� CHAPTER 5. Managing Student Workers in the Small Academic Library

Madeline Sims, Laura F. Keyes, and Erica Watson 87 ������ Introduction 88 ������ Literature Review 89 ������ The Hiring Process 90 Job Descriptions 91 Advertising Positions and Attracting Applicants 91 Selecting and Interviewing Candidates 93 ������ Orientation and Training 93 Orientation Best Practices 94 Training Best Practices 96 ������ Student Work Activities during Downtime 98 ������ Evaluation Best Practices 99 ������ Conclusion 100 ���� Appendix 5A: Sample Job Description 101 ���� Appendix 5B: Sample Interview Questions 102 ���� Appendix 5C: Sample Training Checklist 103 ���� Notes

104 �� BIG IDEAS, SMALL LIBRARIES. Staff Engagement for Cohesion

Jennifer Ward and Bethany Wilkes 108 ���� Notes

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

v

vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION THREE: PLANNING 111 ��� CHAPTER 6. Succession Planning at a Small Academic Library

Anne LePage 111 ���� Introduction 112 ���� Literature Review 114 ���� Succession Planning 114 Definition 115 Models 116 Advantages and Disadvantages of Succession Planning 116 Applications for Small or Rural Academic Libraries 118 ���� Mount Allison University 118 Description 119 Current Issues 122 ���� Succession Planning at Ralph Pickard Bell Library 122 Determining Library Value 124 The Role of Communication 125 Training and Continuing Education 125 Outcomes 126 ���� Discussion 126 ���� Conclusion 127 ���� Notes

131 �� CHAPTER 7. Mission Possible: Strategic Planning for Small Academic Libraries

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Darla Haines, Rebecca Johnson, Jill Lichtsinn, and Edita Sicken 131 ���� Introduction 132 ���� Literature Review 134 ���� Funderburg Library: Both Small and Rural 135 ���� Planning: From Operational to Strategic 136 ���� The Process 137 ���� Mission, Vision, Plan 138 ���� Implementation and Outcomes at Funderburg Library 140 ���� Implications and Benefits for Small Academic Libraries 141 ���� Best Practices 141 1. Devote Time to Plan 141 2. Research Example Plans 142 3. Align Library Mission and Vision 142 4. Determine Goals and Action Items 142 5. Set a Time Line 142 6. Create a Visual 142 7. Review the Plan 143 ���� Conclusion 143 ���� Notes

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Table of Contents

SECTION FOUR: INSTRUCTION 149 �� CHAPTER 8. Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment Using Quick Writes to Gather Authentic Evidence of Student Learning

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Henri Mondschein 149 ���� Introduction 151 ���� Literature Review 151 Assessment and Evaluation 151 Indirect and Direct Assessment 152 Direct Measurement Techniques 153 Quick Writes: A Brief Overview 153 Demonstrating Value through ILI Assessment and Planning 154 Assessment Cycles and Direct Assessment 156 ���� California Lutheran University 157 ���� Pearson Library 157 ���� The Quick Write Process at Cal Lutheran 158 ���� Preparing to Implement Quick Writes 160 ���� Scoring Quick Writes 161 ���� Quick Write Development and ILI Integration 163 ���� Challenges and Best Practices for Implementing Direct Assessment 165 ���� Conclusion 166 ���� Appendix 8A: Quick Write Prompt Using Qualtrics Survey Software 167 ���� Appendix 8B: Sample Quick Write Prompt for First-Year Sociology Class 168 ���� Appendix 8C: Information Literacy Assignment and Assessment Tools 170 ���� Notes

173 �� BIG IDEAS, SMALL LIBRARIES. Livre en place: Embedded Librarianship at a Specialized Library

Valerie Freeman 176 ���� Note

177 �� CHAPTER 9. Small Academic Libraries and the Culture of Assessment

Jennifer Sterling and Julie Hansen 177 ���� Introduction 178 ���� Literature Review 179 The Role of Leadership 179 The Need for Professional Development 181 Planning and Performing Assessment 181 Using Assessment Results 182 Sharing Results and Celebrating Success

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

vii

viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

183 ���� Creating a Culture of Assessment 183 William Penn University and Wilcox Library 183 Assessment Culture at Wilcox Library 184 Leadership and Ownership 185 Professional Development 186 Planning and Performing Assessment 188 Using Assessment Results 189 Sharing Results and Celebrating Success 189 ���� Conclusion 190 ���� Notes

SECTION FIVE: TECHNOLOGY 195 �� CHAPTER 10. Technology Triage: Assessing and Managing Library Systems and Projects

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Michael Rodriguez 195 ���� Introduction 196 ���� Definitions 198 ���� Literature Review 198 Triage in LIS 198 Triage in Management and IT 199 ���� Hodges University and McMahan Library 199 Hodges University 199 McMahan Library 200 ���� Applying Triage at McMahan Library 200 Priority Assessment 200 Code Black 202 Code Red 203 Code Yellow 203 Code Green 204 Code White 204 ���� Priorities and Best Practices 204 Prioritize Relationships 205 Prioritize Internal Customers 206 Prioritize Efficiency via Documentation 206 Prioritize Documentation to Train Staff 207 ���� Discussion 208 ���� Conclusion 209 ���� Appendix 10A: Resources for Library Technology Management 210 ���� Appendix 10B: Sorting Technology Triage Priorities through Cost-Benefit Analysis 211 ���� Notes

214 �� BIG IDEAS, SMALL LIBRARIES. Being Innovative: Creating Innovative Tutorials

Ustadza Ely

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Table of Contents

219 �� CHAPTER 11. Instructional Technology and Instructional Space on the Satellite Campus

Amanda Kraft, Elena Rodriguez, and Elaine Holliday 219 ���� Introduction 221 ���� Literature Review 221 Libraries as Technology-Rich Learning Spaces 222 Information Literacy Librarians as Instructional Technologists 223 Students as Technology Providers 224 ���� Horry Georgetown Technical College 224 HGTC Instruction Space Limitations 226 HGTC Instructional Technology (IT) Limitations Acquiring IT Resources Sharing IT Resources Negotiating IT Resources 228 ���� Overcoming Limitations 228 Overcoming Space Limitations 229 Overcoming IT Limitations 234 ���� Best Practices 235 ���� Conclusion 236 ���� Notes

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

239 �� ABOUT THE AUTHORS

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

ix

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Introduction Kaetrena Davis Kendrick University of South Carolina Lancaster

Deborah Tritt

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

University of South Carolina Aiken

IN THE LAST THIRTY years, academic libraries’ traditional roles of collection, protection, and insular duties (cataloging, reference, circulation) have rapidly and steadily evolved to reflect trends in higher education. Concomitantly, the duties and necessary competencies of contemporary librarians in all areas of practice have also expanded. A result of technological innovation, these expanded competencies have also been driven by libraries’—and librarians’—need or desire to be remain relevant in academia. Relatively new concerns about metadata, scholarly communication, marketing, and outreach have been linked to growing research in areas of data visualization, assessment, instruction, and library systems. Even more recently, issues that traditionally were relegated to other academic offices have also found their way into the daily work of information professionals: recruitment, retention, expanded student services, and student engagement on campus. These topics are increasingly being discussed in LIS literature.1 Many of these latter concerns have been cornerstones of the discussion surrounding library value, which the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) notes has myriad definitions “including use, return-on-investment, commodity production, impact, and xi

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

xii INTRODUCTION

alternative comparison.”2 Librarians in all specialties engage in work that includes or expands these definitions; however, the resources they have access to dictate the depth and breadth of these activities. While academic libraries of all sizes have been negatively impacted by a variety of factors (declining workforce, de-professionalization, stagnating retirements, economic downturns), small and rural libraries feel such impacts more deeply. LIS literature routinely discusses how most libraries can bear the brunt of doing more with less; however, missing are the economies of scale required for smaller counterparts to thrive. Moreover, while greater attention has been paid to small and rural public libraries, librarians at small and geographically isolated academic libraries are underrepresented in library literature. This segment of professional librarians lacks a body of relevant literature, best practices, and research informing issues related to their unique professional practice concerns. In part, this book seeks to begin a larger dialogue that begins to fill in this missing gap in the LIS knowledge corps. Along with a dearth of literature, information professionals in small and rural academic libraries also work with limited networking resources: smaller staff often means less funding for national conferences (which, in turn, often focus content on the practices at larger institutions). The editors’ 2013 study on access to professional development discovered that state library associations offered this group the best chance at networking and continuing education opportunities.3 While the Association of Small and Rural Libraries (ASRL) is an appropriate niche resource, recent past conference content notably skews to public libraries. Librarians at small and rural academic librarians commonly work with limited resources. Small staff sizes, limited materials and facilities budgets, and at times perception issues are fundamental challenges faced by librarians working in small and rural academic libraries. In turn, these obstacles affect other organizational concerns, including access to professional development and continuing education, solid succession planning, and effective strategic planning. Such constraints can be challenging; however, librarians working in small or rural environments can mitigate them through innovation and creativity, creating new opportunities to engage, serve, and support their academic communities.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Introduction

In practice, librarians at small and rural academic libraries are developing and implementing solutions to overcome limitations inherent to their environments. Providing a voice for librarians at small and rural academic libraries, this book explores how these information professionals keep up with modern academic library practices and innovate with finite resources. Such efforts result in best practices for smaller library environments. Furthermore, this book acts as a guide and handbook on matters of human resources and management concerns that are unique to LIS professionals and paraprofessionals who serve at small campuses and in rural communities. Through case studies, the unique experiences of librarians at small and rural academic libraries—even within the application of popular practices like embedded librarianship or emerging practices like instruction assessment—are revealed. Adding to the depth of the small or rural experience, practical interviews—organized under “Big Ideas, Small Libraries”—share an insight into topical concerns, ranging from the importance of professional engagement to online tutorial creation. Divided into five major sections, the text explores small and rural libraries’ applications of library and outreach services, human resources and professional development, planning, instruction, and technology. Chapter contributions reflect practices from all over the contiguous United States, Alaska, and Canada, ensuring a broad spectrum of applications from public and private two- and four-year and junior or technical colleges. In this book, small academic libraries are defined using the Carnegie Classification Size and Setting Definitions. Accordingly, small academic libraries are institutions with full-time enrollments (FTE) under 3,000 and include the following Carnegie definitions: very small two-year (VS2), small two-year (S2), very small four-year (VS4), and small four-year (S4).4 Furthermore, rural academic libraries are defined as libraries in communities with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants.5 In sum, in the United States there are approximately 2,496 small academic libraries employing 6,600 professional librarians.6 We hope that this book, born out of our own experiences working in and researching small and rural academic libraries and the professional practice concerns of the librarians there, opens channels of conversation so that daily academic librarianship practice may be improved on

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

xiii

xiv INTRODUCTION

campuses everywhere. Additionally, we hope this monograph inspires information professionals working in these environments to engage in, promote, and share research in order to grow a body of knowledge that includes the on-the-fly, grassroots work that often goes overlooked by colleagues at larger institutions. The efforts of LIS practitioners in small and rural academic libraries are often the ideas that make all libraries more responsive, nimble, and most importantly, invaluable to the stakeholders we serve in academia and beyond.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Acknowledgments The editors would like to thank Kathryn Deiss, former ACRL Content Strategist, who offered us the benefit of her years of experience, boundless creativity, and encouragement as we moved through this project. We would also like to thank ACRL and current Content Strategist Erin Nevius for the opportunity to publish this book, which shares the voices of librarians at small and rural academic libraries. This book is possible due to the steadfast work of its contributors, who hail from all areas of the United States and Canada. Contributors to this book worked very hard to share the unique challenges of working in small or sparsely populated areas, highlight their successes, and promote the value of contemporary librarians in higher education. The editors thank the University of South Carolina Lancaster and University of South Carolina Aiken—both small campuses—for offering us the impetus and time to conceptualize, implement, and complete this project. Finally, the editors wish to thank their respective colleagues, friends, and family, whose support and patience helped this project along to completion.

Notes 1. Jacqui D. Grallo, Mardi Chalmers, and Pamela G. Baker, “How Do I Get a Campus ID? The Other Role of the Academic Library in Student Retention and Success,” Reference Librarian 53, no. 2 (2012): 182–93; Lindsay Miller, “The Library and the Campus Visit: Communicating Value to Prospective Students and Parents,” College and Research Libraries News 73, no. 10 (November 2012): 586–89; Jeffrey A. Knapp, Nicholas J. Rowland, and Eric P. Charles, “Retaining Students by Embedding Librarians into Undergraduate Research Experiences,” Reference Services Review 42, no. 1 (2014): 129–47; George D. Kuh and Robert M. Gonyea, “The Role of the Academic Library

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Introduction

2.

3.

4. 5.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

6.

in Promoting Student Engagement in Learning,” College and Research Libraries 76, no. 3 (March 2015): 359–85. Association of College and Research Libraries, Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report, prepared by Megan Oakleaf (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2010), 20, http://www. ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues/value/val_report.pdf. Kaetrena Davis Kendrick, Deborah Tritt, and Echo Leaver, “Link Up the Sticks: Access and Barriers to Professional Development for Small and Rural Academic Librarians,” Codex: The Journal of the Louisiana Chapter of the ACRL 2, no. 3 (2013): 38–77, http://journal.acrlla.org/index.php/codex/article/view/78. Indiana University, “Carnegie Classification Description: Size and Setting Classification,” 2015, http://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/classification_descriptions/size_setting.php. US Census Bureau, “Urban and Rural Classification,” 2010, http://www. census.gov/geo/reference/urban-rural.html. Tai Phan, Laura Hardesty, and Jamie Hug, Academic Libraries: 2012: First Look (Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2014), http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2014038.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

xv

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Section One:

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Library and Outreach Services

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Chapter 1

Cracking the Competition

*

Collaboration in Programming Kate S. Lewallen Tennessee Wesleyan College

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Introduction Programs and events in academic libraries fulfill libraries’ mission to create lifelong learners by going beyond students’ academic roles to address the “multiplicity of identities students may assume.”1 They can also be an important avenue to reaching students and showing them all that the library has to offer. Whether they directly address library services or not, library programs get people into the library where they can discover firsthand the library’s spaces and resources. However, it can be very disappointing to plan and implement a program that falls flat. In small colleges and universities where the number of students is limited, how can the library effectively compete with all of the other activities being held by student life, academic departments, clubs, and organizations? The answer is that the library doesn’t need to compete if it can collaborate. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial-ShareAlike International 4.0 license. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/. * 

1

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

2

Chapter 1

Why should libraries collaborate? For starters, libraries do not exist in a vacuum. Rather, they are “part of a system [and] …exist in a broader societal context which requires interaction and cooperative activity.”2 Colleges and universities work best when every office works together to meet the varied needs of students, especially in small schools where access to outside resources for students may be limited, and librarians must be an integral part of this group effort. In a more practical light, collaboration helps ensure that library programs focus on student needs and are of interest to students and faculty. Collaboration makes it easier for librarians to determine what student needs and interests are, implement these programs using a variety of resources, and broaden exposure to library outreach efforts. For small academic institutions, where funds and time can be scarce, these benefits help librarians ensure that they are using their time and resources on worthwhile and successful programs. Through collaboration with institutional offices, academic departments, and student organizations, libraries can crack the competition for students and funds that often happens on small campuses by leveraging these competing forces. By examining previous research and presenting the results of a study focusing on collaboration and academic library programs and events, this chapter explores how librarians successfully collaborate to create relevant and well-attended programs on their campuses, particularly in small academic institutions.

Literature Review While much has been written about collaborating with faculty with regard to instruction, less has been written about collaboration in library programs and events outside of the classroom, particularly as it applies to small colleges and universities. In 2005, Forrest discussed the need for academic libraries to collaborate with student affairs professionals since the two groups share the goals of supporting student learning and advocating for students.3 Forrest pointed to ways librarians can support other offices on campus, from assisting with the adoption of new technologies to providing relevant library resources. The article also outlines ways librarians can benefit from other offices in order to gain new opportunities for student interaction and take advantage of skill sets that may not be inherent in librarianship.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Cracking the Competition

Other articles focusing on collaborative library programs and events are primarily case studies of specific events at the authors’ institutions. Some collaborations have introduced fine arts into the library. In 2009, Beahan, Graveline, and Taxman shared how the Dartmouth College Library “offers unique opportunities for the community …to participate in and observe the arts in a setting other than a museum or theater.”4 In addition to displaying college portraits and Orozco’s famous fresco, The Epic of Civilization, that are housed in the library, the library has collaborated with arts organizations on campus to provide display cases and exhibition spaces for student artwork, host performance art by students and professionals, create educational and tour materials for the Orozco fresco, and present awards for students in the Book Arts program.5 Brown discussed Powell Library’s collaborations with three departments of the University of California, Los Angeles’s Herb Alpert School of Music to feature student performances, and occasionally local professionals, in its Powell Music in the Rotunda series.6 These libraries have been successful in opening up their space for new purposes. Academic libraries also collaborate with student support offices to offer traditional library services in unique ways. Mahaffy’s 2007 article summarized a partnership between her library and her institution’s writing center to offer library office hours in the writing center and vice versa. Mahaffy noted that “when writing centers and libraries share space and expertise during times convenient to students, the students take greater advantage of the services available to them.”7 Similarly, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Undergraduate Library worked with the campus’s career, health, and cultural centers to offer traditional library services, like information literacy instruction and general reference support, within the existing services of these student support offices.8 More recently, Datig and Herkner discussed their Long Night Against Procrastination program at New York University Abu Dhabi. The event, which was originated by the European University Viadrina in Germany,9 is now replicated across the United States and is a collaboration between libraries and writing centers to help “curb procrastination and to provide students with research and writing help.”10 Libraries can also go beyond traditional outreach programs to try more integrative methods. For instance, Fox, Carpenter, and Doshi gave an overview of how their projects at the Georgia Institute of Tech-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

3

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

4

Chapter 1

nology incorporate and go beyond the methods mentioned above to create what they call cool collaborations: projects that are ongoing, are integrated into curriculum, and “embrace the science, technology, and design campus focus.”11 In cooperation with the institution’s Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access, they created a virtual aquarium that creates different sounds based on the real-time movement of the fish in the aquarium in order to make the aquarium experience more accessible for the visually impaired. They also created a virtual research poster session with the Office of Undergraduate Studies, finals time “stressbusters” with the Counseling, Campus Recreation, and Health Promotion Centers, and a weekly library rock ’n’ roll radio show with the student radio station.12 This literature focuses on collaborations at large colleges and universities, and little to nothing has been written about collaborative programs at small colleges and universities. However, the advice contained therein is valuable for any library that wants to implement collaborative programs and events. Moreover, some general works are also great starting points. Raspa and Ward’s edited work explored the process behind faculty and librarian collaborations in the changing face of twenty-first-century higher education.13 While many of the chapters focused on collaborations in instruction, a few discussed strategies and tips for successful collaborations in general. One chapter in particular, titled “The Librarian as Networker: Setting the Standard for Higher Education,” discussed how librarians can best successfully communicate and network with faculty in order to create successful collaborations.14 In their respective works, Tenofsky and Dewey also discussed the advantages of collaboration and gave advice on networking across campus with both faculty and students.15 In their article about library collaborations with multicultural services, Love and Edwards gave a step-by-step guide on reaching out to potential program partners.16 These resources provided a lens through which the present study was created.

The Study Methodology

This chapter is based on the results of a recent online survey that asked multiple-choice and open-ended questions about library programming

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Cracking the Competition

in general and, more specifically, about the challenges and advantages of collaborative programming in academic environments (see Appendix 1A). The survey was distributed during the summer of 2015 through the e-mail Listservs of the College and University Libraries Section of the American Library Association, the Tennessee Library Association, and the Appalachian College Association. Multiple-choice questions were analyzed quantitatively, while open-ended, qualitative questions were analyzed and categorized based on repeating themes throughout the responses. Twenty-nine respondents participated in the survey, and of those, twenty-one were from institutions with fewer than 3,000 students. The reported results focus on the respondents from these twenty-one small libraries.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Results LIBRARY OUTREACH EFFORTS Participants were asked what kinds of programs their library offered. Most participants indicated that their libraries hold educational workshops, student exhibits, guest speakers, and entertainment events. Only four respondents said their libraries host book clubs, while even fewer mentioned celebration-specific events, such as Constitution Day and National Library Week events. When asked which of these programs were most successful, respondents overwhelmingly listed entertainment or casual events, such as game nights, therapy dog visits, and contests. Six other respondents listed educational events, student-driven events, and guest readings. CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESS What makes a library event successful? Six respondents revealed that being able to tie events to specific courses or research projects generated success, and within this same group, five respondents attributed further success to the influence of professors requiring attendance or offering extra credit as an incentive. Respondents said their most successful events are “those connected with specific research projects” and “those that professors offer extra credit to attend.” Two respondents noted that offering food boosted attendance. Creating student buy-in and getting student help with planning and marketing also came up

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

5

6

Chapter 1

often as characteristics of successful events. As one respondent said, the library needs “buy-in and participation from student groups and other campus offices (student life, academic departments, etc.).”

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

MARKETING All respondents answered that their library uses a combination of methods to market its events and programs, including social media, physical fliers, library and campus websites, and e-mail. Respondents also mentioned advertising through campus-wide mobile apps, campus event calendars, local newspapers, and digital scrolling announcements on TVs throughout campus. One respondent mentioned targeting specific faculty and courses when marketing events: “I talk to students about an event the day of one or before. I also contact the education department as some of the events meet their students’ need for CE events.” COLLABORATIONS Concerning collaborative events, fourteen respondents had held a library event in collaboration with another campus group. Respondents revealed their collaborations with academic departments, student life, campus learning centers, admissions, institutional advancement, registrars, and publicity offices. For these events, five respondents held academic success events or workshops, and four others sponsored guest speakers in conjunction with another campus group. Other noted collaborations included gatherings of campus groups, fine arts exhibitions, student research presentations, and entertainment-based events like game nights. ADVANTAGES AND CHALLENGES When asked about the advantages of holding collaborative events, the responses fell into three main categories. First, collaboration gave libraries the ability to reach and attract wider audiences for greater student participation and engagement. The sentiment that “They supply the audience, we supply the program” was echoed by a number of respondents. One respondent working on an undergraduate research fair discussed how faculty in particular could help boost participation:

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Cracking the Competition

“Faculty who worked with students on research projects were able to encourage students to participate; these students may know the librarians but have worked more extensively with their faculty members, so the faculty members have more ‘pull’ with them.” Second, collaboration allowed respondents to split costs, marketing, and staffing. Many respondents were able to split the costs of events or tap into external funding sources—only two of the libraries in the survey had to fund their collaborative events alone. Additionally, many respondents commented that there were “more people to plan and assist” and that they were able to “[share] costs and promotion efforts.” Third, collaboration helped libraries improve focus on campus needs. For example, one respondent collaborated with an academic department to plan guest speakers and was able to tie the speakers into the courses’ topics, guaranteeing that the speakers were “of interest to students and faculty.” Library events—collaborative or not—also have their challenges. When planning events alone, respondents overwhelmingly noted the challenges in trying to find dates and times that did not conflict with students’ classes or with other events on campus. Other challenges frequently mentioned were lack of staff and funding, difficulty with marketing and publicity, and difficulty figuring out what events students would be interested in attending. When planning collaborative events, coordinating the logistics of the event—such as accommodating schedules and delegating duties—and communication among the collaborating groups were issues frequently mentioned by respondents. Despite these challenges, only one respondent said the library would not hold the collaborative event again. SUPPORTING OTHERS Eleven respondents participated in an event hosted by another group on campus, and the levels of participation ranged from full participation to simply providing space. Five respondents’ libraries provided space for award receptions, fine arts events, convocations, and group meetings. Other responses included participating in open houses for academic departments and providing staff to assist with group campus tours.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

7

8

Chapter 1

IMPACT OF COLLABORATIVE OUTREACH When asked what the library gained from assisting with or participating in collaborative events, respondents mentioned enhanced relationships with other groups on campus, an enhanced reputation for the library, and the opportunity to advertise the library’s services to a wider audience. One respondent shared that the library was able to “[gain] knowledge of the [other] department and a sense that the library was a part of this curriculum.” Another noted that “people came to the library for the event, but also were introduced to our space & resources.” Another participant commented that these events helped fulfill the library’s mission “to serve, inform, and entertain.”

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Discussion Survey results reveal that collaborative events can help alleviate some of the challenges small or rural libraries may encounter when planning programs and events on their own. Respondents often mentioned that trying to determine what types of events students would be interested in was difficult, but they also discussed how collaboration helped them improve focus on student needs and interests. By working with a specific group, librarians know that the event will be attended by the people in that group. This increased focus can help small libraries avoid spending time and effort to plan events that will not be successful. Survey results also show how collaboration can help mitigate funding and staffing challenges of planning library events. When asked about the advantages of collaborative events, respondents often mentioned the distribution of costs as an important advantage. Many respondents also mentioned that collaborating provided them with more people to help during events. This benefit is especially important for small academic libraries, where staff and funding are most limited. Combining funds and staff allows smaller libraries to put on larger events for longer amounts of time. Collaboration can help small libraries reach wider audiences and market events more effectively, alleviating two other challenges highlighted in the survey. Having a well-attended event is even more difficult considering all the demands on students’ time; however, with two groups working on an event, there are twice as many social me-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Cracking the Competition

dia accounts with which to advertise. Moreover, there is access to an untapped audience available: students who may use the collaborator’s services but may not be library regulars. Program and event collaborations with student groups and faculty have specific benefits. Getting student help in planning and marketing was listed as a characteristic of successful programs, and collaboration can help create that partnership and secure that buy-in. If students are involved in planning, they will attend and convince their friends to attend as well. Faculty and other staff on campus also have connections that librarians do not. Students make connections with different offices and people on campus, and through collaboration, the library can harness these varied connections to increase attendance at events.

Best Practices

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

The current survey’s results highlight a few best practices that libraries should consider when planning and implementing collaborative events: • Get out of the library and network. Many librarians may consider networking as a good practice within the profession; however, it should also be applied to building relationships within institutions. Great collaborations begin with personal relationships, and they can be developed only through consistent work and contact with people outside of the library. As one respondent stated, “Get a seat at the table where decisions and work assignments are made.” Another respondent encouraged librarians to “generate lines of communication with as many groups on campus as possible. [You can] make sure the facilities and yourself are available to consider, foster, and help make collaborative events successful.” Join committees and task forces, and show support by attending the events of potential partners. • Be realistic. Not all events are worth the time and effort it takes to plan them. Survey respondents advised that libraries should “try something at least once if it sounds doable” but “remember about your primary mission” and “only do it if you really think

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

9

10

Chapter 1

it’s going to be worth the time and energy involved.” Collaborative events can take a lot of work, so before attempting a new event, take time to consider whether that event will be worth it for the library and the campus community. • Start small. Collaboration does not need to be complex to be successful. If your library doesn’t have the staff to hold all-night events, scale back and hold a similar event with the resources you have. Also consider the act of simply offering space as an option. These collaborations are not grand or time-consuming for the library, but they succeed in letting the library reach wider audiences and can be implemented by any library, no matter its size.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

• Start early. Collaboration involves working with many different sets of schedules and demands, and a successful collaborative event cannot be done haphazardly. Many organizations set their schedules before the semester starts or even a semester in advance, and one participant noted the need to “plan well ahead and get help from other departments well ahead.” Reach out to potential partners as early as possible. • Help partners stay on task. Check in often and let your partners know what you have been doing. Send reminders, even if you think they are fully prepared. If you have not heard from the other partners in a while, reach out. As one participant stated, “You never know what the other office had come up and if you need to help juggle some of the balls that might be in the process of getting dropped.” • Be open and flexible. It is possible that the library’s goals and your partner’s goals may differ. Participants advised that librarians should “be open to what the other offices want to have happen and to gain from the planned event [and] be supportive of the other office’s needs” and “be creative, think unconventionally, [and] get others involved.” Collaboration can help you view the library from new perspectives, so keep an open mind as you set goals and expectations for your collaborative outreach.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Cracking the Competition

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Conclusion The results of this exploratory survey give valuable insight into how collaboration can help small libraries plan and implement successful programs. Getting students and others on campus involved ensures that the library is planning the kinds of events that students want to attend. Collaborative outreach also creates campus-wide buy-in so that students, faculty, and staff are all invested in the event’s success. Additionally, collaborative outreach can help libraries integrate in existing programs on campus, such as orientations and research presentations. Collaboration also helps with planning and budgeting hurdles by splitting the financial and time-management burden of large events between departments, making it easier for both groups to offer more events per year. This survey is only a first look at how small libraries are using collaborative outreach, and more research is needed on how small libraries are scaling down the events from larger institutions that are discussed in existing literature. Additionally, case studies of successful collaborative events at small institutions can help show how small institutions in particular are navigating the hurdles of collaboration. Through the expanded dissemination of in-depth and varied scholarship about collaborative outreach, information professionals can further reveal what has been somewhat of a secret on many small and rural campuses: that libraries are indispensable partners in the quest to expand campus services and increase student success.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

11

12

Chapter 1

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Appendix 1A: Collaboration and Academic Library Programming Survey 1. What is the FTE (full time equivalency) at your institution? • Less than 999 • 1,000 to 2,999 • Greater than 3,000 2. What kinds of events/programs does your library hold? Choose all that apply. • Educational workshops (on research, writing, new technologies, etc.) • Guest speakers • Student exhibits • Book clubs • Entertainment events • Other (please specify) 3. How does your library market events/programs? Choose all that apply. • Social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) • Physical fliers or signs around campus • Library and/or campus website • Email • Other (please specify) 4. What, in your opinion, makes a library event/program successful? 5. What events/programs are most successful at your library? 6. What challenges does your library face planning events/programs in general? 7. Have you held a library event in collaboration with another group on campus (academic department, student groups, student life offices, writing centers, career centers, etc.)? • Yes • No 8. Who did you collaborate with for this event? 9. What was the name and purpose of the event? 10. Please describe the event. 11. How was the event funded? • Completely by the library

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Cracking the Competition

• Completely by the other campus group • Split the costs • Other (please specify) 12. What were the advantages of collaborating with another group for this event? 13. What were the challenges of collaborating with another group for this event? 14. What was successful about this event? 15. Will you be holding this event again? • Yes • No 16. Has the library ever participated in an event planned by another group on campus? • Yes • No 17. Please describe that event and the library’s role in it. 18. What did the library gain by participating in this event? 19. What advice would you give librarians trying to plan a collaborative event?

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Notes 1. Emily Love and Margaret B. Edwards, “Forging Inroads between Libraries and Academic, Multicultural and Student Services,” Reference Services Review 37, no. 1 (2009): 21. 2. William Miller, “Introduction: Cooperation within Institutions,” in Libraries within Their Institutions: Creative Collaborations, ed. William Miller and Rita M. Pellen (New York: Haworth Press, 2004), 1. 3. Laura Urbanski Forrest, “Academic Librarians and Student Affairs Professionals: An Ethical Collaboration for Higher Education,” Education Libraries 28, no. 1 (Summer 2005): 11–15. 4, Michael J. Beahan, Laura K. Graveline, and Jennifer R. Taxman, “Uncommon Partners: Facilitating Creative Collaborations in the Arts across Campus,” College and Undergraduate Libraries 16, no. 2/3 (2009): 194. 5. Ibid., 194–210. 6. Catherine M. Brown, “Concerts and Dances in a Library? An Undergraduate Library as Campus Cultural Space,” College and Research Libraries News 75, no. 7 (2014): 387–88. 7. Mardi Mahaffy, “Exploring Common Ground: US Writing Center/Library Collaboration,” New Library World 109, no. 3/4 (2007): 173.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

13

14

Chapter 1

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

8. Love and Edwards, “Forging Inroads,” 20–29. 9. Ilka Datig and Luise Herkner, “Get Ready for a Long Night: Collaborating with the Writing Center to Combat Student Procrastination,” College and Research Libraries News 75, no. 3 (2014): 128. 10. Ibid. 11. Robert Fox, Cathy Carpenter, and Ameet Doshi, “Cool Collaborations: Designing a Better Library Experience,” College and Undergraduate Libraries 18, no. 2/3 (2011): 215. 12. Ibid., 215–20. 13. Dick Raspa and Dane Ward, The Collaborative Imperative (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2000). 14. Shellie Jeffries, “The Librarian as Networker: Setting the Standard for Higher Education,” in The Collaborative Imperative: Librarians and Faculty Working Together in the Information Universe, ed. Dick Raspa and Dane Ward (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2000), 114–29. 15. Deborah Tenofsky, “Teaching to the Whole Student: Building Best Practices for Collaboration between Librarians and Student Services,” Research Strategies 20, no. 4 (2005): 290; Barbara L. Dewey, “The Embedded Librarian: Strategic Campus Collaborations,” in Libraries within Their Institutions: Creative Collaborations, ed. William Miller and Rita M. Pellen (New York: Haworth Press, 2004), 13. 16. Love and Edwards, “Forging Inroads,” 25.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Big Ideas, Small Libraries

A Personal Touch at Kentucky Christian University Naulayne R. Enders

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Kentucky Christian University

KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (KCU) is a small academic university with an average full-time enrollment (FTE) of around 500 students. KCU is located in Grayson, Kentucky, a small town in eastern Kentucky with a population of approximately 4,088. Grayson is located in Carter County, which has population of 27,202 and is considered an Appalachian county. Carter County did not have a public library until 2008, and KCU’s Young Library functioned as the public library for the county up until that time. Young Library continues to serve community patrons in addition to the campus community. Currently, the library staffing consists of two full-time degreed librarians, one interlibrary loan assistant, and nineteen work-study students. The library offers access to approximately 100,000 print books and,150,000 e-books, and has access to eighty databases. Eleven computers are available in the main area of the library for both student and community patron use, and an additional seventeen computers with an instructor’s computer are available in a classroom setting that includes a digital projector and screen. Young Library’s mission is to support the curriculum of the university, to help users gain access to information in a variety of forms, to assess the information needs of its users, and to encourage the development of information literacy in support of life-long learning skills.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

16

Big Ideas, Small Libraries

The uniqueness of KCU’s size and setting and a desire to help students, faculty, and staff gain the skills necessary to access library information resulted in the establishment of a personal librarian program (PLP).

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

What prompted KCU librarians’ interest in personal librarian programs?

Naulayne R. Enders: Like many academic libraries, KCU relied heavily on one-shot library instruction sessions. We knew from anecdotal evidence and through our annual library survey that our students were either overwhelmed with content during these sessions or bored with material that they already knew. Additionally, we knew that many of them did not have a need for that depth of instruction until later in their college career. In 2010, we encountered a small article in the news desk section of Library Journal about Drexel University’s personal librarian program.1 The program involved students meeting with librarians one-on-one and was based on a program that had been implemented at Yale University Library. From our observations we knew that one-on-one instruction worked well for students doing research projects, but we had not considered using it to help with basic library instruction for students. This began our search for research data on personal librarian meetings. How does the PLP work at Young Library?

Naulayne: KCU’s PLP is part of our library orientation program for all incoming freshmen. This orientation program involves library participation in Welcome Weekend activities, a freshman intensive day, as well as participation within the one credit hour required freshman orientation course. We begin with a general meeting with all of the incoming freshmen during Welcome Weekend and conduct a general overview of our web page. This meeting is followed by small group sessions during their freshman intensive day. During the group sessions, we address searching in the Online Catalog and introduce database searching using Academic Search Complete. Students then begin to schedule appointments for their one-on-one meetings with a librarian, which we refer to

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



A Personal Touch at Kentucky Christian University

as personal librarian meetings. A personal librarian meeting is a requirement for successful completion of our freshman orientation course. Instructors for this course are responsible for tracking student completion. They remind students regularly throughout the semester to schedule their appointments. To sign up for an appointment, students must come to the library. Students select a thirty-minute time slot and the librarian that they would like to see, depending upon availability. Once students select a date and time, they are given a reminder slip containing the information. Due to staffing and curriculum concerns, personal librarian meetings are scheduled throughout the fall semester for our students. Originally, we had three librarians available to meet all librarian responsibilities, so extending the time frame for consultations and allowing freshmen to make appointments throughout the entire semester meant that we could still have time available to meet with upper-division students or faculty and complete our other day-today tasks. Extending appointments throughout the semester also allows students to schedule appointments when they have specific research assignments.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

What need or service does the PLP fulfill on KCU’s campus?

Naulayne: While the PLP began as a library resource orientation tool, there have been some unexpected positive results across campus. The program has helped the library’s instruction become more integrated into the curriculum, and the information presented is utilized in upper- and lower-division courses. The success of this program has also led faculty to contact the library and request assignment-specific instruction that expands on the personal librarian meeting information. Additionally, the program provides support for KCU student services’ outreach and retention efforts, and the university’s admissions department discusses PLP with potential students and their parents during campus tours. Within the library, students asking research questions and for research assistance have increased. Students now see librarians at least three times within their first semester. They begin to recognize our faces, and we begin to identify them by name. As their resource

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

17

18

Big Ideas, Small Libraries

needs increase throughout their college career, they fall back on that relationship and return to their librarian to ask questions. This affirms that we are establishing relationships, and we continue to encourage students to return to the library when they need assistance.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

What kind of content is covered in your student meetings?

Naulayne: We begin a personal librarian meeting by having the student sit at the computer while we give them verbal guidance in manipulating the system. We start with an overview of the OPAC functions that can be accessed to help the student locate library materials as well as track any materials that are checked out. We also point out organizational aids that are available. Since e-books are included in the library catalog, we do identify this as a second specific point in our instruction. We help the student locate an e-book title, open it, and explore the functionality of the book. We have found that while a student may be familiar with reading e-books, few students have utilized them for research. Finally, we guide students through the use of an EBSCO platform database. Students establish an EBSCO folder, locate an article, and explore the toolbar. At KCU, the majority of our databases use the EBSCO platform, so using this platform makes our instruction more efficient for future student use. At the end of every meeting, students are asked how they are doing in their courses and encouraged to return to ask any questions they may have in the future. This exit interview allows us to begin to establish more personalized relationships. What other library services has the PLP positively impacted?

Naulayne: The greatest effect of the PLP has been in our relationship with students within the library. Our statistics show that students make more appointments for help with research, particularly in their capstone projects and senior research classes. We have also noted an increase in use of our e-books. In the past, our e-book recommendations were met with trepidation by our students, but since the PLP’s implementation, students are often disappointed

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



A Personal Touch at Kentucky Christian University

when they find that most of their results are print books rather than e-books. In general, we’ve found that our students now are willing and able to begin using databases on their own before they meet with a librarian for a specific assignment. Upper-level students who have made appointments for assistance with a specific research assignment usually begin by opening their EBSCO folder to show us what articles they have already found. Additionally, faculty members in charge of research courses often require that students create a folder and share it with them for the duration of the course. This has made the library service available beyond the walls of the building.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

How are small or rural academic libraries uniquely suited to offer PLPs?

Naulayne: Small and rural academic libraries tend to focus on personalization of services, and that is what PLPs offer. A smaller student body means that it is easier for a librarian to get to know and recognize individual students by name. While a smaller library staff is sometimes interpreted as a negative, in terms of PLPs, smaller staffs mean that it’s more likely that the librarian a student meets with is the librarian they see walking around the library. How did the PLP impact campus collaboration?

Naulayne: Our original intention with the PLP was to find a more efficient way to introduce students to basic library bibliographic skills. Developing the PLP to meet the needs of incoming freshmen began collaborations with the tutoring center, the retention officer, and the campus faculty. Our common goal was to provide KCU students with the basic skills necessary to successfully complete their academic requirements. Students who were successful academically were more likely to be retained as KCU students. Collaboration expanded to include the admissions office as it began to use our PLP as a marketing tool to demonstrate to potential students how KCU would help them to be academically successful.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

19

20

Big Ideas, Small Libraries

What links does the PLP have to information literacy instruction?

Naulayne: While the PLP’s main focus is getting students started on research, we know that they will require more in-depth information literacy instruction in their future at KCU. Many upper-level college students conducting research struggle with concepts such as identifying search terms to acquire the research results they are looking for and evaluating articles for use in answering their research questions. PLPs establish relationships with students so that when they identify greater needs in information literacy, they know that librarian assistance is available. Librarians build on students’ knowledge base from their initial freshman personal librarian meeting and moves toward helping students become proficient in all of ACRL’s IL standards by the time they complete their degrees.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

What were the biggest challenges to creating or implementing your PLP?

Naulayne: Initially, our biggest challenge in creating the PLP was the lack of research information available on this type of program. There was little data available for any size or type of library. We felt at that time that there would be better buy-in from faculty and better results if we had data to support our plans. Consulting with the tutoring center director on what requirements faculty felt students needed to learn in their first semester at college helped us to determine what content to include in the meetings. What is the future of the KCU PLP?

Naulayne: Our most immediate challenge in the future is a reduction in staffing. The PLP began by utilizing three degreed librarians; however, we anticipate that this workforce will be reduced to two degreed librarians in the fall semester of 2016. To mitigate this, we plan to include a technical staff person in the PLP. To increase content consistency and maintain the program’s effectiveness, specific approaches to content have been identified and communicated to all PLP instructors. While the PLP was originally created for incoming freshmen, we have also begun to reach out to our transfer

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



A Personal Touch at Kentucky Christian University

students. These students usually do not need a formal orientation course; however, they do need to know what library resources are available at KCU and how they can access them. Transfer students are assigned a personal librarian by e-mail and encouraged to contact the librarian. We plan to make additional changes to the PLP as we address the needs of this campus population. Also, the university has added an online nursing program and two online masters’ programs in the past four years. Many students in these programs are non-traditional or graduate students, and they also are not as familiar with the library resources as we would like. We are currently looking at developing a PLP that works well for online students.

Note

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

1. Norma Oder and Lynn Blumenstein, “Personal Librarian Program at Drexel University,” Library Journal 135, no. 16 (October 2010): 14.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

21

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Chapter 2

Strengthening the Small Library* Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Creating Opportunities for Archives Development Tina Schneider The Ohio State University at Lima

Calvin Cleary The Ohio State University at Lima

Introduction Academic libraries naturally support the people and programs at their home institution. For many libraries, however, another area of that support involves collaboration with and outreach to the general public. There are many ways an academic library can work with local organizaThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial, No Derivatives International 4.0 license. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. * 

23

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

24

Chapter 2

tions. These partnerships are often referred to as “town-and-gown” relationships, and they can give both communities access to services and materials they may not otherwise be able to afford. Town-and-gown relationships can bring new kinds of patrons and recognition to campus or enable financial support for large, shared projects. In small or rural communities where resources are not necessarily centralized and expanded options for support may be limited, strong town-and-gown relationships can be particularly helpful. Not only do these partnerships increase access for small communities, but they also create new relationships among a network of vital institutions. For an academic library in this setting, these local affiliations can give the flexible library opportunities that may otherwise come with a hefty price tag or time-consuming negotiations. In 1960, the Ohio State University began offering courses in Lima, Ohio (population approximately 38,000). The courses were intended to serve an area with few nearby options for traditional college at the time, and demand was heavy. The public library accommodated the Ohio State students by housing appropriate materials for their coursework, and Ohio State placed a librarian in the Lima Public Library when courses began in 1960. Though the librarian was under the supervision of the head librarian at the Lima Public Library, she was assigned specifically to work with and support Ohio State students.1 By the mid-60s, students’ need for space had outgrown their Lima Senior High School location, and in 1966, Ohio State opened its own campus in neighboring Bath Township. With its own campus buildings came its own library, and the partnership with the Lima Public Library naturally waned. Today, the Lima Campus Library employs two librarians and one support staff person and holds over 75,000 titles. In addition to serving almost 1,100 students of the Ohio State University at Lima, the library also serves 3,300 students from colocated partner institution Rhodes State College. In recent years, the Lima Campus Library realized the need for a campus archive. Without one, documentation on campus history was sparse and often disorganized, and the director quickly realized that the campus often relied on hearsay rather than documentation when it came to its own past. However, the campus did not have the dedicated staff or funding to handle such a large undertaking. What it did have

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Strengthening the Small Library

was a strong town-and-gown relationship with the Lima community and public institution partners that could offer invaluable support. With help from community partners and utilizing the flexibility of the small library, the Lima Campus Library was able to build the archive slowly and affordably, inured to issues like budget cuts and staff turnover. That archive then gave the library more opportunities to demonstrate its value to both the academic and the local communities.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Literature Review Library literature covers a wide range of topics regarding small academic libraries and their varying types of partnerships with other libraries and museums, although relatively few focus on long-term relationships. Relationships between libraries within the same community can grow and change over time; of particular interest here is how a community can help an academic library expand its services to new areas, from technical services to special collections to archives. The small academic library faces particular challenges in establishing an archive, but ties to the community can make aspects of it easier, depending on the needs of the library. Research about academic libraries and community partnerships typically focus on joint-use facilities, and the literature has an abundance of examples of successful ventures in this area. Also, these articles usually focus on how the academic library can benefit the wider community in which it is located.2 However, partnerships can take many forms and can include more than sharing a physical space. Halverston and Plotas outlined a long-term relationship of more than thirty years between Keene State College, a relatively small school of roughly 5,000 students, and the Keene Public Library, which served the roughly 23,000 people of Keene, New Hampshire.3 Automating a library catalog was a daunting, expensive project in the late 1980s, but with both institutions splitting the price and sharing the catalog, costs were reduced significantly. In the years since, that partnership has grown in scope. Costs for technical expansions were shared and similarly reduced, open communication between circulation and cataloging made collection development easier, and access to materials was greatly expanded for all patrons.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

25

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

26

Chapter 2

While many academic libraries and local museums share joint-use buildings as well as local programming,4 they also partner in projects of local significance that make both rare collections and valuable institutional knowledge accessible to a wider audience. St. Augustine, a small Florida city of more than 13,000 residents, and the St. Augustine Historical Society had access to special collections but lacked the resources to effectively digitize and promote those collections online. By working with the University of Florida, a much larger institution, they were able to affordably expand access and reach a new audience of researchers the world over.5 Tapping the resources of a larger local institution to centralize information can be helpful; however, two smaller institutions can also find great success in their partnership by building that relationship up over a period of years. The College of the Holy Cross, a small Massachusetts liberal arts school, was able to partner with the local Worcester Art Museum for a project that would expand access for patrons of both libraries. After receiving a grant, the libraries began constructing shared side-by-side databases of materials, records, and digitized images that would streamline the automation process for the museum and give professors and students classroom access to the museum’s collection. While the focal point of the project was completed by 2001, the bonds created were strong enough that the staff at the two libraries merged, both overseen by the director of the College of the Holy Cross library.6 When a small academic library attempts to establish an archive on its own, the endeavor is frequently fraught with insufficient space, staffing, and expertise.7 With a partnership in the community, however, a library can overcome a number of obstacles. St. Mary’s College, a small state college in Maryland, and the municipal offices at St. Mary’s County Records Center were able to build and sustain a shared archives facility such that the needs of both the college and the county were met. After St. Mary’s College’s 150th anniversary, the need for a campus archive became clear with the newly heightened awareness of the college’s history. However, like many small academic libraries, the college could support on its own at most part-time attention to the archive and a space that did not meet archival standards. With limited staffing and few options for physically housing a campus archive, St.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Strengthening the Small Library

Mary’s College entered a partnership with the County Records Center that allowed the college to contract for staffing and storage costs, taking advantage of existing county resources. In return, the county received additional funding for equipment purchases and software needs. In the end, both entities have full-time archival attention and space that is dedicated to appropriate care of archival materials.8 In all of these examples, a simple partnership between smaller institutions provided a solid foundation for future growth.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Establishing the Archive The Lima Campus needed an archive to effectively preserve its past. The campus had no real way to store, retrieve, and use information regarding its fifty-year history, from former donors to its athletic programs. This lack of curation created an atmosphere of misinformation. However, the campus was small, and funding for a project of that magnitude was unavailable. Thankfully, the Lima Campus Library had strong community partners with which it could collaborate, which created new opportunities for growth without requiring new sources of income. The tone of cooperative efforts between an academic institution and its community are often guided by those in positions of leadership. From 1992 to 2003, Violet I. Meek served as the dean of the Ohio State University Lima Campus. She soon became a prominent local figure who appeared in many roles, whether serving as the chair of the Allen County Chamber of Commerce, supporting the development of the Lima Symphony Chorus, or establishing programs encouraging women in the area to earn a degree. Upon her retirement, the Violet I. Meek Town and Gown Award, meant to highlight the hard work done each year to build bridges between the campus and the community, was created in her honor. The campus library was among the many Ohio State Lima departments to support Meek’s efforts to create more connections with the community, specifically in the development of a physical partnership with the Lima Public Library. As a result, in 2003, after several weeks of negotiations between the two libraries, the Lima Public Library established an “outlet” of approximately 900 items from its materials to be housed within the Lima Campus Library. Installing this collection

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

27

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

28

Chapter 2

and the Lima Public Library’s circulation system on campus established a public library presence in rural Bath Township for the first time. While it is a small circulating collection, it complements the academic holdings of the campus library and provides previously unavailable leisure reading to students and community patrons. Additionally, the collection offers patrons more convenience in where they can return materials and brings new groups of patrons onto campus. This relationship mirrors the one initially created during the 1960s, and while it has been many decades since the original joint-use relationship ended, the new one reopened vital lines of communication between the two libraries that are maintained to this day. In the years following the implementation of the agreement with the public library, focus moved to other information needs that were unmet on campus. After the retirement of the library’s director, the new director discovered a haphazard collection of a few dozen newspaper clippings relating to the campus’s history labeled “archives,” an unfinished project. The need for a true campus archive was already apparent, and while the files found in the director’s office were sporadic in coverage and lacking an index or finding aid, they served as the seedling of a more robust archival collection. The library staff began scouring storage areas on campus in an effort to round out those initial findings. During this time, they pieced together hundreds of unindexed newspaper clippings that tracked the campus from the 1960s through the 1990s along with keepsakes from the campus’s early years. Some items of local historical interest were able to be donated to the Allen County Museum, but the campus still had a sizable new collection of old material. It quickly became evident, however, that many of the newly found articles were out of order and misdated, and large gaps in coverage clearly remained. What had started out as a small project to date and expand on a handful of articles soon blossomed into an attempt to build a genuine, comprehensive archive. The need grew exponentially for access to microfilm of local newspapers from the past several decades. Thankfully, the Lima Public Library and the Allen County Museum both had materials and information that would prove invaluable to building the Lima Campus Library archive, a process that would have been considerably more difficult without assistance from the campus’s community partners.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Strengthening the Small Library

The Lima Public Library had a large microfilm collection of the area’s most prominent newspaper, the Lima News. The Lima Public Library has a strict rule about keeping microfilm in the library. However, thanks to the campus’s partnership with the public library, Lima Campus staff were allowed rare borrowing privileges for the microfilm so that they could rebuild the campus’s historical newspaper collection. The ability to bring the needed microfilm to campus sped up the process of verifying dates in the coverage of campus history, filled in gaps in the time line, and gave the archive higher-quality images when replacements were needed. This kind of local trust and flexibility, born from contacts made in their ongoing partnership, aided the Lima Campus Library immeasurably in its efforts to begin learning about and preserving its history. The Allen County Museum held a different set of historical local newspapers and gave the campus library staff extended access to its materials by allowing Lima Campus librarians to work in its library beyond its typical afternoon hours. This expanded access to materials resulted in the archive growing faster than anticipated. Perhaps even more valuable was the perspective the Allen County Museum librarian was able to provide about local history, the differences among the newspapers and their philosophies, and how those philosophies accounted for the often significant difference in coverage of events having to do with Ohio State Lima.9 With the mentorship of the Allen County Museum staff, the Lima Campus librarians gained a better understanding of how local politics affected campus coverage.

Growing the Archive As the library staff filled in and organized the newspaper files, word spread around campus. It quickly became clear that many more items awaited archival attention as additional materials were discovered. Departments sent over materials that had been sitting in corners for years, and more items were discovered in the same basement room that housed many of the newspaper clippings. The archive slowly expanded to over 54 linear feet and included photos, newsletters, correspondence, floor plans, maps, rosters, student handbooks, brochures, and programs for a number of performing arts events. Some documents

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

29

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

30

Chapter 2

held valuable and unique information about the growth of the campus and changes to the physical facility over the years. Likewise, these materials shed light on the development of relationships with Ohio State’s central campus in Columbus in addition to local relationships with supporters of the Lima Campus. Most notable among the newly found archival material were the campus newsletters. Some were found in boxes that had long been discarded and forgotten; others were delivered by the student activities office, labeled and organized, to the library. Soon, a nearly complete set of 982 newsletters from 1960 to 2009 could be strung together, and campus library staff made plans to digitize them for the Ohio State University’s digital repository, the Knowledge Bank. Placement in the Knowledge Bank ensured that the newsletters would migrate to new digital platforms as needed and that they would be findable in a Google search. While about 90 percent of the newsletters could be digitized on the small scanner already available in the library, roughly ten percent had to be outsourced because they were simply too large. Ohio State University has a digital processing unit in Columbus that was able to do this work for the Lima Campus, and this service ensured the inclusion of all of the newsletters in the Knowledge Bank.* The expansion of the archive, both in amount of materials and in their reach, was invaluable. In addition to preserving local history, it also gave the library many opportunities to use the new materials to support the campus.

Promoting the Archive Taking a cue from the Lima Campus’s undergraduate research program, which has long featured a poster session to discuss student research projects, one librarian saw an opportunity to combine the popular *  While the Lima Campus was able to draw on the resources of Ohio State’s central campus, smaller libraries without such a connection could possibly partner with library consortia or libraries at the state or regional level for comparable assistance. Even if the Lima Campus Library had not had access to assistance from Columbus, there were grant opportunities that could have helped address the problems of digitization. For example, the CLIR “Hidden Collection” grants provide funding for digitizing special collections, and they particularly support projects that partner with other institutions in the community.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Strengthening the Small Library

poster session format, materials, and space with the newfound archival material to promote both what the archive could do for campus and the campus’s place in the wider Lima community. The earliest years of the campus were very well-documented, with frequent updates about local campus life from both major local papers. The materials even covered student culture before there was a campus, including events such as dances, record hops, and pool parties. The librarians realized that, combined with yearbooks, newsletters, and other ephemera, they had a wealth of visual material that lent itself to large poster displays. Each poster was designed to tell a story and prioritized the archival material of most immediate visual interest. The librarian creating the posters chose images based on their physical clarity and their ability to tell a story with minimal explanation. The first poster chronicled the Ohio State Lima experience from 1960 to 1964 and was debuted in the library at the start of the 2014 academic year. It featured ads for the campus (complete with $400 yearly tuition), articles about the first fundraising campaign, and lighter material like student body polls on whether it was appropriate for female students to wear slacks. In 2015, two new posters were commissioned by the library director: one on overall student social life in the 1960s, and another on the construction of the campus. The librarian creating the poster usually has a long-term deadline and sets aside time as available to work on it. Of all of the challenges in creating a poster, learning how to effectively and beautifully manipulate images has perhaps been the hardest. A small library often lacks the comfort of expertise and requires librarians to wear many hats as they pursue training independently. Despite lacking a background in graphic design, a single librarian put together these posters. Thankfully, he was able to solicit feedback from designers, participate in workshops and online tutorials, and more in order to create an effective, attractive aesthetic for the series. Also, because there is no mechanism to print posters on the Lima Campus and local printing options are expensive, the posters are printed in a computer lab on Ohio State’s Columbus campus and then transported back to Lima. To make the project less expensive, the librarians typically endeavor to work far in advance of deadlines and then wait to print the posters until a regularly scheduled meeting in Columbus makes the trip more cost-effective. While time-consuming, with a wait

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

31

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

32

Chapter 2

that can sometimes last weeks, it is a cost-effective way to create this very popular product. These posters allow the Lima Campus Library to help foster a sense of campus history with the students, staff, and faculty. Equally important is the way they reinforce the university’s long-standing role in Lima, providing a concrete reminder of what has been accomplished through many years of community building. The posters also presented opportunities beyond the library. The dean and director of the Lima Campus has placed one poster in the meeting room in the dean’s suite, allowing her to remind community leaders and campus administrators of the many long and fruitful relationships between the two. These reminders can be particularly beneficial in small towns and cities, where there is often longer tenure in the city’s power structure and generations of graduates may remain geographically close to the college in question compared to larger cities.10 Having more than one poster to choose from also gives the dean the opportunity to cycle them and for the library to use them in displays, keeping them fresh for all visitors to campus. As more departments contributed to the archival files, the needs of the campus community quickly became more apparent. The development officer, for example, requested information about early donors to the campus; while she had some information, there were also gaps. To fill this need, a student completed an independent study with the library director that focused on the organizational principles of archives. The final project created a file meeting the informational needs of the development officer. Thanks to recent contributions, the library was able to provide copies of brochures, letters, and newspaper articles that all assisted her in understanding the long-term relationships many local families had with the Lima Campus. The development office was similarly interested in the newsletters. Once the digitization of the newsletters was complete, it was easy to track a wide variety of statistics. In addition to a high number of downloads, over 4,000 in the first year, it was possible to see which issues were getting attention and where that attention was coming from. While most readers are from Ohio, there have been downloads from all corners of the United States, and the development office quickly realized the potential to use these sorts of materials to reach out to alumni across the country.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Strengthening the Small Library

These numbers also came to the attention of other campus administrators and proved to be an excellent way to provide concrete value to library services; reliable statistics can be difficult to provide, so a quantifiable outcome was a welcome development. While the digitization project was intended to be a simple way to maintain a rare collection of locally made material, it ended up widening the archive’s reach considerably and illustrating the diversity of services possible with a thriving archival collection.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Best Practices For the small library, a large-scale project like creating an archive from scratch can be fairly daunting. A small campus likely will not have the funding, staffing, or space necessary to effectively plan, build, and staff a whole new facility. Instead, it is helpful to start small, tackling things one tiny piece at a time. It is critical to identify a need on campus and then find a way to fill that need. Often, doing so will identify another need, and then another, but by focusing on projects that can be completed with the resources at hand, it is possible to climb up that ladder of needs. When the Lima Campus Library archival project was started, the librarians were not even aware of what they did not know, but moving slowly can help mitigate mistakes while revealing new areas for growth. By definition, incremental progress is not a quick fix, but it is an affordable one. There are some issues that cannot easily be overcome by taking a project piecemeal. While the Lima Campus Library was able to make room for an archival area in its library, many libraries simply do not have the space necessary in the facility to house the materials. Even if such a space is available, it may lack archival safety standards that are essential to effective long-term storage. It is unlikely, for example, that a “found” archival space (rather than a constructed one) will be appropriately temperature-controlled, for example. The Lima Campus Library does not have separate temperature or humidity controls for its archival space. Similarly, flame-resistant storage is expensive and unlikely to be readily available without some budgetary planning. The important thing to remember when constructing an impromptu archival space is that it may not be perfect, but that it is an improvement over what is

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

33

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

34

Chapter 2

currently in use. A non-temperature-controlled room in a dry space is better than a non-temperature-controlled room in a leak-prone space, for example, and appropriate storage can be acquired slowly over the years without breaking the budget. Taking a step in the right direction is better than standing still. In order to work piecemeal, it is vital to use whatever resources are currently available. As the larger projects take shape, however, they become yet more resources to be used to meet future needs. At times, either to ask for assistance or to offer it, understanding how to speak to administrators about these projects is vital to making the projects useful and successful. Oftentimes, the best people to use the new resource may not immediately see how the library can work with them. Simply telling them about archival material in broad strokes—for instance, saying, “We have an archive stretching back over the campus history that you are free to use”—can be vague for departments that do not understand how archives can be used to their benefit. A concrete demonstration of the resource and how it meets a campus need is often far more helpful, particularly since the varying areas of expertise of different departments and administrators can offer unexpected new uses for your tools and illustrate unseen needs. The way that a small library pursues creating town-and-gown relationships will of course be heavily influenced by the policies and needs of administrators. That said, there are certain things a librarian can always do to create and improve those relationships without large, formal agreements. Even something as simple as meeting for coffee once every couple of months or being active in local professional organizations can build a foundation for future growth.

Future Plans As the archive grows, so too do opportunities for further exposure, although due to constraints of time, budget, and staffing, these opportunities are more discrete than ongoing. For example, the Lima Campus Library recently inherited a pair of large glass display cases. The cases provide an opportunity to highlight some of the archive’s most notable collections, including donated items focusing on people who played a major role on the campus. They also

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Strengthening the Small Library

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

give the library an opportunity to work with other departments on campus to construct displays, bringing in people who may not typically partner with the library otherwise. The next major project for the archive lies in creating the leave-behinds, small postcards or fliers that make affordable marketing materials that can be spread through the city for marketing use; a current draft is shown in figure 2.1. The posters have been put to excellent use on campus, but, because they are four feet by three feet, taking them out into the community can be difficult. Thankfully, the archive provides a great deal of material that the campus owns that could be used to create campaigns on campus history. For instance, the fiftieth anniversary of the construction of the first campus building will happen in 2016, and the archive has a strong selection of materials chronicling the idea and the construction and opening of that building.

FIGURE 2.1

A sample postcard with an image from the Lima Campus Library archive.

In addition to her idea to create the leave-behinds, the director of marketing has asked for images to be used on the campus Twitter account to better expose our history to our students in a venue they

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

35

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

36

Chapter 2

use. These items will also serve as effective marketing for the archive itself, giving campus administration a simple visual demonstration of the potential benefits of having and maintaining an archive. Using the archive to create affordable promotional materials and build a student community can be an easy way to assist the administration in making and reinforcing long-standing relationships in the community. The archive also has many administrative and environmental needs in order to function more efficiently. While basic finding aids have been completed for a handful of collections, so many materials were donated so quickly that most lack even basic finding aids. While the library staff knows what it has, there is no way to promote it to the campus or the local community until a comprehensive finding aid project is launched. The library has reached out to local institutions, particularly those offering an MLS, to try to find a student interested in the basics of archival organization for another independent study project. It is also important to note that the growth of the archive necessitated the repurposing of the defunct audiovisual room and surplus shelving from elsewhere in the library. The microfilm reader remains in this “new” archive room, but the rest of the room was emptied of obsolete technology to make room for the archive.* The library director also had to consider how best to preserve the materials once they were in there and purchased fire-resistant cabinets because there was no fire suppression system in the library. When these cabinets (about 48 feet) became full, shelving from a reference collection downsizing project was relocated to the archive room to hold archival boxes of overflow material. A remaining concern is the protection of the materials housed only in these boxes in the event of a fire. The archive is maintained by the library director as part of the regular responsibilities of the position. There is no full-time staff person devoted just to the archives, which limits the progress that can be made. While help is readily available from the archival community in the state of Ohio, and workshops have been of great benefit, the library staff are still learning as a part-time endeavor how to maintain an archival collection. In addition, supplies must be purchased out of the existing operating budget for the library, which requires occasional reprioritization of spending decisions. Some technology equipment was simply put into a storage area for the rare occasions it might be put to use. * 

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Strengthening the Small Library

Conclusion

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Small libraries in rural areas often deal with smaller budgets, fewer staff members, and fewer local business options than their big-city counterparts, but they must still meet the needs not only of their core academic community, but also of the public. Working slowly and being flexible can help the small library overcome many of these issues, but that is only part of the solution. Partnerships with local institutions, whether they be full joint-use collaborations or casual friendships between staff, are another vital tool that can help both institutions meet the needs of their patrons. The key is in identifying your campus needs and then breaking them down into manageable component parts. Ten years ago, the Lima Campus Library did not have an archive. The years it took to create the functional beginnings of one saw staff turnover within the library, a new director, multiple new deans of the campus, heavy budget cuts, and many more issues that could have easily derailed the long-term project. Despite all that, the library’s policy of persistent flexibility and community collaboration kept the archive moving forward. Friendships within the local public library, relationships with the county museum, and collaboration with other departments on campus all play a role in the small library’s long-term success.

Notes 1. “Mrs. Karl Ritter OSU Librarian Here,” Lima (OH) Citizen, September 2, 1960. 2. Nora J. Quinlan and Johanna Tuñón, “Providing Reference in a Joint-Use Library,” Internet Reference Services Quarterly 9, no. 1–2 (2004), Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text (Accession Number 17393618); Kirsten L. Marie, “One Plus One Equals Three: Joint-Use Libraries in Urban Areas—The Ultimate Form of Library Cooperation,” Library Administration and Management 21, no. 1 (Winter 2007), Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text (Accession Number 23314459); Joanna Kluever and Wayne Finley, “Making Connections: Challenges and Benefits of Joint Use Libraries as Seen in One Community,” School Libraries Worldwide 18, no. 1 (January 2012), Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text (Accession Number 70862327); Karen A. Dornseif, “Joint-Use Libraries: Balancing Autonomy and Cooperation,” Resource Sharing and Information Networks 15, no. 1–2 (2001), Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text (Accession Number 9577836).

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

37

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

38

Chapter 2

3. Kathleen Halverson and Jean Plotas, “Creating and Capitalizing on the Town/Gown Relationship: An Academic Library and a Public Library Form a Community Partnership,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 32, no. 6 (November 2006): 624–29, Electronic Journal Center, doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2006.10.001. 4. Juris Dilevko and Lisa Gottlieb, The Evolution of Library and Museum Partnerships: Historical Antecedents, Contemporary Manifestations, and Future Directions (Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004). 5. Thomas R. Caswell, “Unearthing Strategic Partnerships: Collaborating with Archives to Build a Local History Collection,” Computers in Libraries 35, no. 1 (January/February 2015), Academic Search Complete (Accession Number 100445978). 6. Karen Reilly and Jolene de Verges, “A Dynamic Model of Museum and Academic Library Cooperation: Cataloging Image Collections,” College and Undergraduate Libraries 8, no. 1 (2001), Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text (Accession Number 27648685). 7. Martha Counihan, “The Establishment of an Archives in a Small College Library,” in College Librarianship, ed. William Miller and D. Stephen Rockwood. (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1981), 106–17. For detailed examples of the challenges facing small academic libraries building archives on their own, see Roland C. McConnell, “A Small College and the Archival Record,” Journal of Negro Education 32, no. 1 (Winter 1963): 84–86, and John G. Lillis, “A Small Archive at a Small Campus: Developments and Challenges at UNK, 1987–2003,” Nebraska Library Association Quarterly 31, no. 4 (2000): 40–44. 8. Jan Blodgett, “Developing Cooperative Archives to Meet the Needs of Small Institutions,” Resource and Information Sharing Networks 11, no. 1–2 (1996), Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text (Accession Number 502843789). 9. “Lima’s New Citizen,” Time, July 15, 1957, Academic Search Complete (Accession Number 54189360). 10. Gerald L. Gordon, The Economic Survival of America’s Isolated Small Towns (Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2016), 39.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Chapter 3

Removing Barriers and Building Bridges Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Distance Learning Library Services in Small or Rural Academic Libraries Karla J. Aleman Morehead State University

Introduction College and university librarians working with on-campus students have a variety of resources they call upon to meet these students’ information needs, including circulating print resources, electronic databases, study rooms and spaces, collaborative technology, mobile apps, and specialized software and equipment. Instruction librarians teaching on-campus students also have control over their classrooms, tailoring them around student learning outcomes and information needs. Given these information and staffing resources, on-campus students often interact with the library in diverse ways. They use the library’s facilities, engage with its information resources online and in print, and receive help and learn from research experts. Conversely, distance education 39

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

40

Chapter 3

students contend with barriers to similar resources and services, and these barriers are intensified in small and rural areas. Additionally, small and rural libraries serving these students must also overcome their own limitations in staffing, time, and resources. The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) advocates for equivalent access to resources and services for distance education students;1 however, serving the information needs of these students requires a great deal of planning and action. Small and rural libraries must maximize as many resources as possible to meet distance education students’ needs, including streamlining internal processes and collaborating with internal and external partners. This chapter will explore a multifaceted approach to providing distance learning library services to students of small or rural colleges. With a focus on meeting the needs of students, these facets include streamlining the library’s website and online services, developing an online library instruction program, providing face-to-face research instruction at distant locations, and partnering with regional community college libraries. The chapter will also highlight the work accomplished at Morehead State University’s Camden-Carroll Library in these areas.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Literature Review Distance Education

According to the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Glossary, distance education is defined as “education that uses one or more technologies to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor and to support regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor synchronously or asynchronously.”2 In effect, distance education allows students to connect with faculty, information, and learning activities over long and short distances by way of technological systems and innovation. Technologies may include online learning objects and courses, instructional television (ITV), satellites, cable, analog video and audio formats, and more.3 Despite the definition’s implied focus on geographical spans, distance education can also be place-bound. Extension centers (also known as extended, regional, or branch campuses or centers) allow

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Removing Barriers and Building Bridges

colleges and universities to provide space for instruction and student support at locations away from the parent institution, including locations used in partnership with other schools or organizations.4 Some extension centers may reside in cities and towns near the parent institution (e.g., regional campuses). Other extension centers reside at greater distances from the parent institution, including an increasing number of international branch campuses.5 The variety of distance education’s instruction delivery methods and support services—from online programs to extension centers—keeps distance education a complex service for those who support distance students and distance learning. Colleges and universities have increasingly incorporated distance education into their curricula, including small and rural academic institutions. Approximately 47.5 percent of institutions with fewer than 1,000 students provided online courses in degree programs in 2013,6 but 81.2 percent of the same institutions provided online courses both in degree programs and as general education courses.7 The same year, 88.6 percent of institutions with between 1,000 and 4,999 students and 96.4 percent of institutions with between 5,000 and 9,999 students provided online courses.8 The NCES reported that in 2011 approximately 30 percent of undergraduate students were taking distance education courses,9 and each year that number has increased.10 Therefore, colleges and universities of all sizes widely offer courses online and via other distance education pathways.

Distance Student Demographics

According to a 2011 Government Accountability Office report to Congress, distance students are • predominately female (65 percent of distance graduate students and 61 percent of distance undergraduates are female); • three years older on average than their on-campus counterparts; • more likely to be working full-time, with 74 percent of distance graduate students working full-time as opposed to 57 percent of on-campus graduate students, and 45 percent of distance undergraduates working full-time compared to 31 percent of on-campus undergraduates; • more likely than their on-campus counterparts to be married

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

41

42

Chapter 3

(52 percent of graduate and 28 percent of undergraduate distance students compared to 39 percent of graduate and 15 percent of undergraduate on-campus students); and, • more likely than on-campus students to have dependents (48 percent of graduate and 36 percent of undergraduate distance students compared to 31 percent of graduate and 15 percent of undergraduate on-campus students).11 The report also noted that distance education programs have high percentages of active and non-active military personnel and students with disabilities in and out of the military.12 There is little data on distance students at rural colleges and universities; thus, national trends paint the only picture of distance students at this time. Summarily, distance students are often nontraditional college students with obligations and responsibilities outside of their academic careers.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Distance Student Preferences

Considering the previous demographics, distance education students prefer and expect academic and institutional support services that accommodate their time, money, and resource constraints. A review of the literature shows that distance education students are more likely to • ask their professors and classmates for help before turning to campus services,13 • use academic resources (e.g., a library or bookstore) located near them,14 • prefer academic services be available 24 hours a day,15 and • expect quick responses to their questions from their primary academic support—their professors.16 Ultimately, distance students prefer support that fits into their lives and accommodates their own demanding schedules. The challenge for libraries serving distance students is, however, twofold: (1) students prefer services to be immediately available and convenient, and (2) the value of library resources and services may not be readily apparent to all distance education students. Pullan noted that generational differences exist in students’ preferences and expectations of online academic and institutional support services.17 Older students rated library services and resources as more necessary than millennial students did.18 As

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Removing Barriers and Building Bridges

younger generations increasingly enroll in distance education courses, their attitudes and preferences may force libraries to change how they work with distance students.

Library Support of Distance Education

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

ACRL’s Standards for Distance Learning Library Services advise libraries to provide equivalent access to resources and services for their distance students as they do for on-campus students (the access entitlement principle), which can be fulfilled in myriad ways. The recommended standards fall largely into two areas of focus: (1) library services, including electronic resources, document delivery, reference services via direct human contact, and information literacy instruction (ILI); and (2) administrative support, including designated staff support for distance services, financial support for collection development and technology, and the prioritization of assessment and strategic planning.19 The baseline established in the Standards, covering both library services and administrative support, highlights areas where small and rural academic libraries may focus their efforts in establishing strong distance learning library services. The literature discussed below highlights popular methods that have been adopted to support these broad areas of distance education library services. LIBRARY SERVICES Distance education students predominately interact with their libraries via the libraries’ websites. Rural students with limited access to computers or high-speed Internet may find this interaction challenging if a library’s website is not well designed. User experience (UX) design outlines a way for all Web designers to build sites that are useful (i.e., “original and fulfill[s] a need”), usable (i.e., “easy to use”), desirable (i.e., “evoke[s] emotion and appreciation”), findable (i.e., “navigable and locatable onsite and offsite”), accessible (i.e., “accessible to people with disabilities”), and credible (i.e., “users must trust and believe what you tell them”).20 UX design practices focus on ways to blend the goals of the service and the needs of the user through the use of web usability testing, web analytics, user research, and more.21 By designing a library’s website and online resources around the principles of user

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

43

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

44

Chapter 3

experience design, libraries may remove unnecessary barriers to access and improve the user experience. Libraries use document delivery to provide access to physical resources for distance education students. This service is particularly beneficial to those rural distance students with limited access to transportation. According to the Survey of Library Services for Distance Learning Programs, 70 percent of library respondents stated that they deliver to students’ homes, while only 10 percent of the respondents deliver only to satellite sites where students can pick up requested material.22 Whether by scanning material or sending material physically to students, document delivery services provide access to resources distance students might otherwise not be able to explore. Information literacy instruction may take many forms at a distance. When looking at ways libraries provide instruction to distance students, Grabowsky noted that library literature focused on the following areas: 3-D virtual environments, subject guides, and embedded librarian services.23 Although libraries are still exploring options within 3-D virtual environments, subject guides and embedded librarian services represent the major options for providing library instruction at a distance.24 Subject guides and other web-hosted learning objects (e.g., tutorials, games, instructional videos, etc.) offer libraries an opportunity to build active and passive instruction. This may be a great option for small and rural libraries where traveling to provide face-to-face instruction is cost-prohibitive. Also, small and rural libraries may find it more beneficial to create a few web-hosted learning objects that serve the information needs of many courses and programs, saving time and resources. Embedded library services also bring library resources, tools, and instruction directly into the students’ learning environment (i.e., their classrooms). For online courses, the university’s learning management system (LMS) often serves as the classroom for the distance education student, and libraries can collaborate with teaching faculty to embed library content and activities—from simple links and contact information to tailored research guides and learning objects.25 Embedding does not occur just in online courses, but may also include instruction in face-to-face courses at extension campuses. Barbour and Hill noted that distance students respond better to assistance provided in person

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Removing Barriers and Building Bridges

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

because they find it to be more convenient than typing questions to someone online.26 As explored earlier, libraries have a lot of options for supporting distance learning at their institutions. The variety of options can be a boon for small and rural libraries—which may be working with tight budgets and small staff sizes—because they can pick and choose the options that work best for them and their students. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT A fundamental precept set out in the Standards is equitable access to humans for reference and instruction. Though staffing reference services tailored just for distance education students may be difficult for small and rural libraries to provide, standard reference service methods are often adequate to assist distance education students with their research. Libraries responding to the Survey of Library Services for Distance Learning Programs claimed that e-mail and phone calls are important in their efforts to reach and serve distance education students. Approximately 98 percent of responses found e-mail and phone calls to be important.27 In the same survey, other options, including Facebook, text messaging, instant messaging, and Listservs, were largely deemed unimportant or not very important.28 These standard reference service methods connect the library to both distance education and on-campus students. As noted in the Standards, the key to supporting distance education is through the assessment of students’ needs, the results of which are crucial to building relevant distance learning library services.29 While traditional assessments (e.g., student surveys) are beneficial, the use of web analytics, transaction log analysis, and qualitative analysis of virtual reference transcripts may be very beneficial in recognizing distance education students’ research behavior, particularly for library services that don’t have in-person contact with distance students.30 Pulling such existing data may help small and rural libraries that may not have the time and resources to conduct tailored surveys on their distance education students. Once libraries have a clear picture of their students’ needs and research behavior, however, they can explore options for developing and improving distance learning library services.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

45

46

Chapter 3

Morehead State University

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

The Campus

Sitting in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest, Morehead State University (MSU) is a public regional university, one of six in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. MSU’s full-time enrollment (FTE) includes approximately 7,112 undergraduate and 628 graduate students.31 The university’s service region includes twenty-two counties throughout rural eastern Kentucky, though the university itself is located in the small town of Morehead. In order to serve this area, MSU has developed a distance education program and regional campus system. Several of MSU’s most popular programs, including social work, nursing, and education, are available through the university’s distance education program and regional campus system. MSU’s distance education program consists specifically of online, hybrid, and ITV courses and programs, and the preferred delivery method is online.32 Many MSU instructors and programs offer online courses via the university’s LMS, and some courses are offered via third-party software applications. The university also provides seventeen undergraduate and graduate programs completely online. MSU makes an effort to build partnerships with community organizations and institutions throughout its service region to support distance education students. In addition to the main campus, MSU has three campuses located throughout the service region, making up its regional campus system. Two of these regional campuses reside on community college campuses in partnership with those institutions. The third regional campus shares space with the town of Mount Sterling’s Adult Education and Career Center. In each case, the regional campuses provide academic and institutional support services as well as traditional face-to-face courses for students. In fall 2013, a total of 238 regional campus course sections were offered.33 Moreover, MSU’s Early College Program provides a strong dual enrollment program for high school students. The program allows high schools in and out of the service region to partner with MSU and provides general education courses at the high schools for college credit. Currently, over 2,500 students participate in the program.34 MSU’s distance education students mirror the national demographic trends noted earlier. Students’ ages run from high school stu-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Removing Barriers and Building Bridges

dents dually enrolled in college courses to adults seeking professional careers. The majority of students at MSU’s regional campuses (54 percent) are 25 years old or older.35 Rural distance education students at MSU also contend with additional barriers of access to higher education. Limited means of transportation and access to technology dictate when and how many rural students take courses; some students are place-bound and unable to travel long distances to take college courses, and other students find themselves piecing their education together by taking classes at multiple campuses or even multiple institutions. Distance education helps alleviate the pressure of travel, but it does come at some cost. Access to technology—more specifically broadband Internet—may limit what students can accomplish without assistance. Only 85.2 percent of Kentucky households have computers, and only 74.8 percent of Kentucky households have access to high-speed Internet, both numbers below national averages.36 Despite these challenges, MSU library’s goal is to support the university’s distance education programs by providing equitable library services and offering administrative support.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

The Library

Residing on MSU’s main campus, Camden-Carroll Library serves the entire university population as its primary resource for information sources and services. The library staff members include eleven librarians, four of which serve in Instructional Services, and twenty support staff members. Due to the university’s increased demands for digital sources, the library focuses a great deal of its resources on more than 150 electronic databases, which house over 80,000 journal subscriptions and over 75,000 e-books.37 Additionally, the library supports distance education students by partnering with community colleges connected to the university’s regional campuses to provide physical course-reserve material. These collections are supported by the library’s material budget and are maintained by the library’s distance learning library services staff. In response to the high demand for distance education and regional campus courses at the university, the library created the Regional Campus Library Services (RCLS) department and designated two staff members to coordinate library services to distance education

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

47

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

48

Chapter 3

students: one full-time distance instruction librarian and one support staff member. Due to the library’s small staff, RCLS department staff have multiple duties outside their distance education focus. The distance instruction librarian is the webmaster for the library, provides library instruction to classes at the Morehead campus as part of the library’s larger Instructional Services department, and is also a subject liaison to the university’s English department. The RCLS support staff member provides face-to-face library instruction to classes at the Morehead campus and also serves at the library’s reference desk in addition to managing the delivery services to distance education library users. With limited human resources, the library has been strategic in deciding what services to offer distance education students. The challenge comes from providing equivalent services to distance education students while maintaining the quality of those services. Currently, RCLS partners with other library departments to provide the following services: off-campus item delivery and interlibrary loan (ILL); chat and e-mail reference services; research guides; tutorials and online instruction; campus tours for visiting distance student groups; and embedded library services for online classes. Over the past several years, the library has revamped a number of these services in an effort to improve the user experience and enhance access to resources and library staff. Starting in 2010, the librarians began an assessment of its distance learning library services that coincided with the hiring of a new distance instruction librarian. The assessment focused on the library’s online presence, from the library’s website and LibGuides to embedded library services in the university’s LMS and student services portal, and any related user statistics. The assessment continued with a review of document delivery services and course reserves. The results painted a picture of how distance education library users access and interact with the library. Using the results from this extensive assessment, a new strategic plan for distance education library services was developed and implemented. The following discussion summarizes the key projects involved with the streamlining process and the prioritization process the library used to organize them.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Removing Barriers and Building Bridges

Streamlining Distance Learning Library Services The Library Website and Online Services

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

As mentioned before, distance education students tend to use resources closer to their homes due to convenience, and distance education students in rural areas are no different. Therefore, one underlying principle in adapting the library’s online presence to the needs of all students was to make its online services, resources, and website as easy, intuitive, and convenient to use as possible. The assessment of the library’s online presence revealed two ways that the research process and resource delivery could be streamlined: (1) modifying the website platform and design, and (2) moving to a centralized item request and delivery system. The two projects aimed to save time for the students and make research as intuitive as possible. To meet this goal, the tenets of UX design (usefulness, usability, findability, accessibility, and credibility) were applied to the library’s website and online systems. THE WEBSITE Over the years, several factors caused design and navigation inconsistencies between the library’s website and the LibGuides platform, including content creation by various librarians, updated university branding that took the library a while to fully incorporate, and the migration to a newer LibGuides platform. Also, historically, the library’s website structure followed the organization of the library; thus, website users would need to know the library department providing the information they needed in order to find that information. To create a more consistent experience for all library patrons, the library began a large website redesign project. The goals of the project were to (1) reorganize the information the library provided online on both the website and LibGuides, and (2) restructure the library’s content around users and their information needs. MSU librarians speculated that simple demands on reference and instruction services would decrease over time as the website’s ease of use improved, leaving the library staff to handle more complex reference questions and instructional demands.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

49

50

Chapter 3

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Initial web usability studies mapped students’ website and LibGuide use and led to a new architecture for the website. Librarians then established rules for the location of content and one design for consistency and accessibility. The new architecture broke down the library’s online content into actions users might take on the site (e.g., searching for sources, requesting material, or making suggestions). Any reference or instructional information (e.g., research guides and tutorials) currently resides on LibGuides. Now, students have a more consistent experience when navigating through the library’s online content. The redesigned library website went live in January 2016, and initial feedback from distance education students and faculty is positive. REQUEST AND DELIVERY SYSTEMS Until recently, the library’s ILL department and the RCLS department managed their request and delivery systems separately. ILL used OCLC’s ILLiad system to manage its requests. Patrons would log in to the ILLiad system to make requests, check the status of their requests, and receive electronically received items. In contrast, RCLS used a separate online delivery request form. Patrons would fill out the form and send it to a library staff member for processing. In summary, distance education students had access to two systems for requests. To save students time and energy, the ILL and RCLS departments developed a unified request and delivery service via ILLiad, called Request It. Patrons now use the library’s discovery tool to find and request material. In 2013, when the library put the new request system in place, RCLS received 375 delivery requests. The number jumped to 484 requests the following year. In comparison, previous years had shown a total number of yearly requests as low as 130 requests.

Developing an Online Library Instruction Program

The library’s assessment of online ILI for distance education students revealed LibGuides that covered research-related topics (e.g., evaluating websites and the peer-review process), one general how-to-research guide, numerous subject or course guides, and no instructional videos. The majority of the library’s work with online instruction

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Removing Barriers and Building Bridges

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

occurred via embedding into online courses, so improvement could be achieved by developing a more diverse online library instruction program to meet the needs of distance students. A select number of enhancements strengthened instruction support for distance education students—including the development of practical research guides and the creation of instructional videos for online-rich programs or courses—without causing undue stress on the library’s finite resources. RESEARCH GUIDES LibGuides provide an avenue for librarians to easily create a variety of practical research and instructional guides. However, at MSU, a majority of the LibGuides originally focused on theoretical aspects of information literacy (e.g., the peer-review process or the differences between scholarly and popular sources) and not on the more practical aspects (e.g., how to use a database). To turn the focus to practical content that is relevant to the library’s distance education students, a new guide was created: the APA Citation Style Guide. The new LibGuide offers detailed information about the American Psychological Association’s publishing style, which is heavily used by many distance education programs, including nursing, education, and social work. The guide is now the library’s most popular LibGuide, averaging 13,021 visits per month in 2015. Future plans include the creation of a similar guide outlining the Modern Language Association’s (MLA) publishing style. A similar approach was applied to redesigning the How to Do Library Research guide, the library’s general how-to-research guide, which originally attempted to present broad information literacy concepts. The original guide also focused on theory rather than practical skills. The reconstructed guide now includes both theoretical overviews and practical step-by-step instructions on various steps in the research process. Balancing practical and theoretical content in the guides is a constant topic of discussion at the library, and there are always new ways to improve them. For example, long-range goals include updating original theoretical pages on the How to Do Library Research guide by incorporating more multimedia elements illustrating concepts and clearly connecting the concepts back to the practical steps of the research process.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

51

52

Chapter 3

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS Videos can engage viewers via visual, auditory, and textual stimuli; thus, instructional videos were developed to support distance education courses with complex research assignments. Working closely with distance education faculty resulted in two major video series: (1) a series of videos highlighting a number of databases and how their unique characteristics were relevant to the nursing students’ primary research methods course assignments, and (2) a series of four videos that support academic research fundamentals for lower-division undergraduate student English writing courses. The latter series of videos are also used in the university’s Early College Program. The four English videos have been viewed an average of 2,994 times each since the library first uploaded them in October 2013. Because the videos are easily accessible on YouTube, teaching faculty can incorporate this library research instruction directly into their courses as they see fit.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Providing Face-to-Face Research Instruction at Distant Locations

Traditional, in-person reference service is not an efficient method for interacting with distance education students, so at MSU, in-class ILI is the best option for engaging students at the regional campuses. Students spend most of their time in class while they are on the regional campuses. Joining them in their classes has the benefit of going where the students are ready to learn and where their professors endorse the use of the library. Working with faculty is key to integrating the use of the library into the coursework, and thereby into the lives of the students. Two of the biggest programs at the regional campuses are social work and nursing, and both programs have an upper-division research methods course. These courses also include large research projects that require literature reviews. Due to the library’s finite human resources, RCLS focuses its instruction efforts in the research methods courses. Identifying a friendly face from the library and giving the students a person they can rely on for help is an important outcome that helps the library connect with distance students at the regional campuses, and RCLS staff offer that consistency and personalized support. This consistency and support also help build a solid reputation for the library as a worthwhile resource. For example, nursing and social work

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Removing Barriers and Building Bridges

students are provided a simple sheet that breaks down the basics of the APA citation style and provides links to the library’s resources. Students new to ILI have asked library staff about the sheet when staff members come to their class because they have heard about it from their fellow students. Building a reputation and having a presence at the regional campuses also reminds students that the physical library does exist and that they can use its services.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Partnering with Regional Community College Libraries

Establishing partnerships with distance education students’ local libraries provides the students with the opportunity to expand the resources they use while still using an environment and people they are familiar with. Two out of the three MSU regional campuses reside on community college campuses. The university has established a 2+2 partnership with the colleges, so students who complete their associate’s programs at the college can move on to MSU to complete their bachelor’s degrees. Therefore, even though many students may have access to their local library and MSU’s library, students are more familiar with their local college library’s resources than with MSU library’s offerings. Ultimately, the library finds partnering with the college libraries is the best way to integrate the library’s services more fully into the lives of the students and to collaboratively offer and market those services. In order to best serve students at these partnering college libraries, the MSU library entered into memoranda of agreements outlining what each party is responsible for managing. The library’s current agreements establish reciprocal borrowing privileges for the different schools’ students and dictate which circulation policies apply. The agreements also include what each library promises to provide to the other, from toll-free telephone numbers to resources training on their library’s material. The agreements outline procedures for managing course reserves. Additionally, MSU library provides training on its resources and communicates major changes to those resources to the partnering college libraries. Instead of considering these college libraries as rivals for student attention, MSU library prefers to see them as valuable points of service expansion, outreach, and assistance for distance students.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

53

54

Chapter 3

Best Practices for Distance Learning Library Services at Small and Rural Academic Libraries Providing distance education students equitable access to library resources and services can be a challenge for any library working with small staff sizes and limited resources. The following best practices may help small and rural libraries find ways to benefit distance education students with streamlined, relevant services.

1. Stay Student-Focused

In order to tailor distance learning library services to the needs of students, explore all options for gathering data about students’ needs. From reference and usage statistics to surveys and simple web usability studies, this information may help pinpoint the areas of biggest concern to students. Identifying these areas of need also can help guide project prioritization.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

2. Know the Limits

All libraries work within limitations, from staff to funding to technology. These considerations, however, speak more to the logistics of enhancing distance learning library services than to the importance of individual projects. Consider prioritizing “low-hanging fruit” (i.e., projects that can be simply, quickly, and easily completed).

3. Embrace Embedding

Connecting with faculty and embedding the library into online and in-person courses is a key component of introducing distance students to library services. Moreover, establishing a personal connection with students in their learning environments helps build trust in and awareness of the library. There are multiple levels of embedding, and librarians may choose simpler forms of embedding (e.g., adding their picture and contact information or creating a short introductory video for the course) according to staff size and other factors.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Removing Barriers and Building Bridges

4. Collaborate

Distance learning library services do not need to be the sole responsibility of one librarian at one institution. Collaborating with multiple library departments, university faculty, and other libraries will help libraries tackle large projects, from redesigning websites to creating new online ILI content. Librarians can review course descriptions to find appropriate courses and mine university enrollment data to find out from which locations students are coming. These steps may help librarians identify their best partners for creating more fully integrated distance library services.

5. Use Student Workers and Interns

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Though working with student workers may require a time investment in their training, these workers often have a lot to bring to the table. Student workers may introduce new skill sets to the library, particularly in the area of online tutorials and marketing. Libraries should look for students with graphic design skills, media development skills, and technology skills, according to the projects most needed. Libraries may also want to work with the closest library science graduate school in setting up an internship—paid or unpaid—in distance learning library services.

6. Keep All Files and Records

Online information literacy instruction content may often need updating, but libraries can save time by always saving copies of editing files, old code, and raw video footage for future changes. For example, if a library has created a new video exploring a database, the library should save the produced video, the project editing file tied to the video software it is using, and the raw video footage. When changes need to be made, librarians can easily make adjustments instead of starting from scratch. Additionally, keep records on the changes made, and collect data at each iteration. Spreadsheets may be used to track changes and note differences between iterations.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

55

56

Chapter 3

Conclusion Addressing distance education students’ needs requires a varied approach that is unique to every library. Meeting the needs of distance education students is possible for small and rural libraries. Streamlining established services and developing relevant new services may help remove barriers for students and build bridges between the library and the students who access its services remotely. By identifying and targeting relevant services and resources, assessing and prioritizing projects, and focusing on collaborative efforts as much as possible, small and rural librarians can manage and lead user-focused processes that are inherent in contemporary distance education support and make a positive impact on this very important student group.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Notes 1. Association of College and Research Libraries, Standards for Distance Learning Library Services (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2008), http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/guidelinesdistancelearning. 2. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Glossary, s.v. “Distance education,” accessed August 31, 2015, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/glossary/?charindex=D (page discontinued). 3. Ibid. 4. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Glossary, s.v. “Extension centers,” accessed August 31, 2015, https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/glossary/?charindex=E (page discontinued). 5. Jason E. Lane, “Global Expansion of International Branch Campuses: Managerial and Leadership Challenges,” New Directions for Higher Education 2011, no. 155 (2011): 5–17, doi:10.1002/he.440. 6. I. Elaine Allen and Jeff Seaman, Grade Level: Tracking Online Education in the United States (Babson Park, MA: Babson Survey Research Group, 2015), 9, http://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/gradelevel.pdf. 7. Ibid., 46. 8. Ibid. 9. US Department of Education, Web Tables: Profile of Undergraduate Students: 2011–12, NCES 2015-167 (Washington, DC: US Department of Education, 2014), 32, http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2015/2015167.pdf. 10. Allen and Seaman, Grade Level, 12. 11. George A. Scott, Higher Education: Use of New Data Could Help Improve Oversight of Distance Education, GAO-12-39 (Washington, DC: US Government Accountability Office, 2011), 20–23, accessed October 19, 2015, http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED527058.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Removing Barriers and Building Bridges

12. Ibid., 24–25. 13. Darrell L. Cain, Chip Marrara, Paul E. Pitre, and Sabrina Armour, “Support Services That Matter: An Exploration of the Experiences and Needs of Graduate Students in a Distance Learning Environment,” Journal of Distance Education 18, no. 1 (2003): 42–56, http://www.ijede.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/129. 14. Michele Behr and Julie LaDell-Thomas, “What Do They Have That We Don’t Have? Local Libraries and Distance Students: Why Do Students Stray and Can We Get Them Back?” in “The Sixteenth Distance Library Services Conference Proceedings: Part 1,” special issue, Journal of Library and Information Services in Distance Learning 8, no. 3–4 (2014): 137–67, doi:10.1080/15 33290X.2014.945830. 15. Cain et al., “Support Services That Matter,” 50–51. 16. Ibid. 17. Maria Pullan, “Online Support Services for Undergraduate Millennial Students,” Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice 11, no. 2 (2011): 66–83. 18. Ibid., 69. 19. Association of College and Research Libraries, Standards for Distance Learning Library Services. 20. US Department of Health and Human Services, “User Experience Basics,” accessed August 31, 2015, http://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/user-experience.html. 21. Ibid. 22. Primary Research Group, The Survey of Library Services for Distance Learning Programs, 2014 Edition (New York: Primary Research Group, 2013), 100. 23. Adelia Grabowsky, “Information and Interaction Needs of Distance Students: Are Academic Libraries Meeting the Challenge?” Georgia Library Quarterly 50, no. 2 (2013): 12–18, http://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/glq/vol50/ iss2/1. 24. Ibid., 16. 25. Matthew Brower, “A Recent History of Embedded Librarianship: Collaboration and Partnership Building with Academics in Learning and Research Environments,” in Embedded Librarians, ed. Cassandra Kvenild and Kaijsa Calkins. (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2011), 3–16. 26. Michael K. Barbour and Janette Hill, “What Are They Doing and How Are They Doing It? Rural Student Experiences in Virtual Schooling,” Journal of Distance Education 25, no. 1 (2011), http://www.ijede.ca/index.php/jde/article/view/725/1248. 27. Primary Research Group, Survey of Library Services, 58, 60. 28. Ibid., 57, 59, 63, 64. 29. Association of College and Research Libraries, Standards for Distance Learning Library Services.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

57

58

Chapter 3

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

30. Christine Tobias and Amy Blair, “Listen to What You Cannot Hear, Observe What You Cannot See: An Introduction to Evidence-Based Methods for Evaluating and Enhancing the User Experience in Distance Library Services,” in “The Sixteenth Distance Library Services Conference Proceedings, Part 2,” special issue, Journal of Library and Information Services in Distance Learning 9, no. 1–2 (2015): 148–56, doi:10.1080/1533290X.2014.946354. 31. Morehead State University, 2013–2014 Profile (Morehead, KY: Morehead State University, 2013): 25, http://www.moreheadstate.edu/uploadedFiles/ Sites/Admin_Sites/Institutional_Research_and_Analysis/2013_2014_PROFILE_141017_V1%20%283%29_FINAL%5B1%5D.pdf. 32. Ibid., 69. 33. Ibid., 160. 34. Ibid., 26. 35. Ibid., 160. 36. Thom File and Camille Ryan, Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2013, ACS-28 (Washington, DC: US Census Bureau, 2014), 10, http:// www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/acs/acs-28. pdf. 37. Morehead State University, 2013–2014 Profile, 178.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Section Two:

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Human Resources and Professional Development

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Chapter 4

Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Marisha C. Kelly Medical Librarian at Broward Health; Former Assistant Director, Library Learning Resource Center and Associate Professor at Palm Beach State College

Introduction The library exists as a physical structure, but without personnel, the services much desired and expected by patrons are left unfulfilled. As R. David Lankes put it, “Libraries [as physical entities] can’t do squat, but sit there, exert gravity, and fall apart,”1 but it is the staff that furthers the library’s mission as a service-oriented institution and defies its image as a repository for books. Consequently, the success of any library is very much driven by the people who work in it, and inadequate staffing negatively impacts library operations. Although staffing-related issues are widespread in libraries, small and rural academic libraries are faced with additional challenges when recruiting, hiring, and retaining qualified library workers. 61

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

62

Chapter 4

A white paper published by the Ad Hoc Task Force on Recruitment and Retention Issues subcommittee of the Association of College and Research Libraries revealed that “within the profession at large, academic libraries are facing a pessimistic recruiting picture,” primarily due to the lack of candidates who hold a master’s degree in library science and the low institutional salaries offered.2 For small and rural academic libraries specifically, the “pessimistic recruitment picture” extends beyond professional positions requiring an ALA-accredited MLIS degree. The recruitment of candidates for entry-level library jobs or paraprofessional positions is equally problematic. Potential staff may be put off by a combination of factors, including part-time position designations, education requirements, work hours, wages, and daily commutes to the location. Difficulties with staffing the small and rural academic library are further compounded by organizational hiring policies and practices, which can prolong the hiring process. The question becomes how library leaders from small and rural academic libraries can effectively staff their organizations. Recruiting and hiring are complex, and library leaders must strategically balance variables when building a team and employing personnel. This chapter seeks to provide innovative yet practical guidelines to help leaders of small and rural academic libraries meet staffing needs despite a reduced staff size or being located in an isolated community. A case study on the approaches used by Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade campus library to grow its staff and provide adequate levels of service to users will be described, including best practices for the recruitment of candidates. The importance of gathering data to support the transition of a part-time position to full-time status will also be shared.

Literature Review Staffing Shortages

The literature on staffing in small and rural libraries largely focuses on North American public libraries; nevertheless, small and rural academic libraries experience similar staffing issues. A review of the issues and trends reported during the 2008 National Summit on Rural and Small Libraries showed that out of 26 participants, 38.4 percent declared that staffing was a matter of concern to rural and small libraries.3 The

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library

participants specifically addressed the struggles of staffing the rural library, problems with recruiting personnel, and the associated concerns about staff not “being replaced because of costs.”4 Despite staff attrition, libraries are still expected to perform, to serve users, to expand services, even with fewer resources and less human capital. Further analysis implied that other issues are exacerbated by staffing challenges. While only 7.6 percent of the responses related “the equality of service between rural and urban areas” as a concern, “meeting the needs of patrons despite rural/small status” was a key point.5 A fully staffed library would certainly ease pressures to provide consistent and equitable levels of service, including the creation of new and sustainable programs for patrons. Therefore, a limited staff threatens the survival, growth, and functionality of the small and rural library. The short supply of working staff available to operate the small and rural library is not unusual. A statistic drawn from a 1983 survey by the Center for the Study of Rural Librarianship at Clarion College showed that 13.7 percent of libraries located in areas with fewer than 25,000 people lacked full-time personnel, and 21.7 percent were operated by a sole full-time employee.6 More than twenty years later, staffing levels in rural libraries remain flat. Flatley and Wyman surveyed 336 rural librarians in 2007. The respondents, who were from rural libraries serving communities of 2,500 people or less, were asked about the number of staff on board at their libraries. One result illustrated that 80 percent of rural libraries had but one full-time staff member and largely depended on part-time personnel or volunteers for sufficient support.7

Recruitment Challenges

Successful recruitment is defined in three parts: “attracting individuals on a timely basis, in sufficient numbers and with appropriate qualifications.”8 Sutherland stated that “there has been a great deal said in the literature about what would-be librarians can do to find a job; less has been said about what would-be employers can do if they are having problems recruiting.”9 The difficulty in staffing the small and rural academic library is widely affected by the recruitment of candidates, especially in remote locations affected by low socioeconomic indicators. The local workforce may not meet the minimum education requirements or possess the necessary skills required for professional

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

63

64

Chapter 4

positions. Autor summarized the demand for a skilled workforce in the recent economy:

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

During times like the 1950s and 1960s, a rising level of educational attainment kept up with this rising demand for skill. But since the late 1970s and early 1980s, the rise in U.S. education levels has not kept up with the rising demand for skilled workers…. The decline in middle-skill jobs has been detrimental to the earnings and labor force participation rates of workers without a four-year college education.10 There comes a need to expand the candidate search beyond the local area. Expanding the search further taps into a candidate pool with diverse skill sets and experiences. Staff recruitment problems in small or rural communities are not unique to libraries. Monk examined how the recruitment of teachers to and in remote communities might be affected by features characteristic of the rural environment: “small size,” “sparse settlement,” “narrowness of choice (with regard, for example, to shopping, schools, and medical services),” “distance from population concentrations,” “an economic reliance on agricultural industries,” impoverished areas, “aging populations,” and “population and job loss.”11 Applicants place value on geographic location and exclude particular areas during their job search.12 Accordingly, job pay in rural libraries may not be competitive enough to warrant consideration and relocation by applicants.13 Monk stated that workers might accept lower pay in “highly attractive places” but the opposite might apply to workers who are “not receptive to rural living.”14 For small hospitals in rural Maine, the difficulty lies in recruiting physicians, but Jennifer Goodrich, chief financial officer at Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital affirmed, “I find we have better luck when someone has ties to Maine and knows this is an excellent place to raise a family and to retire.”15 Mihelich described the “recruiting challenge” for the oil industry by raising a central question: “How does a company persuade people to move to a location so isolated?”16 He conveyed that this question was not exclusive to oil rig jobs but also applied to other positions that contribute to the success

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library

of oil companies, such as truck drivers, engineers, geologists, and administrative assistants.17 For a 2005 report, the Canadian Library Human Resource Study surveyed 461 library administrators and human resource managers, more than 2,200 librarians, and nearly 2,000 library paraprofessionals in an effort to better understand and address the workforce needs in libraries. The study revealed that recruitment difficulties for urban libraries are no different than for small and rural libraries; however, small and rural libraries are faced with additional barriers:

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

As “rurality” increases, so too does the likelihood of it being a barrier to recruitment. For example, 42% of large urban libraries, 67% of mid-sized urban libraries, and 74% of rural and remote libraries report that the geographic location of their library prevents them from hiring qualified professional librarians…. Rural libraries, because of their geographic location, typically smaller size, and lower salaries, are not able to attract a sufficiently-sized pool of interested candidates for positions when they arise.18 The importance of commuting as a recruitment challenge should not be discounted. Walsh reported that “rising gas prices will affect rural libraries in several ways,” including the impact on travel for professional development opportunities for staff and for patrons to visit the library.19 At the same time, gas prices burden staff commuting to the rural campus from an urban or suburban community. To this end, the condition of location remains a constant, but managers must find ways to strengthen their recruitment tactics. Library leaders cannot change where their libraries are located, but they can change how they recruit candidates.

Attracting Talent

Leaders of small and rural academic libraries must then work to actively promote and recruit for open positions. Bliss noted that other websites beyond the institutional page should be considered when announcing job vacancies.20 Posting the opening on association websites, industry

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

65

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

66

Chapter 4

Listservs, and library cooperative announcement pages extends beyond the rural community and augments the potential reach for candidates. Equally important is advertising positions in local print publications. Barnes underscored the importance of newspaper ads for job seekers applying for positions in smaller communities: “For example, in the largest markets like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and so forth, the majority of jobs tend to have migrated online. However, in smaller markets, job classified ads may be ‘the only game in town’ and the only place you can find jobs.”21 For leaders of small and rural academic libraries, newspapers can be a place to advertise employment opportunities to a niche population of job seekers. Wanberg, Kanfer, and Banas observed a sample of 478 individuals who were unemployed and evaluated the effects of networking on job search.22 Their research maintained that networking is a useful strategy for landing a job, where “more than 36 percent of the individuals in [the] study who completed [a] follow-up mail survey indicated that they found their jobs through networking or through talking to friends, family, or previous coworkers.”23 Where networking is an effective strategy for individuals to secure employment, for leaders of small and rural academic libraries, it can be an effective method to recruit and hire for open positions. But some aspects of the job may not be attractive to candidates. Leaders of small and rural academic libraries must find ways to creatively highlight aspects of vacant positions, including location. Rural areas have been positively described as having “beauty and serenity.”24 Heck and Nathaniel stated that driving in the city “tends to be more cognitively taxing.”25 Cross-training is more likely in small or rural libraries with limited staff or lack of dedicated departments. Professional growth through cross-training may also be a selling point for some candidates who want to expand their skill set or engage in diverse experiences. Marks, Sabella, Burke, and Zaccaro noted that cross-training serves “to enhance knowledge of interpersonal activities by introducing team members to the roles and responsibilities of their teammates.”26

Hiring Limitations

Institutional hiring practices and position designations for vacancies may threaten successful recruitment in organizations. Lehner noted that the search committee, screening committee, or selection committee is

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library

the “dominant process” for filling vacant positions in academic libraries.27 Fietzer analyzed the ineffectiveness of screening committees. He stated that the chief complaints concerning committees included “the time consuming nature of the process and the attendant cost.”28 According to the research cited, screening committees generally spent five months in reviewing candidates and an additional month in placing the selected candidate in the position.29 The overall process and time line pose a burden on the staff of small and rural academic libraries. Werther stated that part-time personnel impart several benefits to an institution, such as “scheduling flexibility” and “lower labor costs.”30 But in the context of their organizations, leaders of small and rural academic libraries might find that a part-time position bears increased turnover and becomes difficult to fill over time. Position turnover leads to decreased departmental coverage, compromises services to patrons, and creates a need to continually train new staff. A full-time designation with advertised benefits may yield a candidate who is in it for the long haul.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

The Staffing Dichotomy between Urban and Rural Campuses at One College Palm Beach State College is a public institution of higher learning serving approximately 48,000 students throughout Palm Beach County in Florida. The College is currently comprised of four campuses: Lake Worth, Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton, and Belle Glade. Comparable services are offered at each campus; however, staff size at each campus is influenced by the total number of students served. The total unduplicated head count for students at each campus during the 2014–2015 academic year was as follows: • Lake Worth campus: 28,871 students • Palm Beach Gardens campus: 14,792 students • Boca Raton campus: 15,079 students • Belle Glade campus: 3,761 students31 A 2013–2014 annual report published by the College’s office of human resources showed that there were 1,260 employees college-wide, including full-time staff, part-time staff, administrators, and bargaining unit employees, including instructional faculty, post-secondary adult vocational instructors, counselors, and librarians.32 Of the 1,260 em-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

67

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

68

Chapter 4

ployees, 53 staff members worked at the Belle Glade campus, which comprised 4.2 percent of the total College workforce. During this time, the library was staffed by three employees: (1) a full-time faculty librarian serving in a dual capacity as assistant director (40 hours); (2) a full-time library technician II providing paraprofessional support (40 hours); and (3) a part-time librarian providing reference services and facilitating classroom instruction (27.5 hours). By comparison, the Lake Worth campus had 494 campus employees with 22 dedicated library staff, including a library director and seven full-time faculty librarians. The Palm Beach Gardens campus had 234 employees with 15 dedicated library staff, including a library director and three full-time faculty librarians. Library services at the Boca Raton campus were provided to students, faculty, and staff under a joint-use agreement with Florida Atlantic University. Instead, a Florida Atlantic University associate university librarian served as a liaison to Palm Beach State College students. In order to expand library services at the Belle Glade campus that support student retention and success, transitioning the part-time librarian position to a full-time faculty librarian, as well as adding a part-time library assistant, was considered. With an increase in Belle Glade campus enrollment and an expansion in academic course offerings, the library’s assistant director noted a need for developing new material collections, creating resources for a growing number of students taking hybrid or online courses, and facilitating additional classroom instruction sessions for evening and Saturday courses. Without additional staff, the Belle Glade library offers additional services for which the other campus libraries have dedicated staff or departments to manage associated duties. These include providing media services to students and instructional technology support to faculty as well as issuing staff and student identification cards.

Barriers to Library Staffing at the Belle Glade Campus Characteristically, recruiting and hiring for positions at the Belle Glade campus have been challenging for several reasons. Campus administrators must justify funding for full-time staff positions, and there are numerous hurdles to clear in order to move through a hiring process. The finance and human resources departments generally approve temporary

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library

part-time positions to fill in coverage gaps during evening and weekend hours or when a full-time staff member is on leave. Requests for new faculty and staff positions may be made once per academic year with appropriate justification, are based on budgetary allowances, and are granted to campuses based on priority. New full-time librarian positions, which are faculty status, are subject to an academic time line (table 4.1). TABLE 4.1

Employment schedule for recommended full-time faculty and instructors for employment in the 2015–2016 academic year

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Academic Deans Council August 29, 2014

Prioritize new faculty/instructor college positions and create list of faculty/instructor positions to be recommended for hire.

September 5, 2014

Position vacancy forms (PVFs) for each position due to Human Resources.

January 5–March 31, 2015

Review and recommend approval of faculty/ instructor candidates to Academic Deans Council,Vice President of Academic Affairs and Human Resources for approval by the District Board of Trustees.

Human Resources October 3– November 29, 2014

Faculty/instructor positions posted to Palm Beach State College website and advertised nationally.

November 28, 2014

Positions close.

November 28– December 2, 2014

Human Resources review of applications and send to deans for credential review.

January 5, 2015

Human Resources release candidate's applications to committees.

January 5–March 31, 2014

All committee interviews completed and recommendations to Academic Deans Council, Vice President of Academic Affairs,and Human Resources for approval by the District Board of Trustees.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

69

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

70

Chapter 4

Hiring policies stipulate that the human resources department prescreen applicants to ensure that they meet the minimum requirements. In particular, prospective candidates must hold a master’s degree in library science for librarian positions and a high school diploma or equivalent for entry-level positions. A library selection committee is then formed to review, rate, and interview candidates. A Belle Glade campus committee may include staff from the larger campuses, and members may not be familiar with the unique staffing needs of the rural campus. The hiring process can take anywhere from six to eight weeks as committee work involves coordinating members’ schedules to discuss applicants in the hiring pool. A recommendation for candidate selection must be made to the office of human resources, and a formal offer is drafted and made to the applicant with the hope that he or she will accept. Further exacerbating hiring challenges at Belle Glade are local community, education, and socioeconomic issues. The Belle Glade campus is located at the county’s west end in a rural community with identified high poverty and low literacy rates; the other campuses reside in densely populated areas along Florida’s east coast. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Belle Glade is represented by the following figures: • Of people 25 years or older, 62.8 percent possess a high school diploma or higher, but only 13.3 percent of people 25 years or older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.33 • Between 2009 and 2013, 36.3 percent of the population was living below the poverty level.34 Geography makes it more difficult to hire qualified staff for Belle Glade as well as retain personnel, who after six months of employment can request a transfer to another campus if a vacant position in the same department is available. Few staff members reside in Belle Glade, and the majority commute from the county’s east end, driving between 65 and 130 miles daily. For numerous candidates, applying to Palm Beach State College is almost entirely associated with job opportunities at the urbanized Lake Worth campus. Qualified applicants have often declined to interview at the satellite campus after researching its location and mapping the daily trip, which suggests that the wages offered do not make the time and cost of commuting worthwhile. For some,

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library

the commute would be in excess of 60 minutes, which greatly exceeds the average travel time to work in the United States of 25.5 minutes.35 Currently, a stipend is not provided to workers who commute to the Belle Glade campus. The part-time librarian position at the Belle Glade campus was instrumental in providing reference services and classroom instruction. The library could not meet its service demands and assist students and faculty with only two full-time staff members each working 40 hours weekly, especially during the fall and spring semesters when the library operated 56 hours per week. Notably, students and faculty were at a disadvantage when a full-time library employee took a meal break or was out of the office. In these circumstances, the part-time librarian maintained a flexible schedule and afforded a layer of departmental support. Still, staffing the part-time librarian position was taxing. For the Belle Glade part-time librarian position, the average length of employment was less than two years, and the most recent part-time librarian incumbent served less than one year (see table 4.2). Other departments and campus locations were affected by the vacancy. During the staffing gap, faculty librarians from the Lake Worth campus had provided 32 hours of departmental coverage. Because personnel were shifted to the Belle Glade campus to help, the Lake Worth campus was then understaffed. Campus writing tutors had been called upon for a minimum of four hours of added support per week, a result of the cross-training provided to staff of a small work environment. Attempts to fill the vacancy after the incumbent’s resignation resulted in two selection committees reviewing two applicant pools over the course of eight months. Each pool had only four qualified applicants meeting the minimum education requirement of a master’s degree in library science. After contacting the eight applicants for interviews, all candidates had declined based on finding full-time work, or due to the position’s part-time designation, lack of benefits, and rural location. While posting the vacancy in outside sources yielded additional applications, the office of human resources noted that there was little return on the investment of time and money spent on recruiting for the part-time librarian position given the position’s hiring trend.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

71

72

Chapter 4

TABLE 4.2

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

List of employment dates for personnel in part-time librarian position Start Date

End Date

Time in Position

11/05/2012

10/25/2013

11 months, 21 days (355 days)

Staffing gap

10 months, 23 days (328 days)

4/26/2010

12/14/2011

Staffing gap

6 months, 9 days (191 days)

7/01/08

10/18/2009

Staffing gap

6 months, 2 days (184 days)

12/11/2003

12/31/2007

Staffing gap

1 day

8/20/2002

12/10/2003

Staffing gap

2 days

11/01/2001

8/22/2002

Average tenure in position

Approximately 1 year 7 months (613.83 days)

1 year, 7 months, 19 days (598 days) 1 year, 3 months, 18 days (475 days) 4 years, 21 days (1,482 days) 1 year, 3 months, 21 days (478 days) 9 months, 22 days (295 days)

Making the Case with Data

Neujahr and Kesten stated that an academic library “can put [its] data to work as an aid in making decisions about website design, library hours, staffing, and collection management.”36 Data can help leverage new or reclassify current positions, including the transition of a part-time position to a full-time position. Working on the justification to transition the part-time librarian position to a full-time librarian position started with compiling information to construct a narrative; nonetheless, the transition was not seamless based on employee sub-types. The part-time librarian role was unique in that it was a regular staff position. Additional data was needed in order to strengthen the support for this position when compared to new faculty positions at the other campuses. The use of Gimlet, a web-based application for tracking quantitative and qualitative data, was implemented in 2012. Reports generated from the Gimlet system, which included snapshots of library activities like

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library

FiGURE 4.1

Report generated by Gimlet providing a snapshot of library services between January and July 2014�

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

73

74

Chapter 4

reference transactions, classroom instruction sessions, and equipment checkouts, were provided to senior leadership at the campus. The library had seen an increase in the number of users between 2012 and 2013. This information was presented using a graph produced in Microsoft Excel (see figures 4.1 and 4.2). Based on the employment schedule for full-time faculty and instructors, data in support of the position was provided one academic year in advance of the anticipated start date. The position justification was accepted on August 29, 2014, and the new full-time faculty librarian joined Belle Glade less than a year later. The data compiled was also used to request a new part-time library assistant position. With the intent of expanding library services and programs, an assistant would perform clerical duties in support of these efforts.

Belle Glade Campus Library Users 2012–2013 3000 2500 2000 1500

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

1000 500 0

FiGURE 4.2

2012

2013

Graph comparing the total number of library users between 2012 and 2013 at Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade campus� This graph was included in the justification provided to senior leadership for the full-time faculty librarian position�

Data becomes important to leaders of small and rural academic libraries seeking additional resources, including personnel. As outlined in Palm Beach State College’s position justification sheet, the hiring manager should have answers to the following questions: • What is the primary purpose of this position?

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library

• Why is an additional position necessary? For requests in transitioning a part-time position to a full-time position, why does the position warrant an increase in hours? • How does this position fit in with the institution’s mission? Offhand, the raw numbers may not mean much, but they convey the library’s story when used in the context of improving services for patrons.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Best Practices for Actively Attracting Talent to the Small and Rural Academic Library Attracting talent begins with careful consideration of the job description. A 2004 survey of more than 1,000 mostly American professionals revealed that 46.4 percent of men and 40.6 percent of women did not apply for a job because they did not meet the qualifications listed and decided to save their time and energy in applying.37 Leaders of small and rural academic libraries must think less about the required qualifications and more about the skills necessary to get the job done. Preferred qualifications and minimum qualifications must be distinguished in the job announcement. Before alienating a group of candidates, it is important to think about transferable skills. A person may not know how to use an integrated library system, but he or she may be technologically savvy. Such was the case in the candidate selection for a part-time library assistant at the Belle Glade campus. As it was an entry-level position, it was preferred that the candidate have knowledge of library software and classification systems, yet the minimum qualifications listed were knowledge of web browsers, software, and applications; effective customer service; and good verbal and written communication skills. In order to comply with accreditation standards, some positions may require that the employee have a library science degree; however, some of the job responsibilities may be taken up by a paraprofessional who has less education but displays solid work experience. Education requirements listed in a job posting can turn away talent. The condition of possessing a master’s degree encourages a potential candidate who meets or exceeds this education requirement to apply; however, it discourages others who do not meet this minimum qualification. It is

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

75

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

76

Chapter 4

fundamental to determine whether doing the job genuinely requires a particular minimum qualification. Subsequently, a job listing on the institution’s career webpage is necessary, but it is also a passive gesture. The position’s location alone may not attract, or it may deter a diverse and skilled candidate pool. At Palm Beach State College, full-time and part-time positions are posted online for a minimum of two weeks while full-time faculty and administrator roles are listed for at least three weeks. While the small and rural academic library might be pressed to fill a position, the required posting period becomes an opportunity to exploit other recruitment efforts. For leaders of small and rural academic libraries determining where to post a job vacancy, the webpage “Library Job Postings on the Internet” provides a comprehensive list of links to library job sites with site filters by country, state, and library type.38 According to the website, there are approximately 11,500 loads and 1,700 “unique visits” to the page.39 The site makes note that general job sites are not listed,40 but leaders of small and rural academic libraries should not rest on library-specific job sites alone. Indeed.com, an online search engine for jobs, allows employers to post jobs for free. The site boasts 180 million visitors each month and is “available in more than 50 countries and 28 languages, covering 94 percent of global GDP.”41 While hiring managers can restrict the applications received through the site to local job seekers only, small and rural academic libraries can potentially garner applications from out-of-state and international candidates who are willing to relocate. In recruiting for a part-time librarian at the Belle Glade campus, posting the job opening on outside sources led to an increase in the number of applicants in the hiring pools. The hiring pools also included two international applicants who sought relocation to Florida. In addition, libraries are known for engaging their communities, and library leaders must work not only with their employment divisions but also with their communities to staff the institution. To promote part-time job vacancies at the Belle Glade campus library, the assistant library director forwarded job listings and application instructions to the area coordinator of the Palm Beach County Library System. The area coordinator then forwarded the postings to local public library staff working in branches located in the tri-city area: Belle Glade, South Bay, and Pahokee. Vacancies were also posted and shared on the campus’s ca-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library

reer center with the added intent of recruiting current students or alumni of the College. Announcements of open positions were shared with other departments on campus, namely the Student Learning Centers, which employ part-time tutors who also hold full-time positions in local county school systems. Local career agencies, business bureaus, and churches can be avenues for announcing vacancies as well. Someone in the community may know of a person who is a good fit for the institution and may encourage that person to apply. Palm Beach State College advertised the job vacancies in Sunday editions of local newspapers, including the Palm Beach Post, the Sun Sentinel, and the Belle Glade Sun. Even so, leaders of small and rural academic libraries must consider the costs associated with advertising positions in outside sources. Furthermore, part of actively attracting talent rests with promoting the positives of the job and the advantages of working within the institution. For example, working in a small and rural academic library affords staff the ability to work more closely together with increased possibilities for creation and collaboration. Members of the Belle Glade campus staff have echoed that it is easier to break down departmental barriers and work in partnership to institute campus initiatives and to create new programs for students compared to the other campuses. It is important to celebrate the library’s culture. Cross-training also becomes a key component in meeting service demands with a limited staff. For prospective employees, the travel time and distance to get to the Belle Glade campus may be longer; however, driving to its rural location means going against traffic. Ultimately, the leader of a small and rural academic library must consider all aspects of the position, including who to tailor the job description for, where to best market the position, and how to best sell it to applicants.

Discussion The link between library staffing and the overall strategic planning of the campus and the institution was important. The 2012–2018 strategic plan for Palm Beach State College included the following goal and underlying objectives: • Goal: “The College will advance a constant commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.”

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

77

78

Chapter 4

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

— Objective: “The College will increase the number and accessibility of faculty and staff development programs directly related to teaching and learning practices by 10 percent annually.” — Objective: “The College will increase the percent of classes taught by full-time faculty to 55 percent by 2018.”42 With a plan to increase the percentage of classes taught by full-time faculty, it was expected that the library would see an increase in the number of research instruction sessions. The timing for requesting new staff, particularly the transition of the part-time librarian to a full-time faculty librarian, was consistent with the institutional mission and vision set forth by the District Board of Trustees. In addition, communication with the office of human resources was crucial to the recruitment and hiring of personnel. The assistant library director worked closely with the institutional employment specialist to point out the specific needs of the department and the purpose for the position. Creating a dialogue and reporting on the progress of the selection committee allowed for continued support throughout the hiring process, including relisting the position and posting the position vacancy in other sources.

Conclusion Collecting data and the implementation of best practices has since helped grow the Belle Glade campus library staff with the shift to a full-time faculty librarian and the addition of a part-time library assistant. Active involvement in the organization’s recruitment and hiring practices was necessary. Forging a relationship with the office of human resources was also critical since the staffing complexities of a small and rural academic library were not readily understood given the recruitment patterns and staffing structures compared to the larger urbanized campuses. With the creation and expansion of these positions came the staff support to improve, expand, and create programs and services for patrons. Overall, the continued evaluation of current positions, or lack thereof, is reflective of the investment that leaders of small and rural academic libraries must exercise to appropriately staff their organizations.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Notes 1. R. David Lankes, “Radical,” R. David Lankes (blog), May 5, 2011, http:// quartz.syr.edu/blog/?p=1180. 2. Association of College and Research Libraries Personnel Administrators and Staff Development Discussion Group, Ad Hoc Task Force on Recruitment and Retention Issues, Recruitment, Retention and Restructuring: Human Resources in Academic Libraries, white paper (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, May 20, 2002), 14. 3. Don Reynolds, “Issues and Trends Facing Rural and Small Libraries” (paper, National Summit on Rural and Small Libraries for the Center for the Study of Rural Librarianship, Clarion University, PA, July 17–18, 2008). 4. Ibid. 5. Ibid. 6. “Staffing of Rural Libraries,” Library Journal 108, no. 19 (November 1983): 2011. 7. Robert Flatley and Andrea Wyman, “Changes in Rural Libraries and Librarianship: A Comparative Survey,” Public Library Quarterly 28, no. 1 (2009): 37. 8. Myrna L. Gusdorf, Recruitment and Selection: Hiring the Right Person (Alexandria, VA: Society for Human Resource Management, 2008), 1. 9. Sarah Sutherland, “On Hiring Library Staff in Rural Libraries,” Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research 6, no. 2 (2011): 1. 10. David Autor, “The Polarization of Job Opportunities in the U.S. Labor Market: Implications for Employment and Earnings,” Community Investments 23, no. 2 (Fall 2011): 12. 11. David H. Monk, “Recruiting and Retaining High-Quality Teachers in Rural Areas,” Future of Children 17, no. 1 (Spring 2007): 156–57. 12. Association of College and Research Libraries, Recruitment, Retention and Restructuring, 15. 13. Ibid. 14. Monk, “Recruiting and Retaining High-Quality Teachers,” 162. 15. “Rural Staffing: Leaders in Rural Settings Have Unique Challenges, but Technology and Creativity Can Help Lead to Solutions,” HealthLeaders Magazine 17, no. 3 (April 2014): 54 (based on René Letourneau, “How Rural ME Hospitals Are Tackling Financial Changes,” February 10, 2014, http://www. healthleadersmedia.com/finance/how-rural-me-hospitals-are-tackling-financial-challenges). 16. Max Mihelich, “Rural Renaissance: Staffing Remote Job Sites, Sources Say, Takes a Focused Recruiting Approach that Connects with Outside and Local Talent to Fill Vacant Positions,” Workforce 92, no. 9 (September 2013): 40. 17. Ibid. 18. The 8Rs Research Team, The Future of Human Resources in Canadian Libraries

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

79

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

80

Chapter 4

(8Rs Canadian Library Human Resource Study, February 2005), 64. 19. Reynolds, “Issues and Trends.” 20. Elizabeth S. Bliss, “Staffing in the Small Public Library: An Overview,” Rural Libraries 26, no. 1 (2006): 7–8. 21. Harrison Barnes, “How to Use Newspaper Classified Ads and Newspaper Help Wanted Ads to Look for Jobs,” Harrison Barnes (blog), May 13, 2014, http://www.hb.org/how-to-use-newspaper-classified-ads-and-newspaper-helpwanted-ads-to-look-for-jobs/. 22. Connie R. Wanberg, Ruth Kanfer, and Joseph T. Banas, “Predictors and Outcomes of Networking Intensity among Unemployed Job Seekers,” Journal of Applied Psychology 85, no. 4 (August 2000): 495, doi:10.1037/00219010.85.4.491. 23. Ibid, 500. 24. Monk, “Recruiting and Retaining High-Quality Teachers,” 157. 25. Katherine E. Heck and Keith C. Nathaniel, “Driving among Urban, Suburban and Rural Youth in California,” 4-H Youth Development Program, 11, accessed August 31, 2015, http://www.ca4h.org/files/130747.pdf. 26. Michelle A. Marks, Mark J. Sabella, C. Shawn Burke, and Stephen J. Zaccaro, “The Impact of Cross-Training on Team Effectiveness,” Journal of Applied Psychology 87, no. 1 (February 2002): 4, doi:10.1037//0021-9010.87.1.3. 27. John A. Lehner, “Reconsidering the Personnel Selection Practices of Academic Libraries,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 23, no. 3 (May 1997): 200. 28. William Fietzer, “World Enough, and Time: Using Search and Screen Committees to Select Personnel in Academic Libraries,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 19, no. 3 (July 1993): 149. 29. Ibid. 30. William B. Werther Jr., “Part-Timers: Overlooked and Undervalued,” Business Horizons 18, no. 1 (February 1975): 15–16. 31. “Annual Unduplicated Headcount,” Palm Beach State College, accessed November 15, 2015, http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/panorama/headcount-enrollment/annual-unduplicated-headcount.aspx. 32. “Annual Report FY 2013/2014,” Palm Beach State College, Office of Human Resources, accessed November 15, 2015, http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/hr/ employee-resource-center/AnnualReport.aspx. 33. U.S. Census Bureau: State and County Quick Facts. “Belle Glade (City), Florida.” Last modified August 6, 2015, http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/ states/12/1205200.html. 34. Ibid. 35. Brian McKenzie, Out-of-State and Long Commutes: 2011, American Community Survey Reports, ACS-20 (Washington, DC: US Census Bureau, 2013), http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/pdf/acs_20_out_of_state_and_ long_commutes_report.pdf. 36. Joyce Neujahr and Emily Kesten, “Information in a Dash: Painless and Penniless Statistical Reports,” in Brick and Click Libraries: An Academic Library

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Strategically Staffing the Small and Rural Academic Library

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Symposium, ed. Frank Baudino and Carolyn Johnson (Maryville: Northwest Missouri State University, October 26, 2012), 77, http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED537605.pdf. 37. Tara Sophia Mohr, “Why Women Don’t Apply for Jobs Unless They’re 100% Qualified,” Harvard Business Review, August 25, 2014, https://hbr. org/2014/08/why-women-dont-apply-for-jobs-unless-theyre-100-qualified/. 38. Sarah Johnson, Library Job Postings on the Internet website, accessed August 31, 2015, http://www.libraryjobpostings.org. 39. Ibid. 40. Ibid. 41. “Our Company,” Indeed, accessed August 31, 2015, http://www.indeed.com/ about/our-company. 42. Palm Beach State College, Strategic Planning: Strategic Plan 2012–2018 (Lake Worth, FL: Palm Beach State College, July 2012): 1.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

81

Big Ideas, Small Libraries

Leading Locally Rebecca Freeman

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

University of South Carolina Lancaster

METROLINA LIBRARY ASSOCIATION (MLA) is a local association of librarians and paraprofessionals from academic, public, school, and special libraries in North Carolina and South Carolina. The association was founded in 1969 by the Mecklenburg Library Association and the former Metrolina Library Association. MLA is a small organization with about 110 members. Membership is open to librarians, paraprofessionals, and other individuals interested in libraries in the twelve-county Metrolina area, which include two South Carolina counties and ten North Carolina counties. Every year MLA hosts four events, including three small events and an annual conference that is held in June. The conference started in 2005 as an information literacy conference and has come to encompass a wider variety of library topics while retaining a core of information literacy. Session topics have included makerspaces, digital humanities, copyright, and many others. The attendance at this conference has grown significantly since the first one; it currently has an attendance of about 120 individuals. Rebecca Freeman, who has been an MLA member since 2011, has served in various board capacities with the association. Most recently, she was elected MLA President and will serve in this office through 2016. Why are state and local library associations particularly important for librarians working in small or rural libraries?

Rebecca Freeman: State and local library associations are especially important for librarians in small or rural libraries because these organizations enable their members to have an opportunity for professional development as well as socializing. They bring de-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Leading Locally

velopment opportunities such as workshops to areas that may not have those opportunities due to financial or time constraints. Small and rural academic libraries often have limited budgets, staff, and access to professional development. What role does an organization like MLA play in overcoming these constraints?

Rebecca: Because of their size, smaller organizations like MLA can provide professional opportunities to a greater number of people for free or at very little cost. They can also make better use of their membership base. For example, MLA has an annual Tech Summit wherein we recruit members as the presenters. This cuts down on registration fees and allows other members to network directly with individuals in their area who might be able to assist or just share information with them. The problem of limited staff affects all of our members, including board members, and so it is a factor that helped us create our goal of offering at least four events every year to give our members the most opportunities to come to an event.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

MLA has an annual conference. What value does that provide to its membership?

Rebecca: In 2005, MLA started its annual conference as an information literacy conference. In recent years, it has morphed to encompass additional topics, including copyright, leadership, collaboration, and assessment. This change was made because the board felt that there was a need to address other issues in addition to information literacy, and we wanted to broaden the appeal of the conference. We work to schedule the conference at a time when the majority of our members can attend, and it is something that we struggle with every year. We have implemented a peer-review acceptance process so that our members have access to the highest level of scholarly materials possible. Many librarians from small and rural academic libraries attend, and I believe that we are able to provide them a time where they can share what they are doing in their libraries and learn what others are doing. The conference also offers substantial time for networking. Networking is especially important in small and rural institutions because attendees can

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

83

84

Big Ideas, Small Libraries

sometimes forget to see how others are doing things—it can also be hard to go and visit other libraries! Making these connections enable librarians from a variety of institutions to work together for the betterment of their institutions. Additionally, the conference is small and it is a great opportunity for new scholars to present for the first time in a comfortable environment. This can be especially important to librarians in small or rural institutions who may not have an opportunity in their work to present their scholarship to others.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

As a librarian working at a small, rural academic library, what has been the impact of professional engagement on your career?

Rebecca: I have been connected with MLA since I was in my master’s program, and this organization has enabled me to make connections throughout my regional area in a way that I don’t think I would be able to in another situation. I have also been able to better keep in touch with my fellow school mates who I was in the program with. The professional engagement has given me the opportunity to have experiences that may not be as accessible otherwise. I started as an At-Large Member. When the previous webmaster left the board early in 2013, I was able to then take over as webmaster and further my skills at web design. After being elected as webmaster and working in this position for a year, I was elected as Vice President, which is a three-year commitment of Vice President, President, and Immediate Past President. This work on the board has given me skills as a webmaster as well as working with a board to present a small conference and other events. This has greatly affected my ability to host events and to market those events. I mentioned earlier that networking is an important value of the MLA conference. I have experienced that first-hand. I made connections during this conference that have been used during job searches as well as scholarly endeavors. Additionally, my participation in MLA has allowed me to make connections that have helped me with my everyday work. How can small associations help mid-career or seasoned librarians transition to their next phases?

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Leading Locally

Rebecca: For mid-career or seasoned librarians, small professional associations offer opportunities to mentor incoming or new librarians. They can do this by attending events, presenting, and being on the association board. This is also the time for them to present what they know to others in the association and learn from other members’ new and innovative ideas. It is important to continue with the flow of information for the growth of individual librarians and the libraries and the profession as a whole.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

How has being professionally engaged improved practice or services at your library?

Rebecca: I have definitely used what I have done with MLA and other similar organizations to improve the practice and services at my library. For example, I have applied the skills I learned as a webmaster at my library when creating research guides. I have also been able to transition those skills to creating mockup websites for my institution. I have gained skills from being on the board that I take with me to other committees that I am on at my institution and feel more confident in doing things like starting a conference. In general, by being professionally engaged, I have become more willing to ask others how they are accomplishing tasks so as not to reinvent the wheel. What advice can you offer to librarians who may not be professionally engaged?

Rebecca: I think it is important to have a connection with others in your profession in your area. Local library organizations are there to help, and they want to work with you. It is a great way to become part of the local professional scene and become a member of a community of practice.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

85

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Chapter 5

Managing Student Workers in the Small Academic Library* Madeline Sims The Art Institute of Jacksonville

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Laura F. Keyes Freeport Public Library (formerly at The Illinois Institute of Art— Schaumburg)

Erica Watson The Art Institute of California—San Francisco

Introduction Student workers serve a vital role in small or rural academic libraries, providing a range of support from circulation to basic reference to processing ILLs. These students not only provide coverage during those less-than-desirable or solitary working hours (nights and weekends; during meetings and conferences), they also provide insight and inforThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/. * 

87

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

88

Chapter 5

mation regarding library resources, programming, and services. In small academic libraries, fewer library staff are available to cover all hours the library is open. In instances where the librarians need to be out of the office, student workers are often their only backup and provide critical coverage when librarians need to speak to classes, take vacation, and attend meetings. Because of the heightened role of student workers in the small or rural academic library, it is essential that librarians know how to effectively manage them. This chapter will address factors specific to managing student workers in the small or rural academic library, including qualifications to consider when hiring student workers, training tips, strategies to keep student workers motivated, and suggestions for how to handle common complaints from and about student workers. The authors of this chapter each worked at a separate campus of The Art Institutes, with student body enrollment ranging from 400 students to over 1,000. The authors will share their expertise as well as examples of job descriptions, checklists for training, and sample interview questions. These documents are in the appendices.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Literature Review Contemporary academic librarians generally embrace the important role student workers play in the management and operations of the library. However, the employment of student workers in colleges and universities was not always desired or accepted. In Emilie C. White’s article “Student Assistants in Academic Libraries: From Reluctance to Reliance,” she reported that from 1638 to 1800, “students scarcely were allowed inside the college library of that time, and their employment was highly unlikely.”1 Starting from the mid-1850s, employment of students in the library gradually increased as student body enrollment grew.2 During the Great Depression in the 1930s, demand for more student workers in the library rose with the economic crisis.3 By the 1970s, having student workers working in an academic library was standard and generally accepted.4 Student worker job responsibilities have varied and evolved since the mid-1850s. Some librarians entrust limited tasks to their student workers while other librarians allow their student workers more responsibility. As an example of the latter, one librarian allowed her team

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Managing Student Workers in the Small Academic Library

of student workers to completely reorganize a 15,000-volume collection, and another had her team of student workers almost solely manage the library’s collection of around 25,000 volumes.5 Both librarians work in one-person libraries (OPLs) and would not have been able to undertake such projects by themselves on top of their many other duties. Their student workers were critical to the success of these tasks. While larger libraries have to undertake the same projects, such as reorganizing a collection, smaller libraries rely more heavily on their student workers to ensure the tasks are completed. Today, academic librarians continue to place a greater emphasis on the student worker role at small and rural institutions. Librarian roles have expanded from simply guiding users to information to increasing responsibilities like teaching in the classroom, serving on campus committees, being involved in professional associations, teaching students to use electronic resources, and more. Thus, librarians rely on their student workers to help lessen their more traditional workload. At Davidson College, a small academic institution, library student workers are called Peer Research Advisors (PRAs), and they staff the information desk twenty-seven hours a week with no librarian present.6 The librarians view these students as colleagues and allow them to give input on the library’s mission statement as well as identify special projects to which they want to contribute.7 As a result of this PRA module, Davidson College librarians found that their student workers are more engaged with their work.8 The Queen’s University Learning Commons and the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Chapman Learning Commons are larger institutions that also have adopted a PRA model. Their students are employed in a similar peer-to-peer model, but instead of only staffing the library, they also provide reference services to “IT Services, the Writing Centre, Learning Strategies and the Adaptive Technology Centre.”9

The Hiring Process For the small academic library, the total number of hours staffed by student workers can vary greatly and is subject to change each quarter or semester, depending on the college’s operating budget. A common scenario for small college libraries is to hire student workers as federal work-study students because a portion of their wages is paid by the

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

89

90

Chapter 5

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

federal government’s work-study program. Regular student workers would be considered employees of the college, and thus 100 percent of their wages would come from the college’s budget. Oftentimes, the college sets the hourly rate for all student workers, so when the librarian determines how many hours the library can use student worker help, the hours and rate must fit within the budget. Librarians also must determine if they need student worker assistance only when classes are in session or if they need assistance over term breaks. Once these figures are determined, the librarian’s supervisor and finance administrators can make hiring approvals accordingly. For one-person libraries, the librarian may consider using student worker assistance during the busier times in the library, such as the lunch or dinner hour. The librarian may also want coverage for meal breaks. When setting hours, librarians must also review each student worker’s class schedule to determine availability. A student’s changing availability each term might also mean the librarians have to shift their working schedules as well. For instance, in libraries with only a couple of student workers, there can be cases where all student workers have class at the same day and time, so the librarian therefore becomes the default person for that shift.

Job Descriptions

Selecting quality student workers in small academic libraries is crucial. Hiring ineffective students may mean the library staff has to take on extra work and shifts due to absenteeism, incompetence, or termination. The job description for the library student worker should list all of the skills required for the job, such as customer service, interpersonal communication, and knowledge of various computer programs. Job descriptions for federal work-study students and regular student workers may have different requirements, such as GPA and class attendance, so these considerations need to be taken into account as well. It is important to consult with the human resources department when creating or modifying a job description to ensure the job’s duties and requirements are within the parameters of hiring laws. The titles of library student workers vary across college libraries, but it is important that each library be consistent, whether it calls them student workers, library student workers, library staff, or library assis-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Managing Student Workers in the Small Academic Library

tants. Some students and staff may refer to student workers as librarians, and it is important to correct them in this situation. If someone complains about an interaction with a library worker and refers to that individual as a librarian, it is unclear whether the person is referring to a professional librarian or a library student worker. Student worker job descriptions need to be specific about the job’s responsibilities to set clear expectations (see Appendix 5A). Tasks like shelving, circulation, processing materials, and basic computer troubleshooting are standard responsibilities for student workers in small academic libraries. Some librarians may have a personal preference that their student workers not answer in-depth reference questions. However, if the librarian is working in a one-person library and is not there all hours the library is open, it is best to train the student workers on how to search the catalog to locate items on the shelf, as well as how to direct students to access and use online resources. If the student worker is unable to answer a reference question, he or she should be trained to direct the patron to a reference librarian.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Advertising Positions and Attracting Applicants

In small academic institutions, jobs can be posted and advertised through various channels including sending an e-mail to all students, posting the job ad on various bulletin boards, and updating the library’s social media websites. One benefit to working in a small academic environment is that library staff members know many of the students personally and interact with them frequently. Librarians may even identify students who they think would be good candidates for the role and encourage them to apply. Other times current library student workers may recommend their classmates. The hiring librarian should know how many hours a week the student worker would be allowed, or required, to work, based on either budgeted amount or their classification as either a regular student worker or a federal workstudy student.

Selecting and Interviewing Candidates

Small academic institutions have a limited pool of students who are interested in working on campus. It is possible that there will be only

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

91

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

92

Chapter 5

a handful of applicants for a library student worker position. After applications have been received, the next step is to vet the applicants and first make sure they meet the minimum requirements, including a minimum GPA, class attendance, and good financial standing with the school. The campus community’s input may also be taken into consideration during this initial review of applicants—for example, asking for feedback from current student workers and instructors who may know the candidates can help vet the applicants. Once the applicants have been initially vetted, the next step in the hiring process is to schedule interviews. The hiring librarian should have a reliable and broad set of questions he or she asks the candidates, such as their customer service background, data entry skills, and general computer skills and knowledge (see Appendix 5B). If the job includes the possibility of students working by themselves, screening candidates for their ability to work without supervision is a good idea because the students may be relied on to open or close the library by themselves as well as handle situations with angry patrons. At Texas A&M’s small medical library, the librarians place a great emphasis on screening for customer service skills during their interview process. In the article “A Change of Service Leads to a Welcome Change,” Halling reported that they adopt the Disney Service Model when they hire and train their student workers.10 During the interview process, screening questions are used to gauge the applicant’s personality type and decide whether he or she should have an on-stage role in the library (circulation or reference) or off-stage role (ILL, technical services).11 For smaller libraries that may not have distinctions between on-stage and offstage departments, the interview process can also determine other skills the candidate possesses, such as strong graphic design skills that could be used to create flyers and posters for the library or social media skills that could be used in updating the library’s social media sites. After interviews have been completed, the hiring librarian should take all of the above factors into consideration when making the final selection of a student worker. It is important to look at the candidate’s overall strengths and weaknesses and not base a decision solely on one criterion (e.g., GPA). One candidate could have a lower GPA than other candidates but display a better customer service philosophy or enthusiasm for working in the library.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Managing Student Workers in the Small Academic Library

Orientation and Training

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Orientation Best Practices

Orienting new student workers can be a time-consuming task in any library, but librarians at small academic institutions are limited in the amount of time they can spend orienting and training new student workers. They may decide to have orientation and training during term breaks when there are fewer interruptions. The librarians can also enlist the help of their current student workers to train newer ones on basic tasks like processing materials and checking items in and out. Orientation and training of new student workers can take a week or more depending on the scope and responsibilities of the job. There may also be a probationary period associated with training and orientation. Student workers that are underperforming may not be considered for employment in future terms. In the small academic library, it sometimes may be necessary to keep an underperforming student worker for the remainder of a term, if only to have someone that can open or close the library or cover meal breaks. It is important that the orientation process begin with an overview of campus operations, such as which department prints student IDs, where to go to get a transcript, and any other common questions unique to that library’s institution. This part of the orientation and training is important in small academic institutions where the library acts as the official hub of information for the entire campus. New student workers also need to have an overview and tour of the library, even if they have frequently used it in the past. During the tour, it is helpful to explain the classification system, as well as introducing the ILS system and how it is used to circulate materials. Another part of the orientation process is reviewing the job’s responsibilities and setting clear expectations for job performance. The topic of professionalism should be discussed in regard to dress, conduct, and handling of difficult patrons or situations appropriately. Student workers should know that they are indeed employees of the college. Remind them that they are on the same team with the rest of the library staff. As Drewitz suggested in her article “Training Student Workers: A Win-Win,” student workers will notice and appreciate the hiring librarian taking the time to create a positive work environment and will respond positively.12 This part of the onboarding orientation

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

93

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

94

Chapter 5

will help not only with the short-term goal of making the workplace environment pleasant, but also with the long-term goal of having less turnover among student workers. Setting expectations for student workers also involves establishing boundaries and informing them when to refer certain questions or problems to the librarian. In a small academic library, there may be times when student workers are working by themselves and encounter angry students, parents, or faculty. Student workers should be told that in some circumstances, they have the authority to enforce library policies on students, faculty, and parents, but in situations that escalate into heated confrontations, they should refer these angry patrons to the librarian. There may be instances where student workers overstep the boundaries of their role and make decisions without consulting their supervisors, such as waiving overdue fines for their friends. The library’s policies on who can waive fines is one important expectation to review with them to avoid situations later. Student workers will also need to be taught about patrons’ privacy, including Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) laws, which govern all higher education institutions in America. Respecting patrons’ right to privacy includes not sharing what items the patron checked out with other student workers; not discussing what items a patron checked out outside of the library; and not questioning the patrons’ choices. The only time this privacy should be broken is when the student worker needs to come to his or her direct supervisor and point out a problem or potential problem regarding this patron and the borrowed items.

Training Best Practices

Because of the limited time librarians in small academic institutions have for training, one best practice is to create training documents that new student workers can use when they may have forgotten a certain procedure. At The Illinois Institute of Art—Schaumburg (IIAS), a New Student Worker Checklist (see Appendix 5C) is effective and helpful in beginning the training process. Each student receives a copy of the checklist at his or her first training session in the library, and it includes a list of the locations and main duties the student worker will need to know, in bulleted format. As the list is reviewed, students take

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Managing Student Workers in the Small Academic Library

their own notes, which helps them retain the information. At the end of their first month, the librarian reviews the checklist with the student workers, and the students are given a quiz to see what they have learned and what needs further training. The two last steps on the checklist at IIAS are online components: the “Murder in the Stacks” video and a shelving quiz. The YouTube video “Murder in the Stacks” was produced by Columbia University in 1987, and while the video may be dated, it remains informative in explaining how to properly handle library materials. The shelving quiz that students are required to take and successfully complete was created by Kent State University and is found on its library’s website.* This quiz covers Library of Congress (LC) shelving protocols; for those using the Dewey Decimal System, there are numerous Dewey shelving tutorials and quizzes on the Internet. The Illinois Institute of Art—Schaumburg gives new student workers two reference manuals: the Student Worker Manual and the Integrated Library System (ILS) Manual. The Student Worker Manual is a student handbook that explains local protocols and procedures. Bagshaw suggested, in her article “Keep Your Student Workers,” that such a handbook should be a list of expected duties and how to best perform them.13 The manual used in the IIAS library is now over thirty pages because it contains detailed instruction and screenshots of the specific websites or software being utilized. One copy is printed and stored at the main circulation desk. Additionally, an electronic version is saved on a shared, cloud-based storage website. Storing the item in the cloud ensures that the student workers will have that information at any time, even if they need to look up a policy or emergency procedure while not on campus. Having the document electronically available is also helpful because there might be multiple updates throughout the year for school policies, and so on. The ILS Manual is another important document for small and rural academic libraries to distribute to their student workers as it provides detailed instruction on how to perform common circulation functions. There may be times when a new student worker is working alone while the librarian is out of the office. Having an ILS manual handy is beneFor more information go to Library of Congress tutorial: http://www.library. kent.edu/library-congress-tutorial-call-number-and-shelving. * 

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

95

96

Chapter 5

ficial so they can refer to it should any questions arise. To create a thorough ILS manual is time-consuming, but extremely helpful for student workers. This document is treated the same way as the Student Worker Manual: it is uploaded to the same cloud-based storage website, and one paper copy is placed at the main circulation desk. The ILS Manual should be updated as often as necessary.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Student Work Activities during Downtime Small and rural academic libraries often have downtime, especially at the opening and closing shifts, and there are other regular blocks of time when a library is still. Allowing student workers to do their homework at the circulation desk when time is available can be good for morale and productivity. Their shifts typically last three to five hours, so assigning them a library project after they have been working on their assignments for a while gives them a break from their studies and reminds them that they are still on the clock. Student workers appreciate time to work on their assignments and then do a better job at their library tasks, especially when tasks, like shelf reading, are rote. In regard to housecleaning, there is always something to do in the library. Dusting, organizing the periodicals, purging lost and found, or maintaining the bulletin board are all weekly tasks to keep the library from looking unsightly. Typically, these activities are reserved for slow times and when snacks are provided to the student workers as a way to show appreciation and increase morale. Engaging the students to become active participants in recommendations for library sources is vital. Some student workers did not think he or she could suggest a purchase or did not even know how to suggest a purchase. Many do not feel comfortable requesting anything, and they may need to be reminded about the value of their input. Video games, for example, are a current technology the students may know more about than the librarian. They are popular items, and many games spend more time checked out than they do on the shelves. There are good sources to look to when deciding on video game collection development (magazines such as Edge, Game Developer, and Game Informer), but the conversation that can be had with a student worker can reinforce those purchase decisions and introduce the students to sources that help them collect for subjects they are interested in.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Managing Student Workers in the Small Academic Library

Assigning student workers a section of a display cabinet to create “staff picks” is another avenue for engagement. At the Art Institute of California—San Francisco campus (AIC-SF), students’ descriptive sentences about a book, DVD, or video game have increased circulation of items that have been in the stacks for ages. The student workers are also a great resource when determining what materials are helpful for current courses and in creating additional course reserve lists. These lists are then provided to the instructors, who inform their students of additional available sources. This improves circulation, and it also creates a bridge for students who may be struggling in those courses to look at a range of sources from their peers’ points of view. Making sure that a collection is being utilized is difficult when there are few staffers. Student workers at a small or rural library can show patrons what is available, can increase circulation, and can help justify purchases that are requested based on circulation of similar items. At AIC-SF, student workers change the signage once a month for the new DVD display area. There is usually a theme—Star Wars for May or rainbow colors for June. Letting them come up with the concept and giving them artistic license in design and execution of this display gives them something to look forward to doing once a month. Some of the students are better at the ideas and others at execution. Creating displays gives them an opportunity to work as a team and see a project through from beginning to end. It also allows students to help the library get things done that would otherwise fall through the cracks due to the limited staffing. Asking student workers for their unfiltered feedback on recently acquired materials has been a helpful way to provide students with good resources, as well as getting the student workers more invested in their library duties. When asked about a recently purchased item, a response of “it sucks” or “it is awesome” prompts encouragement for them to expand their reactions into thoughtful responses. If the responses are eloquent enough, they can be edited and put together as a flyer of new releases for the faculty. Asking students to review and give feedback on new materials is a good way to have the library workers engage in their positions and realize their importance. This suggested exercise is recommended only for the student worker who is responsible and interested in writing an actual review.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

97

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

98

Chapter 5

The Illinois Institute of Art—Schaumburg librarian instituted a Weekly Review task at the library. It began as a project to keep the student workers busy on a slow Friday afternoon. At the beginning of each week, student workers received an e-mail with announcements and other information they should know about the upcoming week. Along with this information, one of the databases found on the library’s website was listed, and the students were then required to take time, typically while the library was quiet, and send in a review of that database. Typically, the student workers spent about ten minutes exploring and reviewing the resource, with the review answering questions such as “Identify the primary audience for this resource;” “Which programs on campus will benefit the most from this?” and “Identify what could be done to improve this resource.” These reviews were e-mailed to the librarian and published on a shared, cloud-based storage website. While not only keeping the student workers engaged while the library is temporarily quiet, this activity gently forced them to become more familiar with the library’s resources. Phrases such as “I wish I had known about this last quarter!” frequently appeared in the reviews. When the students finished reviewing the databases, they moved on to looking at other resources and collections, such as magazines. The librarian at The Illinois Institute of Art—Schaumburg shared with her colleagues this Weekly Review task, and they also found this activity to be beneficial and useful for their student workers, making the students better informed and able to assist students and faculty.

Evaluation Best Practices Some student workers go above and beyond expectations every day, and others lack initiative in completing tasks. Sometimes student workers have increased absenteeism and neglect of job duties when they feel stress in their life, such as finals week. Regular performance reviews of student workers are useful because they can strengthen the communication between the supervisor and student worker, and they give the student worker the opportunity to share frustrations or recommendations for change. It is preferable to have the reviews done at the end of every term so there is a clear opportunity to inform student workers

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Managing Student Workers in the Small Academic Library

of a weakness and set goals for improving in the next term or possibly dismiss the student worker. Two-part performance reviews are effective because they allow both the supervisor and the employee to share their input: the first part completed by the student as a self-review, and the second completed by the supervisor. This review process has the added benefit of reminding the student worker that he or she is an employee, and not simply a student at the college. For ineffective student workers, documenting these reviews will help in situations where they may need to be dismissed. Depending on the college or university, there may be standardized feedback forms to use when documenting disciplinary actions. Such forms could be used throughout the term and not just the end of the term during the review process. Should a student worker have to be terminated due to poor work performance, it is always beneficial to involve human resources in this process. It is important to remember that, on occasion, student workers will act like students. For many, it is their first job. It is up to their manager to train them, give them the chance to be responsible, and figure out how to use their talents and perspectives to assist with other projects, programs, or tasks that are not part of the day-to-day. Offering student workers leadership opportunities, such as training new student workers, helps to keep them motivated in the job, while also giving them more professional opportunities.

Conclusion Student workers in the small or rural academic library have a heightened role in the success of the library. It is important to have a strong vetting process, training, and ongoing feedback. Since their work reflects on the librarian’s and the school’s image, making sure they are able to perform many duties is essential. Encouraging the student workers to be part of the conversation in the library will make them excited about what the library has to offer to their patrons. Library managers should continue to value the input and expertise student workers provide from their perspective as student users of the library. With this partnership, librarians can better meet the needs of their students.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

99

100 Chapter 5

Appendix 5A: Sample Job Description

Position:

Student Library Assistant

Hours:

Up to 20 hours per week; may include evening and/or weekend hours

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Responsibilities: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Provide good customer service to all library users. Direct reference questions to the librarian. Check material in and out of the library. Shelve material in a timely, accurate manner. Shelve, read, and straighten assigned sections. Assist with collecting library use statistics. Assist students, faculty and staff with locating material on the shelf and accessing the library's online resources. Enforce library policies and maintain cleanliness in the library. Receive shipments and assist with processing of new materials. Assist with proctoring placement tests. Monitor the library in the absence of the librarian. Work on special projects as needed

Qualifications: • Must have completed at least one quarter. • Must have good attendance. • Must be able to lift heavy materials. • Must be able to perform detailed tasks quickly and accurately. • Must be punctual, reliable, and honest and be able to work independently. • Must be patient, friendly, and have good customer service skills. • Computer skills desired, but not required. Reports To: Librarian

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Managing Student Workers in the Small Academic Library 101

Appendix 5B: Sample Interview Questions INTERVIEW QUESTIONS — Library Aid Date______________Interviewee________________________Major______________ 1. What attracted you to the library, as opposed to others offered by ILIS? 2. Tell me a brief history of your background and experience. 3. Any experience in a library or bookstore? 4. What makes you uniquely qualified for this position? 5. If I were to call your previous employer, what would they say? 6. What was your favorite part of your last job? 7. What was your least favorite part of your last job?

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

8. What does “good customer service” involve/what does it mean to you? 9. Tell me about a time when you've handled an unhappy customer. 10. Tell me about a time in which you had to gain the cooperation of a group over which you had little or no authority. What did you do? How effective were you? 11. How do you handle a team member that is not contributing ideas/ work to a project? 12. Tell me about a long-term project that you worked on. How did you approach the project to ensure that it was completed on time? 13. Tell me about a time where you had to give someone constructive criticism. 14. How would you grade your computer skills? Which programs are you familiar with? 15. Would you be willing to work over breaks?

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

102 Chapter 5

Appendix 5C: Sample Training Checklist

New Library Student Worker Checklist

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Job Description  Overview of daily tasks (reshelving, processing, assisting patrons, etc.)  Opening and closing procedures  Breaks  Performance reviews  Advance notice for time off  Sick time Tour of Library  Library Staff  Main  Reserves  Reference  Oversized  Children’s  Feature Films & TV Shows  Displays  Audiobooks  New Books  Media Room/DVD Room/Work Room  Magazines  Book Drop  Repair Desk  Supply Cabinet/Cash Box  ACE Lab  Signage General  Shelving  Call Numbers/Shelf Reading  Withdrawing  Online Databases  Online Catalog (“Web Voyager”)  Lost & Found  First aid kit  Emergency procedures  Damaged Items  KRONOS  Library Conference Room

 

Answering phone Transferring calls

Voyager  Charging  Discharging  Check out periods  Renewing  Looking up a patron  Patron privacy policy  Printing barcodes  Adding faculty/staff patrons  Editing patrons  Fines and overdues  Placing items on hold  Inter-Library Loan (ILL) Equipment  Printer  Copier  Mat cutter  Paper cutter  Straight edge/T-Square  Misc. equipment- headphones, bobbins  Electric stapler Processing New Materials  Books  Periodicals  AV Materials Accuplacer  Logging on Online Training  “Murder in the Stacks” (https://youtu.be/phyFPJD-CGs)  Shelving Quiz (www.library.kent.edu/page/13760 ) **Print last page of Quiz**

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Managing Student Workers in the Small Academic Library 103

Notes

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

1. Emilie C. White, “Student Assistants in Academic Libraries: From Reluctance to Reliance,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 11, no. 2 (May 1985): 93–97. 93. 2. Ibid., 93. 3. Ibid., 94. 4. Ibid. 5. Ibid. 6. Cara1 Evanson, “We Aren’t Just the Kids That Sit at the Front,” College and Research Libraries News 76, no. 1 (January 2015): 30–33. 7. Ibid., 31. 8. Ibid., 33. 9. Julie Mitchell and Nathalie Soini, “Student Involvement for Student Success: Student Staff in the Learning Commons,” College and Research Libraries 75, no. 4 (July 2014): 591. 10. T. Derek Halling, “A Change of Service Leads to a Welcome Change,” Journal of Library Administration 53, no. 7/8 (November 2013): 429–38. 11. Ibid., 432. 12. Jessica M. Drewitz, “Training Student Workers: A Win-Win,” AALL Spectrum 18, no. 2 (November 2013): 22–24. 13. Maria C. Bagshaw, “Keep Your Student Workers,” Library Journal 131, no. 19 (October 2006): 44.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Big Ideas, Small Libraries

Staff Engagement for * Cohesion Jennifer Ward University of Alaska Southeast

Bethany Wilkes

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

University of Alaska Southeast

EGAN LIBRARY IS THE regional library of the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS), a public four-year university serving a diverse student body of approximately 3,000 students on three campuses and online. The main campus in Juneau, the capital city of Alaska, (population 32,406),1 is set in a temperate rainforest on a lake. Ketchikan and Sitka campuses are smaller island communities, each with individual populations with specific needs. Ketchikan is a former logging community of 8,2452 and has a campus library serving also as a public library for the community. Sitka, the former Russian Empire capital of Alaska territory, offers vital campus and online programs to a community of 8,900,3 with an active student learning center and no academic library on site. A librarian from Egan Library in Juneau serves as liaison to the Sitka campus. Southeast Alaska has many island communities, and transportation to Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka is possible only by the Alaska Marine Highway system or by air.4 Students at our institution are nontraditional, with an average age of 29; 13 percent are Alaska Natives.5 UAS has a strong student-centered focus, with student success, teaching and learnThis work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution license. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. * 

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Staff Engagement for Cohesion 105

ing, community engagement, and research and creative expression among our core themes.6 Academic programs include Liberal Arts and Sciences, Career Education, Professional Education, and Education. Classes are taught in a variety of delivery modes, including on-campus, online through a course management system, and blended delivery. The Egan Library building is connected to the main classroom building on campus, and history and culture are showcased by a Northwest Coast Native Art collection throughout the 50,000 square foot facility, with a Learning and Testing Center, Writing Center, computing workstations, and many types of study spaces. Staff include a Director of Regional Library Services, four faculty librarians, and seven paraprofessionals. Jennifer Ward and Bethany Wilkes discuss how UAS librarians have implemented several initiatives for improved staff training, marketing, and communications. .

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Why is staff engagement a concern for small and rural libraries?

Jennifer Ward: We want our staff to be empowered and develop a cohesive voice about what the library has to offer our university community. This cohesion is especially important in the “small pond” of small and rural library environments since negative and positive encounters between our staff and students or administrators have the potential of making a lasting impact on perceptions of the library. For Egan Library, we want to help staff express enthusiasm about the library even at the grocery store or while walking their dog on a local trail. What barriers to staff engagement have you faced at Egan Library?

Jennifer: As faculty librarians, a barrier we faced was a lack of time to prioritize staff engagement. For years, we had librarians’ management meetings weekly, with only occasional all-staff meetings each academic year. Some turnover in librarians and paraprofessionals provided a chance to review how we engage our staff and remove this barrier. So, the barriers were structural.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

106 Big Ideas, Small Libraries

What role does professional development play in lowering these barriers?

Bethany Wilkes: We were able to prioritize opportunities for focused professional development by creating a Staff Training Advisory Group (STAG), where staff planned, scheduled, and facilitated a series of staff training workshops. Then, we introduced a second committee on marketing and communications, which required heavy staff involvement. Once we removed the structural barriers by establishing these new committees and a formal staff training program, library staff were eager participants. Not only were staff members happy to contribute, they also played defining roles in the committees’ successes. Through regularly scheduled committee meetings; creating planning documents with guidelines, goals, and objectives; and by putting forth deadlines with assigned responsibilities, we were able to mitigate the challenges of lack of time to prioritize staff engagement by scheduling it into our work.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Your library also has an active programs and events calendar. What is the staff’s role in planning library programs?

Jennifer: Librarians here take the lead and assign staff to take care of many details. For example, our annual Open House for students involves every library employee—from staff greeting everyone who walks in the door or helping students set up their printing access to librarians teaching mini-workshops. We couldn’t accomplish this day-long event with only librarians’ efforts—we need staff energy and ideas. I should also note that a staff member is responsible for the scheduling of community events in our venue—she does an excellent job taking the lead for coordinating programming from local organizations, consulting with librarians and the director as needed. What has been the impact of your efforts on other campus departments?

Bethany: I think our efforts have had a positive impact on other campus departments. Through our summer staff development series, we connected with several departments on campus, including Residence Life, Career Services, and Academic Exchange and Study

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Staff Engagement for Cohesion 107

Abroad. We visited their areas, and representatives of the department delivered some excellent presentations and led discussions. As a result of these connections, library staff members are better informed about services that are available for students outside of the library and can more knowledgeably refer students to those specific departments. Additionally, library staff has continued to engage with those departments to promote the library following staff training sessions with those departments. For example, following a suggestion that emerged from a session with UAS’s Academic Exchange and Study Abroad, staff created and distributed library-themed welcome bags—including edibles and promotional materials—for new exchange students.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

How has the culture of your library changed as a result of your staff engagement efforts?

Jennifer: We have noticed it is a better use of our own time when we entrust staff to take on more campus engagement responsibilities. We witnessed more cross-departmental communication and collaboration, and we observed improved morale, new energy and focus, and better customer service. We didn’t set out to assess these cultural changes, though interestingly, they are in alignment with the professional literature.7 How should you begin developing a staff engagement plan?

Jennifer: My advice is to start with a large-scale project that requires the full support of all library staff to implement. The library marketing team had to plan for the library’s twenty-fifth anniversary celebration and recruit for a Friends Board for our library. This was new territory for all of us, and staff participation in the planning of this event was a springboard for good discussions, cross-departmental connections, and energy that helped with all of the details. As a result of this big (and successful) event, our team found it natural to continue planning for other successes in our library. Bethany: I agree about taking on a large-scale project. In the case of the STAG, our project was to develop a vision for our staff train-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

108 Big Ideas, Small Libraries

ing program and then to implement it. It’s also important to recognize that, in order to truly be engaged, staff members need to have ownership and accountability related to the outcome. What are your staff’s future plans for the library?

Jennifer: The future holds much potential. Our marketing team continues to meet, and our next event is a reception honoring faculty authors. A recent library reorganization has given the Director of Regional Library Services oversight of the Learning Center, Academic Testing, and the Writing Center. This means our staff has grown, and with it, new opportunities for library programs and expanded staff training!

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Notes 1. United States Census, “State & County Quick Facts: Juneau City and Borough, Alaska,” accessed February 28, 2016, http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/ states/02/02110.html. 2. United States Census, “State & County Quick Facts: Ketchikan (city), Alaska,” accessed February 28, 2016, http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/ states/02/0238970.html. 3. United States Census, “State & County Quick Facts: Sitka City and Borough, Alaska,” accessed February 28, 2016, http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/ states/02/02220.html. 4. A nonstop jet flight from Seattle, Washington, to Juneau is about two and a half hours. Flying from Juneau to Sitka is about thirty minutes, and flying to Ketchikan from the capital city takes one hour (or longer on a multistop itinerary). 5. University of Alaska Southeast, IPEDS Data Feedback Report 2014 (Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2014), http://www.uas. alaska.edu/provost/ie/docs/2014_IPEDS_Data_Feedback_Report_UAS.pdf. 6. University of Alaska Southeast, “Core Themes,” Strategic and Assessment Plan 2010–2017, 2011, http://www.uas.alaska.edu/UAS_StrategicPlan/ core_themes/index.html. 7. Elaine Jennerich and Lisa Oberg, “Introduction to Staff Development” in Staff Development: A Practical Guide, 4th ed., ed. Andrea Stewart, Carlette Washington-Hoagland, and Carol Zsulya (Chicago: American Library Association, 2014).

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Section Three: Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Planning

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Chapter 6

Succession Planning at a Small Academic Library Anne LePage Mount Allison University

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Introduction Staff cuts are never easy to handle in any organization, whether they occur due to layoffs as the result of retirement and attrition. When a small or rural academic library is hit by the loss of many staff within one unit in a very short time, the organization can be crippled with service and workflow interruptions. However, with enough foresight, preparation, and planning, a small or rural academic library can prepare for the loss of staff while also reaping benefits for other staff through succession planning. The impact of staff reduction can be minimized with an effective succession plan, which should “anticipate new leadership, assess the skills and knowledge of employees, identify individuals who have leadership potential, and provide professional development opportunities, mentoring, and experiences to prepare the library staff for personnel changes.”1 Library and information science (LIS) literature focusing on succession planning and library reorganization explains the bases for staff reductions, including the dramatic rise of retirements as the baby boomer generation exits the 111

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

112 Chapter 6

workforce, budget cuts, and outsourcing.2 This chapter addresses the impact of attrition and examines succession planning at small or rural academic libraries using a technical services unit in a small academic library as a case study.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Literature Review The LIS literature on succession planning in libraries is limited. The literature concerning succession planning in small libraries or within library departments is practically nonexistent. Furthermore, succession planning literature generally focuses only on succession planning for librarian leadership roles with few references to succession planning with library staff or paraprofessionals. In business management literature, succession planning has been discussed since the late 1960s.3 During this period, business professionals began to realize the consequences of the large baby boomer generation entering the workforce simultaneously, mostly at entry-level positions, and remaining in those positions until retirement with little turnover. Curran showed that the majority of baby boomers who entered the academic library workforce during this time also remained in their positions until retirement.4 Moran, Marshall and Rathbun-Grubb further confirmed this trend in academic libraries, stating the demand for academic librarians grew by nearly 45 percent between 1961 and 1966. The authors explain that this demand resulted in a large number of graduates from library schools during this period. A majority of these baby boomer librarians were hired into entry-level positions and later looked for promotions to middle and senior management positions. In the 1960s and 1970s, new graduates in the field found it increasingly difficult to find employment in the academic sector.5 In the 1960s, Ostrowski introduced a number of concepts on succession planning in business management literature, many of which are still used as a guide today for many corporations. The library profession has also come to rely on Ostrowski’s succession plan concepts. He explained four characteristics of an effective succession plan. First, the plan should to be futuristic, planning the management structure suitable for the “kind of enterprise the corporation is expected to

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Succession Planning at a Small Academic Library 113

become.” Second, the succession plan should be dynamic and flexible since the future cannot be accurately predicted. Third, the plan should be inclusive and require participation from the entire organization. The fourth and final characteristic of an effective succession plan should be to maintain continuous planning efforts for long-term practice.6 Since the 1920s, libraries have been gathering data about their workforce and looking for ways to recruit to the profession.7 However, the topic of succession planning in libraries was first mentioned only in the mid-1980s when Rothstein examined the workforce in three university libraries in Canada and found that 63 percent of librarians were age 35–50. The study also found that 68 percent of these librarians remained in the same position for the entirety of their career, which began 1965–74.8 Curran predicted that by 2010, 83,866 librarians would have reached the age of 65.9 It was as early as the 1980s when librarianship started to be identified as a “graying profession,” and it maintains this reputation today.10 By the 1990s, workforce surveys, published primarily in Australia, Great Britain, and Canada report, that more than half of librarians were over the age of 45.11 For example, in 1994, 84 percent of senior administrators and library directors in Canada were 45–69.12 By 2005, the United States reported that by 2010, 45% of the library workforce would be over the age of 65.13 Although citing a high rate of turnover, with retirements occurring en masse, Munde explained that many within the library workforce will not retire at 65. Munde’s reasons for the increase in late retirement include employees’ wishes to maintain health benefits, build larger pensions, care for other family members or dependents within the home, and other issues related to the economic downturn, which started in 2007-2008.14 Since the early 2000s, the library literature on succession planning has grown, identifying workforce supply-and-demand issues due to the predicted mass exodus of retirees and suggesting coping strategies for retirements, budget cuts, and attrition.15 A major topic in the discussion of coping strategies is the role of communication. Communication throughout the library keeps all staff feeling engaged and allows for staff to handle changes such as retirements, budget cuts, and attrition with greater ease.16

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

114 Chapter 6

Succession Planning

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Definition

Ostrowki’s early definition of succession planning is focused on the continuity of leadership and limited to leadership within senior management or executive roles.17 However, more recently the definition has been stretched to include all levels in an organizational structure. The 8Rs Steering Committee referred to succession planning as “an often-used catch phrase within the library community to refer to a library’s level of preparedness (or lack of preparedness) for an anticipated shortage of library workers as the baby boomers retire.”18 Rothwell clarified the many definitions and made distinctions between replacement planning, succession planning, and workforce planning. Replacement planning identifies short- and long-term emergency backups for critical positions within a department. Succession planning identifies talents throughout the organization and creates ways to retain those talents for future promotion or broadening of job descriptions to provide higher levels of responsibility and leadership. Workforce planning applies succession planning to the entire organization, not just managerial levels.19 Rothwell and the 8Rs Steering Committee concurred that the definition of succession planning and management needs to extend “beyond the management ranks [and] is becoming more important as organizations take active steps to build high-performance and high-engagement work environments in which decision making is decentralized, leadership is diffused throughout an empowered workforce.”20 This idea can be difficult, particularly in academic libraries where hierarchical or pyramidal organizational structures (where there is one head of the library and other groups are subordinates) are still entrenched within the academic institution. These types of structures are incompatible with current succession planning models. Atkins pointed out, “While other academic units in colleges and universities have adopted various structures of administration and decision making … resembling the more democratic collegial models, the academic library has retained its basic hierarchical form.”21 The adoption of a succession plan can help to restructure the academic library as an academic unit with democratic governance, which will unify the library with its parent organization, the university.22

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Succession Planning at a Small Academic Library 115

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Models

As Blakesley indicated, while there is no standard model or succession planning process that can be adopted by every library, there are various steps every library should consider when creating a succession plan.23 Nixon provided a four-step model. First, analyze the demographics of key positions. Second, identify potential employees for lead positions. Third, assess candidates’ strengths and weaknesses. Finally, develop a training program to build upon competencies of the candidates.24 Most succession planning models are similar to this, but a fifth step is found in some literature—periodically monitoring the progress and making any changes required.25 An organization’s strategic plan and vision statement are key documents to review when creating a succession plan. They inform the organization about important areas of service and organizational culture.26 Other documents, such as training documents, mission statements, and background historical information should all be established and referred to, especially when dealing with workforce retirements where high levels of experience and important historical knowledge will be lost. An integral part of any succession plan model is training, mentoring, and supporting those who have been groomed to lead within the plan both before and after appointment to new positions. Bird suggested that professional development and conference attendance should be encouraged.27 Fitsimmons and Hall-Ellis and Grealy argued that institutions should nurture, guide, and support those with the potential to expand upon their current roles and responsibilities.28 Hall-Ellis and Grealy discussed the Dreyfus Model, which relies upon mentoring, coaching, and empowerment through professional development as a way to aid succession planning and management. Gonzalez stated, “Having more trained individuals than we need is better than lacking trained people when we need them, which is why we should not hesitate to engage in succession planning.”29 Hall-Ellis also reinforced the importance of developing a team approach to succession planning in order to create work tasks and manuals, crosstrain, and review organizational structure as part of the succession plan.30

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

116 Chapter 6

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Succession Planning

Coaching and mentoring, referred to in the Dreyfus Model, are some of the advantages of succession planning. Furthermore, succession planning opens up communication with the rest of the library. It allows for those with proven talents to develop and expand their knowledge. This, in turn, empowers employees and provides them with new opportunities to grow in their profession and within their library. Communication builds upon a collegial atmosphere, which is essential in an academic library setting. Bridgland highlighted some disadvantages of succession planning, including a possible lack of support from senior management. For a small academic library, where there are fewer staff members, a succession plan that singles out employees for potential promotion to leadership roles is disadvantageous. It leaves individuals feeling alienated from their colleagues who are not receiving attention from managers, and it is likely that this behavior would be seen as favoritism. Finally, practical implementation of duties could be lost if training includes only support of attendance at conferences, workshops, or seminars. Challenging work assignments and feedback are also vital for professional development. If there is a lack of communication regarding the plan, there will be a lack of support from employees and upper management, and this could result in morale problems.31

Applications for Small or Rural Academic Libraries

Succession plans are unique to each library.32 Applying a succession plan in a small or rural academic library is important when there are few staff who can act as backups. In a small or rural academic library, it is possible that the organizational structure consists of one or two librarians and the rest of the staff are paraprofessionals. A succession plan will ensure that more than one staff person will know the duties required in order to maintain service. The loss of even one person at a small or rural academic library can create a large gap in service. In a large academic setting, when a person leaves, there are more people to share the workload of one individual. Knowing that a small or rural ac-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Succession Planning at a Small Academic Library 117

ademic library already lacks a sizable staff, this potential gap in service is a prime reason that recruitment or outsourcing should be part of a succession plan. For recruitment purposes, it is critical that management pinpoint which areas of service are invaluable and crucial to the operation of the library. If a position is lost within one of those service areas, a plan must be set to determine how the position may be filled or how duties from the position will be covered. In a remote setting, the availability of qualified candidates within or outside the library is limited. It is difficult for academic libraries of all sizes to recruit without standard incentives, such as reasonable wages or benefits, but it is a greater challenge for small or rural academic libraries to locate, recruit, and retain such talent.33 Furthermore, Moran, Solomon, Marshall, and Rathbun-Grubb indicated that “the majority of people who left academic librarianship did so to seek better opportunities for career development or for more challenging work.”34 This observation is applicable to small or rural academic libraries, where remote settings and size could be unappealing for some potential candidates and also a challenge for both recruitment and retention. However, Williams highlighted some of the benefits of the smallness of small or rural academic libraries as a recruitment and retention strategy.35 With a lack of personnel, candidates find it appealing that positions at small or rural academic libraries are focused on unique skill sets, making positions independent in nature. At the same time, positions in small libraries also tend to be more flexible and varied in job duties because there are fewer people covering more service points.36 The benefits of expanding retention strategies to include the entire library workforce, not just librarians, includes empowerment of staff, higher efficiency in workflow and service, and increased morale across the entire library.37 In a small or rural academic library, the value of involving all staff is increased because there are fewer staff members, each with unique talents and skills that can provide a wide variety of support to the community. Professional development support should be provided to all those who wish to develop their talents and skill sets. Moran, Solomon, Marshall, and Rathbun-Grubb pointed out that in order to make workforce succession planning effective, we “need to provide a more flexible, nurturing and supportive work environment for all library staff that involves intellectually stimulating work, opportunities for leadership at all

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

118 Chapter 6

career stages, flexible work options at different periods of the life course, and continuing acknowledgement of the value of libraries and the meaningful contribution that employees are making through their work in libraries.”38 In a small or rural academic library, each position already has a significant amount of flexibility in comparison with positions in larger academic libraries. Also, including everyone in the development of the succession plan is less cumbersome in a small or rural academic library since communication to a small staff will be easier. A challenge to consider in succession planning in a small or rural academic library will be examining the current talent pool and finding ways to expand upon what currently exists. A smaller staff means a smaller selection of skills, experience, and knowledge, for which staff members should be evaluated, as well as individual strengths and weaknesses. Training and mentoring are important for developing additional skills and knowledge that will optimize service. Training and mentoring also help to build leadership and increase flexibility in staff duties. Succession plans provide incentives for employee retention. For instance, staff members who are cross-trained and have variety in their day-to-day duties are more likely to remain engaged and stay in employment for longer periods of time.39 With a decrease in staff (professional or paraprofessional), essential duties in the operation of the library may need to be spread out, and it is important not to create heavy workloads since small or rural academic library staff already wear many hats. The impact of too heavy a workload is increased stress, which may cause a drop in morale.40 Cross-training, a clear definition of priorities, guidance, and project management will help create a balance to ease concerns and stress levels of staff.41

Mount Allison University Description

Mount Allison University is located in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada, which has a population of roughly 5,500. For 18 of the past 24 years, Mount Allison has been rated by MacLean’s magazine as the number 1 undergraduate university.42 The university has a student full-time equivalent (FTE) of approximately 2,400 and has a 17:1 student-professor ratio—one of the lowest in the country.43

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Succession Planning at a Small Academic Library 119

The libraries and archives are housed in two buildings on campus: the Ralph Pickard Bell Library, home of the main library and archives, and the Alfred Whitehead Memorial Music Library, situated in the department of music. The libraries have had a presence in the university since the erection of the first building on campus in 1843.44

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Current Issues

The libraries and archives are currently staffed by the university librarian, seven librarians (including the archivist), one administrative assistant, seven staff members in access services (circulation and interlibrary loans), and five staff members in technical services. There have been nine retirements since 2012, and all but two have been replaced. The youngest member of the staff is 22 years old, and the oldest is over 65. There is only one retirement presently anticipated, but there are several staff who are able to retire at any time. Since 2012 there have also been four resignations and two layoffs, and two of those positions were replaced. Technical services is a unit within the library that provides support in the areas of acquisitions, cataloging, and serials. This is not an unusual division within a technical services department.45 Until 2004, the unit was comprised of ten staff and two librarians (a cataloging librarian and a technical services librarian, who was the head of the unit). In 2004–2005, one technical services staff member and the cataloging librarian left, and neither position was replaced. Another staff position was left unfilled in 2009–2010. The organizational structure of technical services as of 2012 is shown in figure 6.1. The head of acquisitions was a middle management position, supervising two technical services assistants (TSAs). These two positions divided acquisitions workload between monograph orders and serials orders. The two TSAs in these positions were also expected to do minimal amounts of cataloging and provide support to the music library’s circulation desk when needed. The cataloging technicians were responsible for all original and copy cataloging in the library. Two TSAs in cataloging specialized in minimal cataloging for new materials and government documents, but also backed up acquisitions. The recon and withdrawals clerk was a full-time, temporary contract position renewed annually for approximately ten years. This clerk was responsible for adding the pre-1980

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

120 Chapter 6

collection into the online catalog as well as withdrawing any resources the librarians deemed no longer valuable for the libraries’ collections. Finally, two serials assistants were responsible for claiming, check-in, and binding of the print serials collections as well as providing support to the public with the microform equipment and book repair.

Acquisitions Head of Acquisitions

Technical Services Assistant Technical Services Assistant

Cataloguing Technician

Technical Services Assistant

Technical Services Librarian

Technical Services Assistant

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Cataloguing Technician

Recon & Withdrawals Clerk

Cataloguing

Serials Assistant

Serials Serials Assistant

FiGURE 6.1

The organization structure of the Ralph Pickard Bell (RPB) Library’s technical services department in 2012�

From 2012 to 2015, the technical services unit eliminated the recon and withdrawals clerk’s temporary contract and had three retirements in cataloging, one retirement in acquisitions, and one layoff in serials. Two library technician positions (LTs) were created to replace the two cataloging technician positions. The LTs are similar to the

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Succession Planning at a Small Academic Library 121

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

cataloging technicians in that they are responsible for all original and copy cataloging; however, they are also cross-trained in acquisitions and circulation, and they have been trained in authority control and statistical data management. They will also assist in creating metadata for the university’s digital repository. The LT positions were expanded in this way in anticipation of the loss of the head of acquisitions position. The duties of the head of acquisitions involved acquisitions management, authority control, and statistical data management. The head of acquisitions retired in December 2015, and the position will not be filled. It was felt that the position included many redundancies, including supervision of two TSAs when it was actually the technical services librarian’s responsibility to supervise these staff members. The duties of the head of acquisitions have been split up among the technical services librarian, the LTs, and the TSAs. A final retirement, the remaining serials assistant, is predicted in June 2017, and it is hoped the position will be refilled, but not as a serials assistant. Instead, the serials assistant position will become a TSA, and the three TSAs will remain in technical services. The existing TSAs will also be cross-trained in serials management, including basic electronic resources management. Technical Services Librarian

Acquisitions, Serials Technical Services Assistant

Technical Services Assistant

Cataloguing Library Technician

Library Technician

Technical Services Assistant

FiGURE 6.2

The current organizational structure of the RPB Library’s technical services department�

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

122 Chapter 6

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

As seen in figure 6.2, the reorganization of technical services will reduce the department to five staff members and one librarian, still covering all three areas of cataloging, acquisitions, and serials and providing support to public services in circulation when needed. With such a small number of staff, each person will specialize in particular areas, responding to their own particular talents and strengths. Position titles have become more generalized, and position descriptions will reflect the flexibility to have backup support at all times for technical services and public services. The staff has a union, and the union collective agreement does not require a certain number of library staff to be employed; however, it does ensure that if positions are lost, it must be demonstrated that they are not needed for service. A method for assuaging union concerns would be to show a large portion of the job remaining unfilled to be incorporated into another position without additional personnel to fill those positions or outsourcing the duties to another position outside the jurisdiction of the staff union or to a vendor outside of the institution. In RPB Library’s case, the loss of staff through attrition was proven to avoid loss of service or require other positions to take over the additional duties and workload.

Succession Planning at Ralph Pickard Bell Library Determining Library Value

The university administration has felt for some time that the technical services unit of the library was too large in proportion to the size of the university itself. Discussions began in 2012 between the provost and the university librarian. The university librarian in turn met with the technical services librarian to continue discussions regarding succession planning. The intent was that several positions would not be replaced in technical services once the predicted retirements occurred. Thus, predictions of staff attrition and budget cuts were provided well in advance. At the same time as these discussions, the library created a statement regarding its values and guiding principles, and the final draft of this statement was released in 2014. The points relevant to the tech-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Succession Planning at a Small Academic Library 123

nical services unit were identified by reference to “a commitment to providing the highest level of service to all patrons; equitable access to information and knowledge; preservation and stewardship; connecting patrons with information and knowledge using the most effective services, tools, and systems possible; fostering a work environment characterized by mutual respect, openness, cooperation, and professionalism.”46 Officially, the library’s technical services unit has now been downsized by 50 percent within the last three years. This amount of change in the organizational structure has created a major state of flux within the entire library, especially within technical services. The mission of technical services is to provide support to students and faculty through the acquisition and provision of access to resources, which is a vital service provided by the library. To date, no other areas of the library have seen positions remain unfilled; however, there is an increased need to provide backup service in access services. This need was taken into consideration while preparing technical services’ succession plan and provides an additional sense that the library may evolve into a flatter organizational structure. The greatest challenge with downsizing is the overall expectancy of senior management, staff outside technical services, and the university community in general that technical services will perform at equal or higher levels of productivity. The situation reflects the one described by Mastraccio: “More with less is not a new theme, nor is it unique to libraries…. Libraries are required to provide more information resources, more access points, and more retrieval options. At the same time tightening budgets mean less money for both staff and cataloging.”47 However, acquisition budget cuts mean less volume of new material to order, receive, and catalog. At the same time, they provide the opportunity to catch up on the backlog of other materials and focus on different areas of the collection. In the long term, a smaller staff does not necessarily mean more with less, but it might mean different projects with higher efficiency workflows, especially within a small or rural academic library. A review of position descriptions was necessary to find new ways of maintaining workflow and productivity among a staff that was to be cut by half. It was beneficial that the staff attrition was predicted

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

124 Chapter 6

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

two years before the retirements began so that reorganization could be mapped out and implemented with minimal disruption in productivity and service. For RPB Library, additional replacement planning will be required to ensure all areas of the library are supported even when short-staffed. If the plan is implemented correctly, the university should see no change in service provided by library staff. When a unit is cut by half, questions are raised regarding the importance of the unit. However, technical services units are vital to the operations of a library. Gorman stated, “Technical services are as important in libraries today as they have always been. The imaginative use of technology to enhance and expand library services and resources has, to a great extent, stemmed from innovation in technical services areas.”48 Technical services is a unit that is often overlooked because it operates behind the scenes; however, the work technical services does has impact across all areas of the library operations.49 At RPB Library, technical services is responsible for the acquisitions budget, ordering, receiving, cataloging, and processing all materials in the collection for both libraries. The department plays an integral role in acquiring and maintaining access to the collections of Mount Allison University Libraries and Archives.

The Role of Communication

The staff’s ability to communicate their feelings about the staff changes was vital as they contributed to the succession plan’s final outcome. Communication helps to relieve tension, stress, and anxiety about change.50 At Mount Allison, several communication strategies were implemented. Within technical services itself, weekly informal meetings and monthly formal meetings are held. Also, weekly meetings occur within each area of technical services to discuss workflow efficiency, technical manuals, procedures, weekly training, and priorities. Winjum and Wu declared, “Setting priorities is an important aspect of managing change.”51 One-on-one meetings with each team member were also held as needed. The technical services librarian meets with the university librarian on a semi-monthly basis to provide updates on changes and plans and to voice any concerns on behalf of the staff within the unit. When updates are available, the technical services librarian also presents these at

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Succession Planning at a Small Academic Library 125

monthly library staff meetings. It is important to keep in regular communication with the university’s human resources department to ensure that there are no violations of the staff union collective agreement and that human resources is apprised of the changes to take place.

Training and Continuing Education

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

As Rothwell mentioned, replacement planning can be a part of a succession plan.52 For a team of six people in technical services, the inclusion of backup procedures when personnel are absent is essential. The procedures needed to be assessed and some staff needed cross-training as a result. Succession planning aids in creating step-by-step procedures and workflows to train new employees, as well as refreshing the memories of those staff who are only occasionally assigned certain tasks that will keep operations running smoothly. This idea of backup and training others to be able to support in several areas of the unit or library creates a teamwork environment. Many technical services units have reorganized into team-based structures since the 1990s. Reorganizations such as this have proven to “increase productivity and flexibility and to streamline operations.”53

Outcomes

As the predictions of staff attrition were made in technical services, and after examining the demographics within the department, the succession planning process was a fairly logical process: • key employees were identified to support the development of their talents, knowledge, and skills; • the employees who intended to retire were relied upon for their knowledge and experience relevant to the historical background of the library; • areas were identified where additional training would be required; • documentation was compiled to aid in succession and training of new staff; and • position descriptions were created and will be revised to be more flexible and broad, which will provide opportunities for growth within a flatter structure of the unit.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

126 Chapter 6

There is still one additional retirement expected, and no others are predicted for approximately ten years. However, this does not mean that the succession plan is complete. Training documents will be revisited on a regular basis, and professional development will continue to be supported. Unexpected layoffs and resignations could still occur, making the succession documents necessary to ensure smooth operations and service. Finally, emerging technologies and standards will have an effect on service and will offer new training and development opportunities. With a very small staff, communication and training are imperative to create a team environment where the opinions and suggestions of the paraprofessionals are valued.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Discussion In 1986, Rothstein began the conversation in Canada regarding the aging librarian profession. He stated that new graduates were unmotivated and disheartened by the lack of flexibility in their positions. After Rothstein’s survey of the staffing at three academic libraries, he felt drastic measures should be taken to correct the situation: job rotation and job enlargement. “Job rotation signifies changing jobs on a periodic basis … both with respect to department and level …. Job enlargement means abandoning narrow specialization in favor of broadening the librarian’s range of responsibilities.”54 Although Rothstein was referring to librarians, this should be a consideration for paraprofessional positions as well. For a small or rural academic library, job rotation and job enlargement are an important consideration in the succession planning discussion when the succession plan includes expected attrition or downsizing. RPB Library still has yet to fully implement this idea of rotating positions by allowing the staff to continue focusing on specialized talents, even if they will have backup. However, time will tell if the job enlargement of the LT and TSA positions is enough to provide opportunities and empower the staff in those positions.

Conclusion Not all universities can follow the same models of succession planning, especially small or rural academic libraries where staffing issues

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Succession Planning at a Small Academic Library 127

and budget situations are unique to each institution. However, RPB Library’s efforts to apply succession planning due to foreseen attrition created a positive outcome and opens up opportunities for a flatter organizational structure in the future. With plenty of preparation, the succession plan helped to reduce anxiety and stress among most of the staff. In fact, increasing communication sparked enthusiasm from staff who in the end looked forward to the changes and participated in making the changes occur. Succession planning is an effective management tool that has proven to help organizations of all types and sizes. Certainly, succession planning in a small or rural academic library is a vital step for efficient operation and provision of services.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Notes 1. Sylvia D. Hall-Ellis and Deborah S. Grealy, “The Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition: A Career Development Framework for Succession Planning and Management in Academic Libraries,” College and Research Libraries 74, no. 6 (November 2013): 587, doi:10.5860/crl12-349. 2. 8Rs Steering Committee, “Looking to the Future: Succession Planning, Continuing Education and the 8Rs Study,” Feliciter 51, no. 1 (2005): 31–35, CBCA Complete (223160905); Association of College and Research Libraries, Personnel Administrators and Staff Development Officers of Large Research Libraries Discussion Group, Ad Hoc Task Force on Recruitment and Retention Issues, Recruitment, Retention, and Restructuring: Human Resources in Academic Libraries (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2002); Rachel Franks, “Grey Matter: The Ageing Librarian Workforce, with a Focus on Public and Academic Libraries in Australia and the United States,” Australasian Public Libraries and Information Services 25, no. 3 (2012): 104–10; Carolyn E. Lipscomb, Elaine R. Martin, and Wayne J. Peay, “Building the Next Generation of Leaders: The NLM/AAHSL Leadership Fellows Program,” Journal of Library Administration 49, no. 8 (2009): 847–67, doi:10.1080/01930820903396970; Jenny McCarthy, “Planning a Future Workforce: An Australian Perspective,” New Review of Academic Librarianship 11, no. 1 (2005): 41–56, doi:10.1080/13614530500417669; Gail Munde, “Considerations for Managing an Increasingly Intergenerational Workforce in Libraries,” Library Trends 59, nos. 1/2 (2010): 88–108, ProQuest Research Library (840247146); Elena Romaniuk, “Losing Staff: The Seven Stages of Loss and Recovery,” Serials Librarian 66, no. 1–4 (2014): 241–47, doi:10.108 0/0361526X.2014.881169. 3. See Elizabeth Blakesley, “Planning for the Future: Sources to Explore about Succession Planning,” Library Leadership and Management 25, no. 2 (2011):

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

128 Chapter 6

4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24.

1, ProQuest Research Library (900576648); Hall-Ellis and Grealy, “Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition,” 587. William M. Curran, “Succession: The Next Ones at Bat,” College and Research Libraries 64, no. 2 (2003): 134, doi:10.5860/crl.64.2.134. Barbara B. Moran, Joanne Gard Marshall, and Susan Rathbun-Grubb, “The Academic Library Workforce: Past, Present, and Future,” Library Trends 59, no. 1/2 (2010): 212, ProQuest Research Library (840247261). Paul S. Ostrowski, “Prerequisites for Effective Succession Planning,” Management of Personnel Quarterly 7, no. 1 (1968): 11, ABI/INFORM Global (195876197). Moran, Marshall, and Rathbun-Grubb, “Academic Library Workforce,” 210. Samuel Rothstein, “Professional Staff in Canadian University Libraries,” Library Journal 111, no. 18 (1986): 31, Business Source Premier (7413880). Curran, “Succession,” 134. See Gwen Arthur, “The ‘Graying’ of Librarianship: Implications for Academic Library Managers,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 24, no. 4 (1998): 323, Business Source Premier (1111382); Franks, “Grey Matter,” 107. Blakesley, “Planning for the Future,” 2. Curran, “Succession,” 135. Mary Jo Lynch, Stephen Tordella, and Thomas Godfrey, “Retirement and Recruitment: A Deeper Look,” American Libraries 36, no. 1 (2005): 28, ProQuest Research Library (197171726). Munde, “Considerations for Managing,” 90. Sylvia Hall-Ellis, “Succession Planning and Staff Development—A Winning Combination,” Bottom Line 28, no. 3 (2015): 95–98, ABI/INFORM Global (1707016913). Robert H. Kieserman, “Issues in Library Human Resources Management,” Bottom Line 21, no. 4 (2008): 137, ABI/INFORM Global (219168595). Ostrowski, “Prerequisites for Effective Succession Planning,” 11. 8Rs Steering Committee, “Looking to the Future,” 31. William J. Rothwell, “Replacement Planning: A Starting Point for Succession Planning and Talent Management,” International Journal of Training and Development 15, no. 1 (2011): 89, 91 Business Source Premier (58467820). William J. Rothwell, Effective Succession Planning: Ensuring Leadership Continuity and Building Talent from Within (New York: Amacom, 2010), 9. Stephen E. Atkins, The Academic Library in the American University (Madison, WI: Parallel Press, 2003), 162, http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/ History.AcadLib. Ibid., 163. Blakesley, “Planning for the Future,” 1. Judith M. Nixon, “Growing Your Own Leaders: Succession Planning in Libraries,” Journal of Business and Finance Librarianship 13, no. 3 (2008): 256, doi:10.1080/08963560802183229.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Succession Planning at a Small Academic Library 129

25. For example, see New Brunswick, Human Resources, “Succession Planning: A 5 Step Process,” December 7, 2010, http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/ en/departments/human_resources/career_development/content/succession_ planning/five_step_process.html; Kathy Pennell, “The Role of Flexible Job Descriptions in Succession Management,” Library Management 31, nos. 4/5 (2010): 282, doi:10.1108/01435121011046344. 26. See Gary Fitsimmons, “Collective Succession Planning in Librarianship,” Bottom Line 26, no. 4 (2013): 143, doi:10.1108/BL-10-2013-0027; Cristina González, “Succession Planning at Notre Dame: Lessons for Librarians,” New Library World 114, no. 9 (2013): 409, doi:10.1108/NLW-04-2013-0035. 27. Jason Bird, “Ready and Waiting for the Future: New Librarians and Succession Planning,” Feliciter 51, no. 1 (2005): 36–37, CBCA Complete (223163607). 28. See Fitsimmons, “Collective Succession Planning,” 143; Hall-Ellis and Grealy, “Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition,” 587. 29. González, “Succession Planning at Notre Dame,” 413. 30. Hall-Ellis, “Succession Planning and Staff Development,” 96. 31. Angela Bridgland, “To Fill, or How to Fill—That Is the Question: Succession Planning and Leadership Development in Academic Libraries,” Australian Academic and Research Libraries 30, no. 1 (1999): 22–23, doi:10.1080/00048 623.1999.10755074. 32. Rothwell, Effective Succession Planning, 133. 33. Association of College and Research Libraries, Recruitment, Retention, and Restructuring, 14. 34. Barbara B. Moran, Paul Solomon, Joanne Gard Marshall, and Susan Rathbun-Grubb, “What Today’s Academic Librarians Can Tell Us about Recruiting and Retaining the Library Workforce of Tomorrow: Lessons Learned from the WILIS 1 Study” (paper presented at the Association of College and Research Libraries Fourteenth National Conference, Seattle, WA, March 12–15, 2009), 335, http://www.ala.org/acrl/files/conferences/confsandpreconfs/national/seattle/papers/331.pdf. 35. Delmus E. Williams, “Designing Jobs for Changing Libraries,” in Operations Handbook for the Small Academic Library, ed. Gerard B. McCabe (New York: Greenwood Press, 1989), 57. 36. Ibid. 37. Bridgland, “To Fill, or How to Fill,” 22. 38. Moran et al., “What Today’s Academic Librarians Can Tell Us,” 339. 39. See Hall-Ellis, “Succession Planning and Staff Development,” 96; Pennell, “Role of Flexible Job Descriptions,” 287; Rothstein, “Professional Staff in Canadian University Libraries,” 34. 40. Rana Zehra Masood, “Stress Management: A Key to Employee Retention,” Management Insight 7, no. 1 (2011): 102, http://inflibnet.ac.in/ojs/index. php/MI/article/view/920/829.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

130 Chapter 6

41. Aleksander P. J. Ellis and Matthew J. Pearsall, “Reducing the Negative Effects of Stress in Teams through Cross-Training: A Job Demands-Resources Model,” Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, And Practice 15, no. 1 (2011): 26, PsycARTICLES (2011-02126-001). 42. Mount Allison University, “Mount Allison University: History and Facts,” accessed August 16, 2015, http://www.mta.ca/prospective/about/mount_a_ essentials/history_and_facts/history_and_facts/. 43. Canadian Association of University Teachers, CAUT Almanac of Post-Secondary Education in Canada: 2014–15 (Ottawa: Canadian Association of University Teachers, 2015), 29, http://www.caut.ca/docs/default-source/almanac/ almanac-2014-2015.pdf?sfvrsn=4. 44. Mount Allison University Libraries and Archives, “Early Libraries 1843– 1927,” Pages through the Ages: A History of Mount Allison’s Libraries and Archives, accessed August 16, 2015, http://www.mta.ca/libraryhistory/early_libraries.html. 45. Roberta Winjum and Annie Wu, “Moving into the Future: Technical Services in Transformation: A Report of the Technical Services Managers in Academic Libraries Interest Group Meeting, American Library Association Annual Conference, Washington, DC, June 2010,” Technical Services Quarterly 28, no. 3 (2011): 351, doi:10.1080/07317131.2011.574526. 46. Mount Allison University Libraries and Archives, “Our Values and Guiding Principles,” April 14, 2014, http://libraryguides.mta.ca/about_the_libraries/values. 47. Mary L. Mastraccio, “Quality Cataloging with Less: Alternative and Innovative Methods,” in Innovative Redesign and Reorganization of Library Technical Services: Paths for the Future and Case Studies, ed. Bradford Lee Eden (Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004), 79. 48. Michael Gorman, Technical Services Today and Tomorrow (Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 1998), 6. 49. Mary Beth Weber, “The State of Technical Services Today,” in Rethinking Technical Services: Redefining Our Profession for the Future, ed. Mary Beth Weber (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2015), 25–26. 50. Petra Düren, “Leadership in Libraries in Times of Change,” IFLA Journal 39, no. 2 (2013): 138, doi:10.1177/0340035212473541. 51. Roberta Winjum and Annie Wu, “Shifting Technical Services Priorities to Meet Evolving Needs of the Institution: Report of the Technical Services Managers in Academic Libraries Interest Group Meeting, American Library Association Midwinter Meeting, Boston, January 2010,” Technical Services Quarterly 27, no. 4 (2010): 384, doi:10.1080/07317131.2010.500996. 52. Rothwell, “Replacement Planning,” 96. 53. Laurie Lopatin, “Review of the Literature: Technical Services Redesign and Reorganization,” in Innovative Redesign and Reorganization of Library Technical Services: Paths for the Future and Case Studies, ed. Bradford Lee Eden (Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004), 11. 54. Rothstein, “Professional Staff in Canadian University Libraries,” 34.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Chapter 7

Mission Possible Strategic Planning for Small Academic Libraries Darla Haines

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Manchester University

Rebecca Johnson Manchester University

Jill Lichtsinn Manchester University

Edita Sicken Manchester University

Introduction Strategic planning, most often associated with government and big business, has been gaining traction in libraries over the past thirty years. Large businesses and libraries at research institutions have much in common, but the feasibility and benefits of strategic planning at 131

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

132 Chapter 7

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

small libraries may not be as clear. At Manchester University, librarians wrestled with the following questions: What does a strategic plan look like for a small academic library? Can librarians find time in their busy schedules to create one? What are the benefits, and will they be worth the effort involved? Upon completion, how does the strategic plan remain relevant to librarians with a variety of day-to-day responsibilities? Throughout the process, the librarians at Manchester University learned the importance of commitment and persistence and began to see the benefits of the plan before it was even finished. Now Funderburg Library has a three-year strategic plan focused on increasing the library’s value to students, faculty, and administrators. Despite limitations of staff size and time, librarians discovered that strategic planning is a “mission possible” for small and rural academic libraries. This chapter begins with a literature review, which will examine terminology and summarize process models for strategic planning. Subsequent sections describe strategic planning from the perspective of Funderburg Library, including the process, the plan itself, implementation, and early outcomes. The chapter will conclude with a broadbased view of the implications, benefits, and best practices relevant to small and rural academic libraries.

Literature Review Without a strategic plan, most libraries function on an operational level. There are a variety of tasks to be accomplished: purchasing resources, providing instruction, developing web content, and so on, and “planning” consists of deciding who will do what, when, and how. This approach ensures a cycle of productivity, but little else. Strategic planning, in contrast, focuses on the big picture. Roberts and Wood described it as “a systematic process of envisioning a desired future, and translating this vision into broadly defined goals or objectives and a sequence of steps to achieve them.”1 Simply put, it provides an organization with the opportunity “to determine where it is, where it wants to be, and how to get there.”2 Strategic planning typically begins with creating mission and vision statements. An organization’s mission statement “clarifies [its] purpose.”3 It answers the question, “Why are we here?” by explaining

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Mission Possible 133

what the organization does, who it serves, and what makes it unique.4 The vision statement answers the question, “Where are we going?”5 and describes “what the organization should look like and how it should behave as it fulfills its mission.”6 The mission and vision statements provide purpose and motivation, which must be followed by the hard work of asking “How do we get there?” At this point, terminology in the literature (and in the plans themselves) varies. Librarians at Santa Clara University took a three-tiered approach, defining broad “strategic priorities” supported by specific “goals” that would be achieved through even more specific “objectives.”7 Indiana University Bloomington Libraries started with “core goals” supported by “objectives” that are met by implementing specific “strategies.”8 At Western Libraries (Western Washington University), librarians also began with “goals” supported by “objectives,” but the means are referred to as “strategic initiatives.”9 No matter what terminology is used, the end result is the same. Broad statements about the library’s role on campus are backed up by increasingly more specific statements that describe how the library will fulfill that role. While there is plenty of information available on strategic planning in larger academic libraries, it is difficult to find much literature aimed specifically at their small or rural counterparts. In fact, a variety of keyword and subject searches in Library, Information Science, and Technology Abstracts yielded only a few articles that touched on strategic planning in the context of dealing with budget limitations, interlibrary loan assessment, and website administration.10 An article discussing the importance of aligning the library’s goals with its institution’s mission, written by the library director at Champlain College, came closest to addressing the strategic planning process at a small library.11 The librarians at Champlain achieved alignment with the university by “capturing the intent and spirit of [the college’s vision] in terms that can be realized in the context of the library.”12 For example, the college’s vision to “educate today’s students to become skilled practitioners, effective professionals and global citizens” became the library’s goal to “help educate students to become skilled, effective, responsible information users.”13 Mirroring the goals of the library’s institution, especially in times of greater demand for accountability, is also emphasized by MacDonald and vanDuinkerken, Franklin, and Birdsall and Hensley.14

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

134 Chapter 7

While the literature on strategic planning in small academic libraries is sparse, a 2010 survey conducted for the American Library Association CLIP Note series shows that small college libraries recognize the importance of strategic planning. Out of 134 responding college and university libraries, 54.5 percent had a strategic plan,15 and of those that did not, 31 percent were developing one or planned to within the next year.16 Although the CLIP Note is called Strategic Planning in College Libraries, which suggests a focus on undergraduate institutions, the survey included Master’s Colleges and Universities, as well as four Doctoral Universities. However, since 69.4 percent of respondents were libraries serving fewer than 4,000 students,17 small libraries are strongly represented in the results. Libraries at large institutions often engage in lengthy processes based on documented models such as the Hensley-Schoppmeyer model and John Bryson’s “Strategy Change Cycle.”18 The former presents a six-step plan that includes involving various stakeholders (faculty, students, administration, and other departments), scanning the environment, and analyzing strategic options. The development of goals does not appear until step four and is described as “designing unit plans.”19 As part of adopting the plan, the model stresses advocacy and awareness, which librarians recognize as vital to the plan’s success. Bryson’s model, developed for public and nonprofit organizations, advocates a ten-step process that also involves extensive preparation and assessment.20 Both models emphasize the importance of ongoing planning, review, and evaluation, which are essential to any strategic planning process, no matter how large or small the organization. While small academic libraries may be able to glean bits of wisdom and advice from these models, most have neither the staff nor the time to devote to such complex processes.

Funderburg Library: Both Small and Rural Manchester University, a private liberal arts and sciences school, serves 1,500 undergraduate, graduate, and pharmacy students. The undergraduate campus, home to Funderburg Library, is in North Manchester, a town of 6,000 people located in the farm belt of northern Indiana.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Mission Possible 135

Librarians manage a large array of resources and services through the library’s website,21 as well as in the 42,000 square foot brick-andmortar building housing approximately 125,000 volumes. Library staff members include four full-time librarians, an administrative assistant, and a part-time archivist. Information literacy instruction is provided, along with reference assistance, interlibrary loan, course reserves, and institutional learning management system support. In addition, librarians are appointed to university committees and are actively serving in state library organizations. Funderburg librarians also participate in working groups and hold leadership roles in the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI).22 Comprised of twenty-three consortial libraries, PALNI collaborates to acquire and provide resources and share expertise. Librarians at Manchester University took part in the initial stages of brainstorming for the PALNI consortium’s strategic plan and have continued involvement as a member of the PALNI board and chair of one of the working groups. Involvement in PALNI’s strategic plan sparked a local interest in creating a strategic plan for Funderburg Library.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Planning: From Operational to Strategic Although Funderburg Library did not have a mission statement or a strategic plan prior to 2015, the library did serve its traditional purpose: to develop collections and provide services in support of the academic curriculum. Much good work has been done over the years to support students in their coursework and faculty in their teaching and research, but librarians rarely moved beyond these basic tasks. In the spring of 2014, all university departments at Manchester were charged with writing a mission statement. The library director, who had been recently promoted to that role, recognized this as an opportunity to begin discussions about expanding the library’s services and raising its profile on campus. Having observed PALNI’s progress over the last several years, the director believed that developing a strategic plan for Funderburg Library was the best way to articulate and achieve its goals. A mission statement was crafted that spring, but with one librarian retiring and the search for a new colleague taking place over the

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

136 Chapter 7

summer, it was not until the fall of 2014 that work on both the vision and plan began in earnest. Coincidentally, Manchester’s president was promoting the university’s mission, vision, and strategic goals around this time. His message resonated with librarians and reminded them of the importance of connecting the library’s mission to the institution’s. To this end, the library’s mission statement unites staff under a common purpose, the vision statement articulates their aspirations, and the strategic plan describes how to achieve them.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

The Process For small and rural academic libraries in particular, finding time to develop a strategic plan is a challenge. Unlike librarians in larger institutions, those at smaller schools often fill multiple roles, bouncing back and forth between public and technical aspects of librarianship. At Manchester, librarians were able to integrate strategic planning into this balancing act by devoting small amounts of time to it on a regular basis. At weekly meetings, the plan was a standing agenda item, even if it could be addressed for only ten to fifteen minutes. Progress was slow, but steady. Between meetings, librarians brainstormed individually and contributed to a strategic plan draft in a shared Google Doc. Meetings were used for discussion and editing. By tackling small items one at a time (the mission, vision, individual goals, and action items under each goal), busy librarians can develop a strategic plan while still keeping up with day-to-day responsibilities. Once librarians committed time for strategic planning, they started looking at the mission and vision statements of Manchester University, followed by plans (including mission and vision statements) from other small academic libraries in Indiana and Ohio. These were not always easy to find, since strategic planning is more likely to take place at larger institutions, but librarians felt that examples from libraries with similar staff and funding would be more relevant and adaptable. In the end, plans from St. Francis University, Franklin University, and Butler University (all members of PALNI) were consulted. Mount Union, a small college in Ohio, was included as well. Since there were so few small libraries with plans, librarians also looked at Kent State University (alma mater of two of Manchester’s librarians) and Cleveland State

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Mission Possible 137

University, whose planning documents were readily available online. The primary interest was to examine the components, organization, and level of detail in the various plans. A review of institutional mission and vision statements and strategic plans revealed that definitions varied widely. Mission and vision statements were often interchangeable, with no distinction between the two. The scope and extent of the strategic plans varied as well. Some provided only a list of bullet points while others went into great detail about how each piece of the plan related to the whole, how it would be executed, when, and by whom. In the end, Funderburg librarians approached the planning process by asking questions similar to those described in the literature review above: What is the library’s purpose? What role could the library play in the life of the university? What needs to be done to make that happen? The strategic plan structure came from PALNI’s strategic plan, which sets forth goals supported by action items.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Mission, Vision, Plan Funderburg Library’s mission statement is informed by Manchester University’s mission,23 which addresses both the quality of students’ education and the preparation they receive for the future. The library’s mission describes how it contributes to a quality education by “providing a variety of resources and services supporting the curriculum,”24 but it moves beyond that to consider the future by “establishing a foundation for lifelong learning in an ever changing information environment.”25 Library staff may have different titles and job descriptions, but the mission unites them. Working in a small academic library makes maintaining that unity easier because staff are not functioning in isolated silos, focusing on (and caring about) only their individual contributions. The small setting encourages frequent interactions, allowing librarians to share ideas and seek advice. At Funderburg Library, staff recognize the importance of working together to achieve a common purpose. While the mission statement is grounded in the present, the vision statement looks to the future.26 In response to asking what role the library should play at Manchester, the answer was to be “both a

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

138 Chapter 7

physical and virtual presence on campus that contributes to student learning, growth, and success.”27 Here, too, the vision starts with the immediate purpose of learning, but moves beyond that to growth and success, which applies equally to students’ time at Manchester and to the future. This vision illustrates the library’s potential and inspires the creation of the strategic plan. Funderburg Library’s strategic plan consists of six goals.28 Action items include continuing tasks, such as providing interlibrary loan service and maintaining the online catalog; special projects that will enhance services and improve the library’s reputation on campus; and initiatives such as the personal librarian program and partnering with the Writing Center staff to offer research skills instruction. Although the strategic plan is designed for a three-year period, librarians recognize that it is important to continually revisit it. Over the past year, new action items, such as creating an off-campus course to visit libraries and museums in Germany and Austria, have been added to previously completed sections. As the plan is implemented, it is also possible that some items could be removed due to unforeseen circumstances. Applying an iterative process to planning allows for flexibility, improvement, and course corrections based on the progress so far. To be most effective and relevant, to keep it from being filed away and forgotten, the strategic plan must be subject to continuous review so that it becomes a living work.

Implementation and Outcomes at Funderburg Library Librarians at Manchester University completed the strategic plan in the summer of 2015 and immediately began the implementation process to move the plan from words into practice. The action items under each goal were evaluated based on whether they were part of current practices or new initiatives, the amount of time and resources they require, and for special projects, the urgency of completion. They were then placed in the first, second, or third year of a three-year time line and assigned to the relevant librarians. Continual review and revision applies to the time line as well. For instance, librarians wanted to start recruiting faculty who would allow them to be embedded in their

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Mission Possible 139

courses in the learning management system. However, since Manchester is in the midst of restructuring and liaison areas will be shifting, that action item was moved from the first to the third year, giving librarians time to develop relationships in their new areas. When the proposal for this chapter was submitted, librarians had recently completed the strategic plan, so implementation is still in the early stages. At the time of this writing, discussing outcomes would be little more than speculation. Also, with so many new programs and initiatives, there is no baseline of past performance against which to measure current results. Despite the lack of formal outcomes, librarians have made progress with a few action items that address collaboration and assessment. The first goal of the Funderburg Library strategic plan revolves around reaching out to faculty, staff, and student leaders to promote the library in the lives of students and to enhance their learning. Initial efforts focused on incoming first-year students as librarians partnered with student orientation leaders and First Year Seminar (FYS) faculty to increase student familiarity with the library and its services. Librarians addressed another year-one action item by collaborating with the campus Writing Center to offer research support to students outside the library. The second goal of the strategic plan deals with assessment. Prior to the inception of the plan, assessment efforts were irregular and inconsistent, making them of little use. First steps toward developing better assessment strategies include creating online evaluation forms for post-session feedback from students in instruction sessions and for overall perceptions of success from faculty and students at the end of the semester. In addition, the library director attended a regional academic library assessment conference in November 2015. In an effort to improve accountability, Funderburg librarians publicized their strategic plan on campus with a variety of approaches. Before the start of the fall 2015 semester, librarians met with the Vice President for Academic Resources to discuss the philosophy behind the document, the specific goals and action items, and the three-year time line for implementation. The plan was also made publicly available through a LibGuide and condensed (along with Funderburg Library’s vision statement) into a bookmark that was given to faculty.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

140 Chapter 7

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Implications and Benefits for Small Academic Libraries The greatest obstacle to strategic planning for small academic libraries is a lack of time and staff. By simplifying the process, committing small chunks of time, and accepting that it may take a while, librarians can create a plan that will provide a framework for integrating traditional tasks and new initiatives. Without this framework, it is far too easy to live day-to-day, handling routine functions and putting out fires, leaving little time for the kind of work required to ensure the library is a valued participant in campus life. The information environment has changed dramatically in the last thirty years, and libraries have successfully adapted to these changes. However, as is typical with the day-to-day approach, efforts to adapt have often been reactive. Strategic planning encourages being proactive, leading the change rather than just responding to it. The process fosters self-awareness and encourages big-picture thinking, and the plan itself promotes accountability and functions as a tool for advocacy. Fostering self-awareness is one of the most critical and rewarding parts of generating a strategic plan. Library staff need to ask themselves questions such as “What do we do well?” “What can we do better?” and especially, “What else could we do?” Knowing their strengths gives librarians confidence in their abilities and a desire to share their expertise with others. Understanding what areas need improvement provides an opportunity to develop skills and services. Considering what else could be done engages the imagination and propels the library into the future. Developing self-awareness and looking to the future requires taking time to stand back and consider the big picture. Strategic planning starts with the big picture. It asks librarians to analyze their environment and the library’s role in that environment. Goals and action items are then based on what it will take for the library to fulfill that role. Big-picture thinking is more likely to inspire creative ideas and outof-the-box solutions that can lead the library in new directions. The resulting plan acts as a road map to the future, a reminder of where the library wants to go and why it is important to get there. When the strategic plan is complete, it is important to publicize it. Getting the message out makes the library accountable for what it

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Mission Possible 141

promises to accomplish. This is especially true in small academic institutions where library staff have the opportunity to interact with a large portion of the campus community. The strategic plan creates expectations among administrators, faculty, and students and keeps librarians motivated to carve out time to address special projects and new initiatives. Accountability inspires individuals to achieve things previously thought impossible, which leads to the satisfaction of watching brainstormed ideas move from theory to development to completion. In addition to promoting accountability, a well-crafted strategic plan, one that aligns the library’s mission, vision, and goals with those of the institution, is a valuable tool for advocacy. If administrators understand how the library supports the work of the institution, they will be more likely to provide the resources and personnel that are needed. In a similar manner, faculty need to know that librarians support their work and share their objectives of promoting learning, encouraging critical thinking, and improving student performance. If faculty understand that librarians can be partners in pursuit of student success, perhaps they will seek advice and request help more frequently.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Best Practices There is no single set of best practices that will apply to every library. Part of making strategic planning work in small academic libraries is being able to adapt the process to best suit the individual library’s needs. Based on their experiences, Manchester librarians identified seven best practices that can function as a starting point for strategic planning in small or rural academic libraries.

1. Devote Time to Plan

Whether setting aside two hours a week or only twenty minutes at the end of weekly meetings, librarians must be committed to strategic planning. With focus and perseverance, the process can be just as meaningful and effective when done in small increments.

2. Research Example Plans

Looking at strategic plans for other libraries can provide inspiration by

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

142 Chapter 7

giving librarians the opportunity to assess common themes, vocabulary, and structure. They can then use or adapt what is most appropriate for their library as they develop a working plan.

3. Align Library Mission and Vision

When librarians align the mission and vision statements with those of the institution they serve, they position the library as a valuable contributor to overarching campus priorities. Promoting the library as a partner ensures relevance and paves the way for future collaborations.

4. Determine Goals and Action Items

Creativity plays a major role in the development of goals and action items. Having clear goals in place will help guide innovation as librarians respond to changes in the academic environment by creating and implementing new services.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

5. Set a Time Line

A three-year plan allows librarians to look to the future while remaining flexible in a changing environment. Action items should be evaluated based on the library’s ability to implement them and then assigned to the first, second, or third year of the time line.

6. Create a Visual

Creating an information graphic of the strategic plan and posting it at librarians’ desks keeps the library’s mission and vision front and center. An appealing visual representation of the library’s goals and action items can serve as inspiration as librarians do their daily work.29

7. Review the Plan

The strategic plan should be assessed yearly, at minimum, in order to cycle through completed action items, create additional items as necessary, and shift ongoing items to a new time line. Regular assessment keeps the plan relevant and up-to-date, and the review process provides a way to make necessary adjustments as the academic library moves toward its vision.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Mission Possible 143

Conclusion Working in small or rural academic libraries usually means that there are a limited number of librarians to perform a wide variety of tasks. Librarians answer reference questions, plan and deliver instruction, catalog materials, manage student workers, administer course management systems, and fill interlibrary loan requests. With a myriad of responsibilities vying for attention, it can be difficult to justify making time for something that seems to have little influence on day-to-day work. Without a mission, vision, and plan, these necessary tasks can consume all of our energy, but by making the time to create a strategic plan, to define goals and the steps required to achieve them, small academic libraries can find new ways to contribute to student learning and have a lasting impact on students’ lives.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Notes 1. Ken Roberts and Daphne Wood, “Strategic Planning: A Valuable, Productive and Engaging Experience (Honest),” Feliciter 58, no. 5 (2012): 10. 2. Gordon Aamot, “Getting the Most out of Strategic Planning: How Libraries Can Create Strategy Ovens,” College and Research Libraries News 68, no. 7 (2007): 418. 3. John M. Bryson, Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995), 67. 4. Neville Lake, Strategic Planning Workbook (London: Kogan Page, 2012), 94. ebrary (10555728). 5. Lake, Strategic Planning Workbook, 96. 6. Bryson, Strategic Planning, 67. 7. Jennifer Nutefall, “How an Outside Facilitator Helped Us Create a Better Strategic Plan,” Library Leadership and Management 29, no. 3 (2015): 4. 8. IU Bloomington Libraries, Strategic Plan 2013–2016 (Bloomington: Indiana University Libraries, July 2013), https://libraries.indiana.edu/sites/default/ files/IUL_Strategic_Plan_FINAL_July2013.pdf. 9. Elizabeth Stephan, “Strategic Planning on the Fast Track,” Library Leadership and Management 20, no. 4 (2010): 194–95. 10. Ryan O. Weir, “Trimming the Library Materials Budget: Communication and Preparation as Key Elements,” Serials Review 36, no. 3 (2010): 147–51, doi:10.1016/j.serrev.2010.06.003; Debra Lucas, “Interlibrary Loan Assessment: Assessing Services in a Small Private College Library’s Interlibrary Loan Department,” Journal of Interlibrary Loan, Document Delivery and Electronic Reserves 19, no. 4 (2009): 309–16, doi:10.1080/10723030903284687; Susan

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

144 Chapter 7

M. Ryan, “Library Web Site Administration: A Strategic Planning Model for the Smaller Academic Library,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 29, no. 4 (2003), 207–18. Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts (10684065). 11. Janet R. Cottrell, “What Are We Doing Here, Anyway? Tying Academic Library Goals to Institutional Mission,” College and Research Libraries News 72, no. 9 (2011): 516–20. 12. Ibid., 517. 13. Ibid., 518. 14. Karen I. MacDonald and Wyoma vanDuinkerken, “Libraries Surviving as Entrepreneurial Organizations: A Creative Destruction Perspective,” New Library World 116, no. 7/8 (2015): 406–19, doi:10.1108/NLW-01-2015-0005; Brinley Franklin, “Aligning Library Strategy and Structure with the Campus Academic Plan: A Case Study,” Journal of Library Administration 49, no. 5 (2009): 495–505; Douglas G. Birdsall and Oliver D. Hensley, “A New Strategic Planning Model for Academic Libraries,” College and Research Libraries 55, no. 2 (1994): 149–59. 15. Eleonora Dubicki, comp., Strategic Planning in College Libraries (Chicago: College Library Information Packet Committee, College Libraries Section, Association of College and Research Libraries, 2011), 4. 16. Ibid., 9. 17. Ibid., 14. 18. Birdsall and Hensley, “A New Strategic Planning Model,” 150; Bryson, Strategic Planning, 23. 19. Birdsall and Hensley, “A New Strategic Planning Model,” 155. 20. Bryson, Strategic Planning, 23. 21. Funderburg Library website, Manchester University, accessed July 23, 2015, http://manchester.edu/library. 22. Private Academic Library Network of Indiana home page, accessed December 15, 2015, http://www.palni.org. 23. “Funderburg Library participates in the mission of Manchester University by providing a variety of resources and services supporting the curriculum and establishing a foundation for lifelong learning in an ever changing information environment” (from “Funderburg Library Strategic Plan,” Manchester University, last modified October 29, 2015, http://libguides.manchester.edu/ strategicplan); “Manchester University respects the infinite worth of every individual and graduates persons of ability and conviction who draw upon their education and faith to lead principled, productive, and compassionate lives that improve the human condition” (from “Mission and Values,” Manchester University, accessed April 11, 2016, http://www.manchester.edu/about-manchester/mission-and-values). 24. “Funderburg Library Strategic Plan.” 25. Ibid.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Mission Possible 145

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

26. “Funderburg Library will be recognized as both a physical and virtual presence that contributes to student learning, growth, and success. The physical library will be a welcoming place for students, faculty, and staff to connect with information and each other. The virtual library will connect users to a wide range of targeted resources and to librarians who can provide guidance” (from “Funderburg Library Strategic Plan”). 27. “Funderburg Library Strategic Plan.” 28. Ibid. 29. Funderburg librarians used Canva (https://www.canva.com) to create their strategic plan graphic. This tool provides a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) interface with free eye-catching design templates.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Section Four: Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Instruction

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Chapter 8

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment Using Quick Writes to Gather Authentic Evidence of Student Learning Henri Mondschein California Lutheran University

Introduction Information literacy instruction (ILI) assessment is an important part of the teaching process, and it is being practiced increasingly by academic librarians. However, little exposure to assessment practices in library and information science (LIS) education programs and a paucity of professional development opportunities prevent instruction librarians from implementing assessment initiatives. Librarians at small or rural academic libraries are further constrained by tight budgets and small staffs; they face additional challenges in procuring professional 149

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

150 Chapter 8

development funding and even finding the time to leave campus and travel to conferences.1 Regardless of these barriers, performing ILI assessment is achievable. When done correctly, ILI assessment provides tangible evidence of students’ competencies, ongoing feedback on the effectiveness of librarians’ pedagogical methods, and information regarding how well students are learning the concepts and skills librarians work so hard to convey during reference encounters and instruction sessions. ILI assessment is often linked to attitudinal and satisfaction surveys that solicit feedback about particular experiences such as instruction sessions. Another common measure is the self-assessment survey, defined by Siztmann and her colleagues as “learners’ estimates of how much they know or have learned about a particular domain.”2 Self-assessments primarily ask respondents to rate their acumen regarding certain skill sets or knowledge bases. In principle, these surveys are valid and gather useful feedback; however, they are not assessments of learning. It is also not uncommon for students to provide glowing feedback about their mastery of information literacy (IL) concepts. For example, although students may feel quite confident searching the web or Google Scholar and using social media, do they have the same self-assurance when searching library databases? Are they competent with using subject terms found in an online thesaurus? Can they demonstrate these abilities? Surveys eliciting self-reported feedback simply fall short by not providing tangible evidence of student knowledge.3 Having an ILI assessment plan that underscores direct assessment is particularly valuable because such an initiative provides “actionable evidence of areas of success and weakness, at the assignment, classroom, and curricular level to allow librarians to make changes at all of these points to improve student learning.”4 For librarians at small or rural institutions, a strong assessment initiative generating quantifiable evidence of information literacy outcomes can raise the library’s visibility. Equally important, an assessment initiative will demonstrate to administrators and teaching faculty that librarians are valuable partners in the collective effort to meet campus student learning outcomes and improve overall student success. This chapter will review the benefits of direct assessment, discuss how direct assessment impacts library value, highlight how California

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment 151

Lutheran University (Cal Lutheran) implemented direct assessment using the quick write in its ILI plan, and introduce best practices for implementing direct ILI assessment initiatives at the small academic library.

Literature Review Assessment and Evaluation

The distinction between assessment and evaluation should be clear. In the context of education, assessment occurs at the individual level and focuses on what students have learned, whereas evaluation is focused on the program level and measures, for example, the effectiveness of a library’s operations and services.5 Alternatively, Suskie characterized evaluation as using assessment information to make an informed judgment on whether students have achieved learning goals; strengths and weaknesses of teaching and learning strategies; and decisions about making changes in teaching and learning strategies.6

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Indirect and Direct Assessment

Assessment can be indirect or direct. Elbeck and Bacon defined indirect assessment as “measures which are assumed to be related to learning that do not involve scoring learner task performance or demonstration,” and direct assessment as “scoring a student’s task performance or demonstration as it relates to the achievement of a specific learning goal.”7 Indirect assessment includes fixed-choice tests such as multiple-choice, matching, and true/false examinations. Indirect assessments are easy to administer and score; however, they do not measure higher-order thinking skills or allow students to demonstrate recently acquired skills or knowledge.8 For example, it is difficult for students completing an indirect assessment to convey a problem-solving strategy for using the library’s discovery tool to research articles, books, e-books, or streaming video. Direct assessment, also called authentic and performative assessment, underscores student products or performances that demonstrate competencies and show how specific learning has occurred. As Brown affirmed, students make active use of theoretical material and apply

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

152 Chapter 8

their knowledge in “actual, contemporary and practical contexts.”9 This is often accomplished by collecting student work based on completing “real-life tasks” from “real world” situations.10 Direct assessment activities like quick writes overcome some of the limitations of indirect approaches because they enable students to create work samples that demonstrate specific skills and knowledge. In turn, the librarian can evaluate the quality of the student work with the aid of a scoring rubric that describes components of a specific task and levels of mastery.11 Additionally, direct assessments enable librarians to substantiate the impact of library instruction and student learning and also enable librarians to measure students’ higher-order thinking skills and deep learning and inquiry strategies.12 Table 8.1 offers a comparison of direct and indirect assessment measures. TABLE 8.1

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Direct and indirect assessment measures Direct Assessment Measures

Indirect Assessment Measures

Authentic performances

Exit interviews

One minute papers

Focus groups

Quick writes

Objective tests

Oral presentations

Perceived value/extent of learning experiences

Portfolios

Perceptions about learning

Projects

Retention rates

Written papers

Surveys Time to degree

Direct Measurement Techniques

ILI assessment is based on measurement techniques prevalent in higher education pedagogy. In a literature review on this topic, Walsh summarized the most popular forms of ILI assessments. Common indirect assessments include multiple-choice questionnaires, tests or quizzes, and self-assessments. Popular direct assessments include portfolios and essays. Librarians also utilize observations, asking students to search the online catalog as they observe the impact of instruction based on

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment 153

the search strategies students employ. Simulations, a related technique, are used infrequently, but, like observation, enable librarians to analyze actual behavior rather than theoretical knowledge.13

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Quick Writes: A Brief Overview

Quick writes originated in secondary education science classes as a response to the call for better approaches to assessing deep understanding and to gauging change in student understanding over time. Quick writes are a tool that enables teachers to better meet the learning needs of students by providing teachers with valuable feedback to modify instruction when needed.14 In quick writes, students are given a prompt—such as a short passage from a reading—and are assigned to write a response as quickly as they can about the passage.15 Quick write exercises are an effective direct assessment method that captures evidence of student learning while providing engaging active learning activities within the constraints of a fifty-minute instruction session—something that is especially important for librarians at smaller institutions who face time and staffing constraints but need to gather valuable student learning data. The quick write can be given as an activity after the librarian presents practical concepts and skills (e.g., using the discovery tool, searching library databases, or creating a reference in a particular style). In this context, the quick write becomes an active learning exercise that breaks up the instruction session and allows the students to reinforce what they just learned while providing formative assessment as well.

Demonstrating Value through ILI Assessment and Planning

The literature endorses the use of assessment data to demonstrate how the library provides value and contributes to the overall institutional mission. Oakleaf ’s comprehensive work on the value of academic libraries highlighted ten key areas where librarians can demonstrate how their libraries positively impact students, faculty, and the institution. Key measures highlighting links between students, ILI assessment, and library value include enrollment, retention, success, achievement, and learning.16

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

154 Chapter 8

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Assessment Cycles and Direct Assessment

The literature indicates that good assessment is based on a cycle consisting of discrete stages called the Information Literacy Instruction Assessment Cycle (ILIAC; see figure 8.1). Thus, understanding assessment cycles can help one determine in which instruction environments direct assessment can be used most effectively. In addition, using an assessment model allows librarians to plan better instruction sessions by identifying specific learning outcomes to address. In turn, this can lead to more effective pedagogy and ultimately provide concrete evidence of learning. Maki’s original five-stage model and expanded seven-stage model is a common one that can be used in direct assessment planning. In the original model, the first stage entails defining learning goals that should answer the question “What do you want the students to do?” The next stage is to identify learning outcomes, which addresses the key question, “What do the students need to know in order to complete the task?” The third stage in the cycle involves selecting a pedagogical method and asking, “What is the learning activity or teaching method that best enables the learning?” In the fourth stage, the librarian implements learning activities and may use formative assessment techniques to gauge student understanding and revise the instruction session as needed. The fifth stage requires gathering data to check learning. This is where one implements a survey, test, or quick write. The librarian also selects a criterion for evaluating the work students have done and asks, “How will I know how the students performed?”17 The expanded model highlights two additional stages; the “interpret data” stage and the “enact decisions” stage. The interpretation step requires the librarian to analyze and synthesize the assessment data. In the final step, “enact decisions,” the librarian makes determinations and takes actions that will lead to revised learning goals, improvements in the instructional techniques, or changes in the gathering or interpreting of assessment data. This last step is essential for “closing the loop” in the assessment cycle since it encourages the instructor to make practical use of the findings and conclusions. For example, librarians might modify a lesson plan to devote more attention to a concept for a future class based on quick write scores.18

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment 155

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

FiGURE 8.1

The seven-stage Information Literacy Instruction Assessment Cycle (ILIAC)� Oakleaf, Megan, “The Information Literacy Instruction Assessment Cycle: A Guide for Increasing Student Learning and Improving Librarian Instructional Skills�”Journal of Documentation 65, no 4 (2009): 539-560� doi:10�1108/00220410910970249� Adapted with permission from Megan Oakleaf and Emerald Group Publishing Limited�

The use of direct assessment techniques like quick writes should be included in an assessment plan. Assessment plans serve as a framework that guides instruction librarians in creating lesson plans and direct assessments that are anchored in broader campus student learning objectives. Oakleaf noted that successful assessment must increase student learning, strengthen instructional programs, and answer calls for accountability.19 Oakleaf also encourages librarians to adapt a “macro-level” perspective and venture out from the confines of a “library-centric vision.”20 Adopting Oakleaf ’s viewpoint requires being mindful of higher education conversations around student learning and broader thinking about how national trends are shaping strategic direction locally. Librarians at small or rural institutions who engage in these conversations may begin visualizing how their institution’s mission, goals,

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

156 Chapter 8

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

and strategic plan can be supported by their library’s ILI initiatives. For example, one of the strategic goals at Cal Lutheran University is to “support student achievement across all programs with equitable treatment for all students, by enhancing student services and by utilizing the most pedagogically appropriate delivery methods for student learning.”21 ILI fits appropriately within this institutional goal. Hence, the ILI assessment plan is linked to this strategic goal, with concrete examples of instruction and assessment techniques clearly showing how the library contributes to meeting the greater university mission. Cottrell has encouraged librarians to consider internal initiatives where information literacy might fit, including new curriculum proposals; recruitment, retention, or engagement goals; research project descriptions; grant funding proposals; general education curriculum changes; and new outcomes and goals for specific academic units or programs.22 Defining the direction for one’s ILI plan is important because the learning outcomes data the librarian will compile from instruction sessions will ultimately feed into the broader campus initiatives. With this general overview of assessment measures, assessment cycles, techniques, and how a solid ILI assessment planning can support the broader campus mission, the focus now turns to exploring how quick writes are used at Cal Lutheran University.

California Lutheran University At Cal Lutheran, an information literacy assessment program was first implemented in 2005 and, anchored to the university’s evolving strategic goals and learning initiatives, continues to develop over time. The private, faith-based university is located in Thousand Oaks, California. The institution, which also includes a liberal arts undergraduate college, was founded in 1959 and opened in 1961 with just 330 students. As of 2016, more than 2,800 undergraduate students pursue studies in 36 undergraduate majors and 35 minors. Additionally, a program for working professionals returning to college enables students to complete undergraduate bachelor degrees via evening and online courses. Also, as of 2016, 1,300 graduate students pursued master’s degrees in professional fields including business, information technology, education, psychology, and public policy. Other graduate students pursue

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment 157

doctoral programs in educational leadership and clinical psychology. The faculty consists of 193 full-time and 244 part-time professors and instructors. Cal Lutheran is also affiliated with the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS) in Berkeley, California, where students pursue master’s and doctoral programs in divinity and theology.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Pearson Library Cal Lutheran’s Pearson Library is composed of nine staff members: a library director, a collection development librarian, an information literacy librarian, an acquisitions/technical services librarian, an outreach/interlibrary loan librarian, a public services coordinator, and two circulation coordinators. Four of the librarians provide information literacy instruction and serve as subject liaisons. Central to student learning and student success are eight university undergraduate student learning outcomes (SLOs), three of which are critical thinking, information literacy, and written communication. At Cal Lutheran, the information literacy learning outcomes are based on the original Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.23 Although the library instruction team now incorporates in-class sessions using the newer ACRL Framework, the Standards are still in use by librarians and highlighted in teaching faculty syllabi among course learning outcomes.24 Cal Lutheran librarians have made headway in integrating ILI and IL assessment on campus by partnering with the institution’s Educational Effectiveness and Institutional Research department program review process. The process—which includes collaboration on IL curriculum mapping, sequential IL skill integration, and SLO development for teaching faculty—offers a pathway for librarians to implement direct assessment in one-shot or for-credit course instruction.25

The Quick Write Process at Cal Lutheran At Cal Lutheran, quick writes are used primarily in undergraduate courses at all levels, including courses comprising the core curriculum and first-year seminars. Students work independently or in pairs and are given fifteen minutes to complete a task. As an example, students

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

158 Chapter 8

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

taking an undergraduate-level introductory sociology class were given a scenario related to Burning Man, an annual weeklong festival and ritual that takes place in Nevada the last week of August and concludes around Labor Day with the burning of a large wooden effigy (see Appendix 8B for full prompt). Students complete all quick writes online using the Qualtrics survey tool (see Appendix 8A).* When students complete the activity, the librarian asks for a volunteer to show the class what he or she did. From there, discussions can lead in many directions. Applying the original ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, librarians can ask the class to discuss the effectiveness of the search strategy used or to evaluate the article and comment on its relevance, timeliness, and authorship. Additionally, the class can review examples of APA citations and offer critique. Quick writes also work well with the ACRL’s new Framework for Information Literacy (Framework). Employing the six frames, the librarian can explore Scholarship as Conversation or Research as Inquiry, for example, and lead a discussion around how the articles the students found might fit within the broader concepts of social order and crowd behavior. Another direction for discussion might explore how to create search strategies leading to further research about practical approaches to law enforcement at events like Burning Man.

Preparing to Implement Quick Writes Implementing quick writes requires some planning. The instruction librarian can begin with the steps outlined in the ILIAC to develop learning outcomes for the instruction session, a set of assessment criteria, and learning activities. A lesson plan or teaching outline can then be drafted. Recall that the quick write will serve a dual purpose: to function as a learning activity and an assessment tool. After the quick write is drafted, the librarian should create the scoring rubric. In general, the evaluation criteria should reflect the quick write items. Three performance levels are adequate (Novice, Developing, and Proficient; see taSurvey Monkey and Blackboard’s assessment module are also suitable for creating quick writes. With Blackboard, librarians would need to collaborate closely with the course instructor, who would post the quick write assignment on the course site. * 

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment 159

TABLE 8.2

Quick write rubric and scores for undergraduate class� FRAME

Novice

Developing

Provides scholarly article title that appears off topic and does not address research topic.

Provides example of scholarly article title relevant to research topic.

Provides 2.7 example of scholarly article title clearly addressing research topic.

Provides cursory description of the database used or steps taken to construct search. Lacks sufficient description of keywords or thesaurus terms used to construct search.

Provides adequate description of the database used and some steps taken to construct search. Includes some description of description of keywords or thesaurus terms used to construct search.

Provides clear description of the database used, steps taken to construct search. Clear description of keywords or thesaurus terms used to construct search.

APA Citation

Sources are not properly documented using APA 6th edition style. Includes 3 or more errors.

Some sources are documented in APA 6th edition style but include errors (e.g., capitalization is incorrect).

All sources 2.2 are accurately formatted in APA 6th edition style with no errors.

SCALE

1=Novice

2=Developing

3=Proficient

Research as inquiry Research Example

Searching as Strategic Exploration

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Search Description

Authority is Constructed & Contextual

Proficient

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Score

2.8

Mean Class Score 2.6 (Upper range of Developing)

160 Chapter 8

ble 8.2). The instruction librarian can create a generic rubric template that is customizable for each session and by all librarians. Although it is acceptable practice for librarians to create and use their own rubrics, it would be best to create standardized rubrics for specific disciplines and courses for consistency. Ideally, a best practice is to calibrate the rubric to achieve interrater reliability, meaning that all librarians using the rubric would be in agreement regarding how student work is rated using the tool. Oakleaf and other writers have provided further details on this process.26

Scoring Quick Writes

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Collecting quantifiable assessment data from quick write exercises is relatively straightforward. Responses from the entire class are recorded using an online survey tool for later review. A short rubric is created around the learning outcomes and responses are scored (see table 8.2 and figure 8.2).

FiGURE 8.2

Quick write responses for single item scored on three performance levels�

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment 161

Rubrics are customized for each class, although a general rubric template is used to guide the creation of each rubric. ACRL frames or ACRL IL standards are provided; however, librarians may create specific prompts for the IL standards or frames. By implementing the rubric, the instruction librarian can capture direct evidence of how well students in a particular class grasped the concepts taught via the tasks they completed. Collecting this information helps the instruction librarian see trends and revise lesson plans as needed. For example, if students in a first-year humanities class scored lower in responses around creating citations, this may indicate to the librarian that more emphasis on this concept is needed in future classes. When quick writes are used as a formative assessment, the librarian can see how students responded to one of the prompts and either provide immediate feedback to students individually or launch a class discussion around the responses. Formative assessment can be particularly valuable to students of one-shot sessions since the librarian might not have these students in future classes. As students complete quick writes in various classes, rubric scores are aggregated and basic descriptive statistics can be gleaned from the data. Librarians can create Microsoft Word tables or Microsoft Excel charts showing the courses in which students completed the quick writes and how they performed. Then, scores for first-year classes can be compared with scores for sophomore and junior classes. Likewise, performance of students by discipline can also be discerned. The trends and patterns that emerge are valuable to librarians in planning future information literacy sessions and also provide student learning outcomes data that campus educational effectiveness and institutional research staff are continually seeking.

Quick Write Development and ILI Integration Future goals for quick write implementation include collaborating with library instructors in other disciplines to adapt the technique and creating quick writes that embrace the Framework. The latter goal poses an additional challenge since instruction librarians must become proficient with the Framework while also becoming more comfortable with doing direct assessment. To mitigate these learning curves,

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

162 Chapter 8

Cal Lutheran librarians schedule monthly IL meetings. Initially, each meeting focused on two frames and compared commonalities between the frames and the original IL Standards. For example, the frames Research as Inquiry and Searching as Strategic Exploration complement Standard One: “The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently.” Subsequent meetings enabled the instruction team to share examples of lesson plans and quick writes for specific classes along with reports on how well the process worked and challenges encountered. Team meetings are also useful in facilitating the creation of sets of quick writes and scoring rubrics for specific disciplines. Finally, such meetings can be effective in promoting IL team group work and collaboration. Another goal at Cal Lutheran is to sequence the quick write direct assessment so that the frames and skills being taught build on one another and align with desired learning outcomes for first-year, sophomore, junior, and senior or capstone courses. This goal underscores the importance of developing an information literacy plan that articulates the knowledge and skills students are expected to achieve at each academic level and how these can be mastered through course assignments and ILI. The frames and accompanying knowledge practices enable sequential learning by including a mix of basic and more advanced concepts that can be applied with beginning and more advanced classes. An approach used at Cal Lutheran during instruction sessions focuses on specific tools and knowledge sets for each academic level. For example, the discovery tool, general subject databases, and the importance of citing sources are emphasized in first-year classes—especially in first-year seminars. The frames addressing these concepts and most pertinent in first-year classes are Research as Inquiry, Searching as Strategic Exploration, and Information Has Value. Quick writes are crafted around the knowledge practices of matching a research need with an appropriate library tool, formulating research questions, and divergent and convergent thinking activities. The frame Information Has Value and the accompanying knowledge practice of giving credit to original ideas through attribution is also ideal for use with first-year students. For sophomore- and junior-level courses, students are introduced to discipline-specific tools and databases; thus, additional frames—including Scholarship as Conversation, which focuses on venues where

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment 163

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

scholarly discourse takes place—and other advanced knowledge practices are woven into quick write activities. Moreover, the frame Authority Is Constructed and Contextual can spark a discussion around how specific disciplines rely on specialized tools. Finally, with senior and capstone courses, quick writes can embrace advanced knowledge practices. The librarian can tailor an instruction session and quick write activity on identifying gaps in the literature. This could address at a more advanced level the Scholarship as Conversation and Research as Inquiry frames. See figure 8.3 for a sample outline of instruction and quick write sequencing using the Framework as a foundation. This example takes in account only three frames.

FiGURE 8.3

Sequencing instruction and quick writes using ACRL’s Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education� Frames correspond to library tools or student work products�

Challenges and Best Practices for Implementing Direct Assessment After employing quick writes for several years at Cal Lutheran University, key advantages and disadvantages became apparent. First, with direct assessment techniques gaining traction in higher education, quick

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

164 Chapter 8

writes fit well within a fifty-minute ILI session. Second, quick writes enable the collection of student work samples and artifacts that can be rated with the aid of a scoring rubric. Third, the tool can serve as a classroom activity to engage students in learning while also serving as an assessment tool. Quick writes also work well as formative assessment; students share their responses, and the librarian can provide constructive feedback, thereby augmenting student learning. In contrast, quick writes provide a snapshot of student work performed at a specific point in time. Commonly lacking in quick writes is a baseline measure for comparison. In essence, the librarian cannot ascertain prior student knowledge. One solution would be to administer an information literacy pretest. A more expensive option would be to use a standardized information literacy test such as the Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy (SAILS) test or the ETS iSkills Assessment (see Appendix 8C).27 However, funding constraints at smaller institutions often preclude the purchase of commercial assessment tools. The challenges of doing instruction and assessment parallel those at other smaller institutions. A small staff of instruction librarians limits the potential number of classroom visits. One approach for confronting the challenge of staff and time constraints calls for visiting classes across a spectrum of academic levels (first-year, sophomore, junior, and senior or capstone) and conducting assessments in a cross-section of classes as well. Another challenge is getting buy-in from instruction librarians to embrace quick writes. Generally speaking, some librarians prefer teaching information literacy and may not be as interested in doing the assessment piece. Couching the quick write as a “class activity” rather than assessment has been helpful in encouraging reticent staff to warm up to this method. Getting other librarians involved in assessment requires leadership skills on the part of the information literacy librarian. One effective strategy is scheduling monthly team meetings to offer individual assistance in creating quick writes for upcoming classes. Once the library team begins using quick writes or other forms of direct assessment, building momentum for ILI assessment and building strategic partnerships across the institution become much easier.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment 165

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Conclusion Quick writes are a practical form of direct assessment that can be implemented successfully by librarians at small and rural institutions to collect evidence of student learning while simultaneously promoting student engagement and reinforcement of information literacy concepts. Direct assessment techniques such as quick writes have significant advantages over indirect methods and enable instruction librarians to craft activities that embrace the ACRL Framework. For librarians at smaller and rural institutions, the main obstacles to implementing any new initiatives are likely constraints on time, fewer people, and tighter budgets. Fortunately, direct assessment techniques such as quick writes are scalable and can be implemented in these settings with fewer resources. Pressing forward with direct assessment will yield benefits for the institution, the library, and the librarian. At the institutional level, ongoing assessment of information literacy will provide evidence of how an information literacy plan contributes to campus initiatives supporting student learning, retention, and student success. Likewise, for the library, the assessment initiative will further promote the value of the library to the campus community. Finally, the librarian will gain recognition as a campus leader engaged in institutional initiatives to document and improve student learning outcomes and student success.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

166 Chapter 8

Appendix 8A: Quick Write Prompt Using Qualtrics Survey Software

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Used with the permission of Qualtrics.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment 167

Appendix 8B: Sample Quick Write Prompt for First-Year Sociology Class You are a sociologist hired by the city of Black Rock, Nevada, to help city officials and law enforcement better prepare for the annual festival of “burners.” The city planner has heard that there is “serious research” being done about the annual “burn,” specifically on social order and why “burners” seem to follow rules they establish and obey the law. Understanding what motivates “burners” to maintain social order will help the city in working with organizers and maintaining order. Please complete the following tasks:

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

1. Using the SocINDEX database, find a current scholarly article that discusses the Burning Man festival and social order. Paste the title of the article below. 2. Explain the search strategy you used and why this was the most relevant article you retrieved. 3. Provide an APA reference for your article.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

168 Chapter 8

Appendix 8C: Information Literacy Assignment and Assessment Tools Community of Online Research Assignments (CORA): An Open Access Resource for Faculty and Librarians

http://www.projectcora.org/ CORA is on online, open-access platform of librarian- and faculty-contributed assignments, lesson plans, and activities that engage with information literacy concepts and practices.

ETS iSkills Assessment

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

https://www.ets.org/iskills/about ETS’s iSkills Assessment measures information literacy abilities to navigate, critically evaluate, and make sense of information available through digital technology. It emphasizes seven task types: Define, Access, Evaluate, Manage, Integrate, Create, and Communicate. It is aligned with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.

The Information Literacy Assessment and Advocacy Project (ILAAP)

http://ilaap.ca/ ILAAP is an assessment tool designed to measure the information literacy skills of first- and second-year post-secondary students.

MERLOT II

https://www.merlot.org/merlot/index.htm MERLOT II is a curated collection of free and open online teaching, learning, and faculty development services contributed and used by an international education community.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment 169

Project SAILS

https://www.projectsails.org/ The SAILS test is an assessment of information literacy skills that helps librarians to determine how well students “can navigate the complex world of information.”28 Based on the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, two forms of the test are available; one for individual test results, and one for groups (cohorts) of students.

Rubric Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (RAILS)

http://railsontrack.info/ The RAILS project is designed to assist librarians in creating and using rubrics for information literacy assessment.

RubiStar

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php RubiStar is a free open-source tool geared for teachers for creating quality rubrics.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

170 Chapter 8

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Notes 1. Kaetrena Davis Kendrick, Deborah Tritt, and Echo Leaver, “Link Up the Sticks: Access and Barriers to Professional Development for Small and Rural Academic Librarians,” Codex 2, no. 3 (Spring-Summer 2013): 38, Library Literature and Information Science Full Text, EBSCOhost (88400768). 2. Traci Sitzmann, Katherine Ely, Kenneth G. Brown, and Kristina N. Bauer, “Self-Assessment of Knowledge: A Cognitive Learning or Affective Measure?” Academy of Management Learning and Education 9, no. 2 (2010): 169, doi: 10.5465/AMLE.2010.51428542. 3. Justin Kruger and David Dunning, “Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One’s Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 77, no. 6 (1999): 1122, doi:10.1037/0022-3514.77.6.1121. 4. Wendy Holliday, Betty Dance, Erin Davis, Britt Fagerheim, Anne Hedrich, Kacy Lundstrom, and Pamela Martin, “An Information Literacy Snapshot: Authentic Assessment across the Curriculum,” College and Research Libraries 76, no. 2 (March 2015): 171, doi:10.5860/crl.76.2.170. 5. Jon R. Hufford, “A Review of the Literature on Assessment in Academic and Research Libraries, 2005 to August 2011,” portal: Libraries and the Academy 13, no. 1 (2013): 6, doi:10.1353/pla.2013.0005. 6. Linda A Suskie, Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009), 12. 7. Matt Elbeck and Don Bacon, “Toward Universal Definitions for Direct and Indirect Assessment,” Journal of Education for Business 90, no. 5 (2015): 278, doi:10.1080/08832323.2015.1034064. 8. Megan Oakleaf, “Dangers and Opportunities: A Conceptual Map of Information Literacy Assessment Approaches,” portal: Libraries and the Academy 8, no. 3 (2008): 237, doi:10.1353/pla.0.0011. 9. Sally Brown, “Authentic Assessment: Using Assessment to Help Students Learn,” Electronic Journal of Educational Research, Assessment and Evaluation 21, no. 2 (2015): 3, doi:10.7203/relieve.21.2.7674. 10. Alan Carbery and Sean Leahy, “Evidence-Based Instruction: Assessing Student Work Using Rubrics and Citation Analysis to Inform Instructional Design,” Journal of Information Literacy 9, no. 1 (2015): 76, doi:10.11645/9.1.1980. 11. Stephen “Mike” Kiel, Natalie Burclaff, and Catherine Johnson, “Learning by Doing: Developing a Baseline Information Literacy Assessment,” portal: Libraries and the Academy 15, no. 4 (2015): 754, Business Source Alumni Edition, EBSCOhost (110372912). 12. Brandy Whitlock and Julie Nanavati, “A Systematic Approach to Performative and Authentic Assessment,” Reference Services Review 41, no. 1 (2013): 47, doi:10.1108/00907321311300866. 13. Andrew Walsh, “Information Literacy Assessment: Where Do We Start?”

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



14.

15. 16.

17.

18.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.

Let’s Be Direct about Information Literacy Assessment 171

Journal of Librarianship and Information Science 41, no. 1 (2009): 21, doi:10.1177/0961000608099896. Susan K. Green, Julian Smith III, and E. Kenyon Brown, “Using Quick Writes as a Classroom Assessment Tool: Prospects and Problems,” Journal of Educational Research and Policy Studies 7, no. 2 (Fall 2007): 39, ERIC, EBSCOhost ( EJ809437). Linda Rief, “Quick-Writes: Leads to Literacy,” Voices from the Middle 10, no. 1 (2002): 50, ERIC, EBSCOhost (EJ651911). Megan Oakleaf, “What’s the Value of an Academic Library? The Development of the ACRL Value of Academic Libraries Comprehensive Research Review and Report,” Australian Academic and Research Libraries 42, no. 1 (2011): 12, doi:10.1080/00048623.2011.10722200; Gregory A. Crawford, “The Academic Library and Student Retention and Graduation: An Exploratory Study,” portal: Libraries and the Academy 15, no. 1 (2015): 42, doi:10.1353/pla.2015.0003. Marilyn Von Seggern and B. Jane Scales, “The Assessment Cycle: Improving Learning and Teaching in Government Documents Instruction,” DttP: A Quarterly Journal of Government Information Practice and Perspective 37, no. 3 (2009): 31, Library Literature and Information Science Full Text, EBSCOhost (502988674). Megan Oakleaf, “The Information Literacy Instruction Assessment Cycle: A Guide for Increasing Student Learning and Improving Librarian Instructional Skills,” Journal of Documentation 65, no. 4 (2009): 545, doi:10.1108/00220410910970249. Megan Oakleaf, “Writing Information Literacy Assessment Plans: A Guide to Best Practice,” Communications in Information Literacy 3, no. 2 (2009): 81, http://surface.syr.edu/istpub/11/. Megan Oakleaf, “Correlating Library Services, Expertise, and Resources with Student Learning,” Information Outlook 18, no. 2 (2014): 14, http://meganoakleaf.info/infooutlookoakleaf.pdf. “Strategic Planning: Five Strategic Goals,” California Lutheran University, accessed February 17, 2016, http://www.callutheran.edu/president/strategic-planning/five-goals.html. Janet R. Cottrell, “What Are We Doing Here, Anyway? Tying Academic Library Goals to Institutional Mission,” College and Research Libraries News 72, no. 9 (2015): 517, http://crln.acrl.org/content/72/9/516.short. “Student Learning Outcomes,” California Lutheran University, accessed February 21, 2016, http://earth.callutheran.edu/assessment/student_learning_outcomes/syllabi.php. “SLOs in Course Syllabi,” California Lutheran University, accessed February 21, 2016, http://earth.callutheran.edu/assessment/student_learning_outcomes/syllabi.php. Ron Germaine, Gary Barton, and Terry Bustillos, “Program Review: Opportunity for Innovation and Change,” Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

172 Chapter 8

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

6, no. 1 (2013): 28–34, Education Source, EBSCOhost (88176002). 26. Megan Oakleaf, “Using Rubrics to Assess Information Literacy: An Examination of Methodology and Interrater Reliability,” Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 60, no. 5 (2009): 970, doi:10.1002/asi.21030; Lorrie A. Knight, “Using Rubrics to Assess Information Literacy,” Reference Services Review 34, no. 1 (2006): 44, doi:10.1108/00907320610640752. 27. Cheryl L. Blevens, “Catching Up with Information Literacy Assessment: Resources for Program Evaluation,” College and Research Libraries News 73, no. 4 (2012): 203, http://crln.acrl.org/content/73/4/202.short. 28. “Project SAILS: About Our Information Literacy Test,” last modified November 30, 2015, https://www.projectsails.org/abouttest.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Big Ideas, Small Libraries

Livre en place Embedded Librarianship at a Specialized Library Valerie Freeman

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Johnson & Wales University

JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY (JWU) Charlotte Campus is one of three regional campuses for the main campus in Providence, Rhode Island (other regional campuses are in North Miami, Florida, and Denver, Colorado). The Charlotte campus has a student body population of approximately 2,200 and 100 faculty and offers associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees in business (including accounting, management, entrepreneurship) and hospitality (including hotel and lodging management, and sports/entertainment/event management), and culinary (culinary arts and food service management). Additionally, there is a new degree program in liberal studies.1 The library’s computing resources and spaces include thirty-eight computers, two sections of comfortable chairs, and eight work tables with chairs. Larger spaces offer sixteen work tables, four sizable conference rooms, and a computer lab with thirty more computers. The library is staffed by four full-time librarians, two part-time librarians, one student assistant, and several work-study students. The library has largely become the center of campus, so when JWU librarians broached the idea of embedding, specifically as personal librarians, it was a good fit with the library’s overall approach to campus integration.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

174 Big Ideas, Small Libraries

You work at a specialized academic library focusing on culinary arts. What are your biggest challenges in practice?

Valerie Freeman: One challenge for me was learning culinary lingo. To answer some reference questions, I had to familiarize myself with the discipline. With culinary majors representing roughly two-thirds of the graduates from the Charlotte Campus, being able to navigate the world of food became imperative. Additionally, the culinary programs have a different structure, involving cycles of labs in which the students spend time in kitchens. Many students prefer to focus on the hands-on food preparation experience over spending time on more academic endeavors. The farther away from working in a kitchen or with food an assignment is, the more likely it is that culinary students will be less engaged. Another challenge I encountered was within the realm of my liaison activities: business collection development. I began working in this library with a liberal arts education, but all the degrees offered at this campus at the time were practitioner-based.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

What is your definition of embedded librarianship? Does it reflect your practice at Johnson & Wales?

Valerie: Our Embedded Program is part of a larger Personal Librarian (PL) program. In our PL program, we use embedded components. PLs also embed in the online class management system. We have many in-person elements, too. Our main PL program centers on introductory English classes, which already have a compulsory information literacy component. We divide the classes between the four full-time librarians. Most of us try to visit the classes we are the embedded personal librarian for at the beginning of the term. In lieu of that, we try at least to e-mail the students in the class to introduce ourselves. We also teach the information literacy session for that class and then follow up with the students, further making ourselves known to them and offering assistance. What are some barriers to offering embedded library services at smaller libraries?

Valerie: The primary barrier is staffing. If the primary responsibility of a library staff is keeping the doors open and daily operations

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Livre en place 175

moving smoothly, high-value programs like embedded librarians can become victims of a lack of time. Providing variety in program execution can help, and an emphasis on embedment makes it possible for a librarian to perform those duties while still staffing the library. It is not the case with us, but I can see another barrier being faculty or administration buy-in. A vital part of implementing embedded programs is solidifying the support of the campus community. How do you find support for creating embedded services?

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Valerie: I started with getting a major stakeholder’s support. As I established that the program’s value was worthwhile, other faculty got on board. Not long ago, I had a conversation with a faculty member who said that she had not seen the value in embedded and personal librarian programs until she went to a local library conference. At the conference, she began to understand more fully what librarians bring to the classroom. The effects of that experience were very conducive to building deeply connected relationships between me and the students in her classes. Ultimately, gathering support requires short- and long-term efforts, and it might involve librarians going outside the standard track. Just like the faculty member I mentioned who ventured to a library conference, librarians should be active participants in conferences in other disciplines. How do you assess your program?

Valerie: We have done formal and informal assessments of our program. We have solicited student feedback via electronic survey, which showed some support of the program. Overall, we rely heavily on our information literacy assessments, which come from faculty and students. Some faculty really like the program and therefore push it directly with their students. Anecdotally, those of us who have been involved in the PL program for longer than a year have had students come seek us out directly because we were the EL for one of their past classes. I have students who wave, call

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

176 Big Ideas, Small Libraries

me by name, and stop for hugs or to chat, often because I was an EL in their class at some point. What tools do you use to manage and promote embedded librarians on your campus?

Valerie: Given that the purpose of this program is to help our patrons develop relationships with us, and vice versa, it did not involve a heavy digital roll-out, but rather a softer, more personal approach. To promote our embedded librarian program, we introduce it to faculty at a start-of-the-year orientation. We talk about it in faculty or staff meetings. We created fliers for the library using the tagline “Keep Calm and Talk to Your Personal Librarian” and posted them in various areas on campus. We also use our LibGuides to promote the program: We have created biographical pages for each librarian, helping our patrons get to know us a little bit better.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Working at a culinary arts institution, what is the most interesting or unique course you’ve supported as an embedded librarian?

Valerie: I have not actually supported any culinary classes as an embedded librarian, but more recently, I have begun supporting hospitality and events classes. One of the unique classes that I recently began supporting is a junior-level Professional Sports Management class. In a reference capacity, there have been varieties of unique assignments that I have encountered, from researching the history of a certain dish to comparing cuisine from two cultures, to breaking down nutrients in a single ingredient. It has been enough to get me interested in the world of food culture and history.

Note 1. “Majors and Degrees at JWU Charlotte,” Johnson & Wales University, accessed February 19, 2016, https://www1.jwu.edu/academics/programs-by-campus/charlotte/.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Chapter 9

Small Academic Libraries and the Culture of Assessment Jennifer Sterling Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Wilcox Library, William Penn University

Julie Hansen Wilcox Library, William Penn University

Introduction Small and rural academic libraries are subject to the same scrutiny as large libraries by institutional administrators and accrediting agencies. Libraries have shifted from gathering statistics for operational analysis to applying them for assessment and demonstrating the library’s value. This transition to demonstrating library value involves creating a culture of assessment, not just showcasing statistics. While working on creating a culture of assessment at William Penn University’s (WPU) Wilcox Library, the librarians contemplated how Lakos and Phipps have defined the concept: 177

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

178 Chapter 9

A Culture of Assessment is an organizational environment in which decisions are based on facts, research, and analysis, and where services are planned and delivered in ways that maximize positive outcomes and impacts for customers and stakeholders. A Culture of Assessment exists in organizations where staff care to know what results they produce and how those results relate to customers’ expectations. Organizational mission, values, structures, and systems support behavior that is performance and learning focused.1 This chapter offers a review of the elements of a culture of assessment and discusses how the librarians at WPU Wilcox Library created a culture of assessment and how the culture highlights library value. The chapter will conclude with best practices small and rural libraries can adopt to move toward a culture of assessment and demonstrate their value.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Literature Review Academic library professionals have a long history of interest in accountability and assessment. In the early 1980s, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) created the Ad Hoc Committee on Performance Measures, and in 2009, the same association issued a request for a “comprehensive review of the quantitative and qualitative literature, methodologies, and best practices currently in place for demonstrating the value of academic libraries.”2 The resulting report, Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report, encourages librarians to collect data and includes a Value Checklist that specifically calls on library leaders to “establish a culture of assessment.”3 There is no shortage of literature on the topic of assessment in academic libraries.4 Hufford’s review of the literature, published between 2005 and 2011, cited 111 articles.5 The literature focusing on a culture of assessment is much smaller, and research specifically identifying what factors foster a culture of assessment is also sparse. Farkas, Hinchcliffe, and Houk noted the culture of assessment literature is

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Small Academic Libraries and the Culture of Assessment 179

dominated by case studies and anecdotes.6 There is a notable gap in the literature of these issues as applied to small and rural libraries. The need for, challenges of, and benefits of creating a culture of assessment at large libraries are discussed in much of the mentioned literature. When considering small libraries, challenges can be amplified and benefits elusive for numerous reasons, including staffing or reduced access to continuing education. Available literature covering the culture of assessment highlights common areas of development including leadership, professional development, planning for assessment, using assessment results, and sharing results. The literature rarely includes specific examples and evidence from rural and small libraries. However, small libraries can benefit from examining the common areas and evaluating their assessment cultures.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

The Role of Leadership

Lakos and Phipps discussed the role of organizational culture change as a “framework that libraries can use to examine whether a culture of assessment is evident.”7 A key part of that framework includes leadership. The authors also emphasized that leaders demonstrate their commitment to assessment work and strive to communicate the purpose of the library. The authors suggested that culture change might not even be possible unless leaders are engaged.8 Moreover, Farkas, Hinchcliffe, and Houk’s ambitious study aimed at discovering the factors characterizing a culture of assessment revealed that the top five facilitating factors were all related to leadership. The same study asked librarians to identify what helped and what hindered the efforts to create a culture of assessment in their libraries. Again, leadership rose to the top.9 Hiller, Kyrillidou, and Self also found that library leadership is crucial for successful assessment.10

The Need for Professional Development

Librarians’ lack of knowledge about performing assessment and evaluating the resulting data is noted throughout the literature. Hiller, Kyrillidou, and Self found librarians struggled to understand, present, and use assessment evidence.11 Farkas, Hinchliffe, and Houk’s findings were

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

180 Chapter 9

similar: in their study, a frequently mentioned barrier to creating a culture of assessment was “the lack of in-house expertise and training.”12 One particular respondent recalled creating and deploying a survey but being unable to work with the data.13 Conversely, they found that librarians who had support to attend conferences and trainings focused on assessment were more likely to report having a culture of assessment.14 Oakleaf and Hinchliffe conducted a survey that specifically targeted librarian’s use of information literacy assessment data. Their survey results show that “twenty-one percent said their understanding or expertise in assessment was limited. Seventeen percent were concerned that they were not competent in assessment, 15% don’t know how to select and implement assessment tools, and 14% don’t know how to analyze assessment data.”15 Covey’s research pointed to more specific shortcomings of librarians’ assessment skills. The respondents wrote poorly designed assessment instruments and could not manage focus groups.16 Farkas pointed out that most library school programs do not have assessment coursework; therefore, libraries must take on the task of supporting training for assessment.17 Lakos and Phipps recommended that libraries prioritize training and development for assessment.18 The literature suggests that staff development does not involve just training staff to be competent in collecting and analyzing data; rather, some learning must focus on mind-set. The library profession strongly believes that it is a public good, and it is difficult to switch to a questioning mind-set and quantify its value.19 This mind-set was uncovered in Hiller, Kyrillidou, and Self ’s research, which revealed an attitude of skepticism toward data by some librarians. They reported that their research showed that many librarians prefer “instead to rely on their own assumptions and past practices to make decisions.”20 Ideally, professional development would include making sure librarians have time to perform assessment work. Oakleaf and Hinchliffe’s study identified lack of time as a barrier to librarians using assessment data for information literacy.21 As mentioned previously, it is rare for the literature to specifically mention challenges faced by small and rural academic libraries; however, Farkas, Hinchliffe, and Houk specifically recognized lack of staff and time as a significant barrier for small libraries, stating, “Some of the librarians who mentioned either of these two issues were solo librarians or the only professional librarian on staff.”22

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Small Academic Libraries and the Culture of Assessment 181

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Planning and Performing Assessment

Two themes are prevalent in the literature concerning the role planning and performing assessment play in building a culture of assessment: the need for an assessment plan and an understanding of the role of assessment in day-to-day practice. Oakleaf and Hinchliffe found that instruction librarians who didn’t assess information literacy skills understood that a lack of coordination was an impediment.23 Lakos and Phipps recommended that libraries structure assessment activities,24 and Farkas, Hinchliffe, and Houk’s study reported that out of the libraries surveyed that “had both clear expectations for assessment and an assessment plan, 92 percent also reported having a culture of assessment.”25 The literature contains several examples of assessment gone awry when many librarians are involved and library leadership was not overseeing and coordinating assessment activities. A number of libraries in Hiller, Kyrillidou, and Self ’s study engaged in a number of uncoordinated assessment activities. In particular, many surveys were deployed without the knowledge of library administrators, and the researchers warned against a “lack of a coordinated approach.”26 Covey pointed out a similar theme. Her respondents “reported frequent breakdowns in the research process because of inadequate planning, particularly in scheduling and marshalling the resources needed to complete the project.”27 Turning to the issue regarding the everyday role of assessment, as mentioned earlier, some of the barriers to creating a culture of assessment center on the perception of assessment being extra work or not having time allocated to it. However, Lakos and Phipps stated, “Assessment should become part of the everyday work process.”28 Covey explained that training might lead to better assessment, but “more work needs to be done to turn library ethos and normative behavior truly into a culture of assessment.”29

Using Assessment Results

Data utilization is part of the organizational change framework advocated by Lakos and Phipps. More specifically, Lakos and Phipps encouraged libraries to use data for budgeting requests and developing and improving services.30 Farkas, Hinchliffe, and Houk reported that 91 percent of libraries whose leadership use assessment data to

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

182 Chapter 9

plan and make decisions also say that it has fostered a culture of assessment.31 The literature also supports the case for using assessment results in a timely manner. Hiller, Kyrillidou, and Self were curious about the time frame of problem identification to problem resolution, and one library in their case study took two years to complete that process—an impediment considering the fast pace of technological innovation and academic trends.32 However, a small library may have the ability to be more agile in using assessment results: respondents in Covey’s study commented about how large groups or bureaucracy slow down the process, “endangering the implementation or applicability of the results.”33 Covey went on to observe, “Cumbersome governance is counter-productive to good customer service in a rapidly changing environment requiring rapid assessment and application of research findings.”34 While institutional accrediting agencies are increasingly focused on assessment, it is up to libraries to use results and not just report them.35 The growth in using assessment data is reflected in the changing LIS job landscape: Oakleaf described the growth of the community of assessment librarians.36 Oakleaf also advocated using assessment in ways that positively impact resource updates, support successful endeavors, and encourage others to make changes.37 She went on to state succinctly, “Library assessments that do not lead to decisions, actions, and communications with stakeholders are not worth doing.”38

Sharing Results and Celebrating Success

ACRL’s report on academic library value encourages libraries to tell their stories, which is what assessment is all about.39 Librarians may fear that assessment will focus on job performance instead of improving the library.40 While this fear is a valid concern, trust can be developed so staff is willing to share assessment results. Sharing results does not end with sharing among library staff. Assessment results should be communicated to all stakeholders, including students, parents, and administrators.41 Celebrating and rewarding assessment efforts may also require a cultural shift. Rewards and recognitions should be tied to the institution’s goals. Lakos and Phipps stressed that “without appropriate incentive systems, the need for renewed efforts by staff to develop new skills, change current work habits, and create new services and prod-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Small Academic Libraries and the Culture of Assessment 183

ucts aligned to changing customer expectations will not occur.”42 If a library believes assessment is important, then celebrating success will acknowledge the hard work that goes into it.43 Developing leadership, providing learning opportunities, planning assessment, using and sharing results are elements that libraries of any size can adopt. Using the best practices from aforementioned literature and keeping in mind Lakos and Phipps’s definition, librarians at WPU’s Wilcox Library began working to create a culture of assessment in their library.

Creating a Culture of Assessment

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

William Penn University and Wilcox Library

Located in the small, rural town of Oskaloosa, Iowa, WPU is a small, private Quaker-affiliated liberal arts college with a full-time enrollment (FTE) of 1,422. WPU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and holds membership in the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. WPU’s Wilcox Library is staffed by two librarians and 2.7 paraprofessionals. Library services and spaces include the WPU archives and two classrooms. The library is open 94 hours a week during the fall and spring semesters. Resources include holdings of 61,911 volumes and access to 43,493 online periodicals and 149,771 e-books.

Assessment Culture at Wilcox Library

Wilcox Library employees have conducted assessment activities every three years since 1988. Assessment activities include user satisfaction surveys, focus groups, and bibliographic citation analysis. Prior to 2009, assessment activities were primarily the responsibility of one person, and the results were published in the Wilcox Library Annual Report. Historically, Wilcox Library’s assessment goals focused on completing related activities rather than planning to use the results in actionable ways. The impetus for shifting the library’s assessment focus from simple activity to supporting and promoting library value—building a culture of assessment—was ACRL Past President Steven Bell’s call to action to ensure library viability by improving user experience. Bell’s advice to fix what is broken, master adaptability, and be problem solvers dovetails with the elements of a culture of assessment.44 Bell’s chal-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

184 Chapter 9

lenge compelled Wilcox Library employees to embark on a systematic assessment plan that would inform decision making, and that journey has resulted in a culture of assessment.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Leadership and Ownership

To create a culture of assessment, it is important to start by assigning responsibility for assessment in the organization. Many small and rural libraries struggle to staff operating hours and are unlikely to have the capacity to have a dedicated assessment librarian or create an assessment task force. Given these circumstances, smaller libraries have an advantage over larger organizations since it is necessary for assessment be a responsibility shared by all employees. When all employees feel a responsibility for assessment and view assessment activities as part of their daily work, the result is a mind-set that builds a strong foundation for an assessment culture. The director of Wilcox Library recognized the need to move beyond the tradition of having one person responsible for assessment and involve all employees in assessment. To encourage investment in building a culture of assessment, all library employees participated in the process of revising the mission statement. During this process, employees discussed and drafted the library’s core beliefs and aspirations as stated outcomes that highlighted areas of assessment. The collaborative work of updating the mission statement promoted employees’ support of creating an actionable assessment plan, ensured agreement on areas of assessment, and solidified their willingness to share responsibility in assessment activities—all essential elements for creating a culture of assessment. See table 9.1 for a comparison of Wilcox Library’s mission statements. As noted earlier, the literature identified definitive leadership as a characteristic of a culture of assessment. At Wilcox Library, the library director served as the leader in the assessment activities. Under the director’s coordination, faculty librarians design assessment tools, and all staff members are involved in deploying the tools. Working within a culture of assessment ensures that professional and paraprofessional staff are invested in completing assessment activities. While assessment activities are not to be conflated with having a culture of assessment, having staff take ownership and participate in such activities is.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Small Academic Libraries and the Culture of Assessment 185

TABLE 9.1

Wilcox Library mission statements Previous Mission Statement

Current Mission Statement with Areas of Assessment Highlighted

Wilcox Library will provide materials, or the access to materials in all formats necessary to support the open and questioning learning environment at William Penn University. The librarians seek to ensure that Penn students develop information literacy skills necessary to complete academically rigorous course work, and in their social and leadership development. Wilcox Library will provide an inviting atmosphere to all in the University community in which to study, read, relax and enjoy.

Wilcox Library provides essential service, instruction and space to support a diverse community of learners using innovative discovery tools to ensure access to collections and resources in support of student learning. The Library further supports the University by collecting, preserving and organizing materials of historic value.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Professional Development

Employees need to understand assessment concepts and terminology to create and implement an assessment plan. In most instances, employees will need to participate in professional development opportunities to gain knowledge of assessment. Reviewing journal literature is a low-cost and effective way to gain assessment knowledge and ideas. Participation in conferences and workshops can build an understanding of assessment concepts and techniques and provide important opportunities for networking and engaging in communities of practice that are valuable, but can be cost-prohibitive for small and rural libraries. There are low-cost webinars sponsored by national library organizations and state libraries that provide detailed information on assessment. Library Juice Academy offers affordable continuing education classes in statistics that are valuable in understanding assessment data. There is also high-quality free information on assessment available through the SlideShare website and numerous library websites. Librarians should also take advantage of courses in statistics available at their home institutions in order to gather, apply, and report meaningful and accurate data. Wilcox Library employees attend at least one profession-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

186 Chapter 9

al library conference per year and are encouraged to participate in other professional development activities such as webinars and online and traditional classes. As Wilcox Library’s assessment plan becomes more robust, future plans include documenting changes made to services or plans as a result of professional development. Encouraging professional development sends a dual message: employees and their development are valued, and all activities must improve library services and outcomes.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Planning and Performing Assessment

It is important for small and rural libraries to craft an assessment plan that is feasible, sustainable, and integrated into daily workflows whenever possible. It would be taxing for small libraries to attempt assessing six outcomes every year; rather, starting with targeted data that measures implicit and explicit library values would be more feasible. The implicit value of the library focuses on library use and is measured in input and output. Examples of inputs include acquisitions, staffing, and hours of operations, and outputs examples include usage statistics of collections and services. Conversely, explicit library value focuses on user outcomes attributed to library use or services and is measured by qualitative methods, such as interviews. For example, students might be asked to describe a time when they used library resources for an assignment and perceived library use improved the quality of their work. While implicit value can be assessed on an ongoing basis, it would be feasible to assess one or two user outcomes a year on a rotating basis. Continuous assessment activities provide more immediate data that can be used to ascertain if the library’s outcomes are being achieved. As decisions are made, any new library initiatives should include goals, objectives, and an assessment plan. This is a critical component of systematic assessment and an indicator of a culture of assessment. For the last twenty-five years, Wilcox Library employees have conducted a user satisfaction survey every three years. Survey results provide useful feedback that the library has used to make improvements to library services and resources. The strength of the user satisfaction survey is that it provides assessment information on several outcomes. Additionally, it presents the opportunity to solicit feedback from users

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Small Academic Libraries and the Culture of Assessment 187

on the explicit value of the library, answering the question, “Is the library important to your success as a student?” Wilcox Library also conducts focus group discussions every three years. Focus groups provide opportunities to get student feedback on a number of different issues and follow up with questions to gain a deeper understanding of student perceptions regarding library services. Traditionally, summary statements from the focus groups are constructed to capture the essence of these discussions. One focus group at Wilcox Library questioned student attitudes toward e-readers. The focus group results were very clear: students were not interested in borrowing e-readers from the library. Purchasing e-readers and conducting a trial checkout period to measure use would have been a costly, time-consuming project in a small library. The focus group provided the needed information in a timely, inexpensive manner. Library employees also conduct a structured observation every three years to ascertain building usage patterns. During this two-week assessment activity, notes are made regarding which areas of the building are in use every half hour, providing an overview of what areas of the building are in highest demand and may need expansion and what areas are unused and may be repurposed. One building use assessment result showed single-person study rooms were in use 60 percent of the day; thus, access to single-person study areas was increased. WPU Library employees collect usage statistics on all areas of library operations using LibAnswers, LibAnalytics, Google Analytics, the Integrated Library System (ILS), and EZproxy. Librarians use data gathered from these tools to understand usage patterns. For example, in the spring of 2015, 70 percent of students used a library resource. A breakdown of demographic data shows that students who used a library resource had a higher GPA than students who did not use a library resource. While staff knowledge or skill to conduct an assessment sophisticated enough to isolate library use as a direct correlation to higher student GPA is not available, current findings are still promising. Currently, library employees are constructing an assessment of our instruction program with the goal of ascertaining if students derive value from library instruction. Additionally, librarians have constructed a rubric to evaluate student research projects. The rubric evaluates research questions, quality of sources, and documentation. The students

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

188 Chapter 9

are also interviewed about their experiences with information literacy instruction. Then the rubrics of students who have had formal information literacy instruction can be compared with those of students who have not. Wilcox Library’s newest initiative is archive-related. The librarians use historic images to illustrate the university’s mission statement to all first-year students in their College Foundations course. The librarians will be working with the instructors of that course ascertain if this is a worthwhile activity and answer the question “Do the archival images give meaning to the current mission statement?”

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Using Assessment Results

To create and sustain a culture of assessment, utilizing and analyzing data in planning and budgeting processes is imperative. In many small and rural libraries, expanding funding for existing services is scarce and often nonexistent for new initiatives. In order to ensure that library services are responsive to patron needs and demands, it is critical for libraries to have reliable data and information to inform planning and financial decisions. Wilcox Library operates under two planning documents: a “Strategic Initiatives” plan and a “Building Renewal Plan.”45 Both documents are continually updated based on the results of assessment initiatives. These documents have made it possible for the library employees to make difficult decisions about library services and collections. For example, using annual usage assessment data, it was determined that there was no longer a need to purchase, store, and make accessible the New York Times on microfilm. This decision freed up funds and space for other collections. Similarly, assessment activities assisted with the update of the “Building Renewal Plan” have ensured that any repurposing of library space is in response to patron need and not administrative whim. Additionally, library employees construct the yearly budget and staffing requests based on assessment data. As a result, the library has been able to demonstrate student usage of the Wilcox Library’s space and resources, retain staff, and fill open positions—even during a severe budget downturn.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Small Academic Libraries and the Culture of Assessment 189

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Sharing Results and Celebrating Success

Assessment activities are time-consuming work, and at small and rural libraries and generally there is very little to no staffing to perform that work quickly. Therefore, it is important to consistently acknowledge the work of gathering assessment data and celebrate the results of assessment activities. Assessment reports should routinely be posted on library websites in order to inform internal and external constituencies about the value of the library. Celebrating success will make clear that assessment work is valued and applied in service to library stakeholders. Wilcox Library employees consistently publish assessment data in the Wilcox Library Annual Report and post it to the library website. Moreover, librarians extricate assessment data from the report and, with the assistance of the WPU Public Relations Department, produce an infographic for the board of trustees. Assessment results also apply to student work and achievement: in 2014 Wilcox Library started awarding a yearly $100 cash prize for an outstanding literature review to a student in each academic division. The winners are determined by the assessment of student projects using the previously mentioned rubrics. To support promotion of the winners, an award wall listing award recipients was created. The award wall is celebration and reminder of the library’s value in supporting student learning.

Conclusion Wilcox Library’s work to leverage the characteristics of a culture of assessment should be viewed as progress along a continuum, not a fait accompli. The library will continue to emphasize leadership, education, planning, and using and sharing results to continue moving toward a culture of assessment. While small libraries have unique challenges, it is possible to learn from ongoing research about assessment and apply it in smaller academic library settings. As assessment research continues, the librarians at WPU continue working toward experimenting and creating best practices that could be beneficial for other small and rural academic librarians to apply, improve, and share.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

190 Chapter 9

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Notes 1. Amos Lakos and Shelley E. Phipps, “Creating a Culture of Assessment: A Catalyst for Organizational Change,” portal: Libraries and the Academy 4, no. 3 (2004): 352, doi:10.1353/pla.2004.0052. 2. Association of College and Research Libraries, Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report, prepared by Megan Oakleaf (Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2010), 8, http://www. ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues/value/val_report.pdf. 3. Ibid., 180. 4. Meredith Gorran Farkas, Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe and Amy Harris Houk, “Bridges and Barriers: Factors Influencing a Culture of Assessment in Academic Libraries,” College and Research Libraries 76, no. 2 (March 2015): 150–69, doi:10.5860/crl.76.2.150. 5. Jon R. Hufford, “A Review of the Literature on Assessment in Academic and Research Libraries, 2005 to August 2011,” portal: Libraries and the Academy 13, no. 1 (2013): 5–35, doi:10.1353/pla.2013.0005. 6. Farkas, Hinchliffe, and Houk, “Bridges and Barriers.” 7. Lakos and Phipps, “Creating a Culture of Assessment,” 352. 8. Ibid., 352. 9. Farkas, Hinchliffe, and Houk, “Bridges and Barriers.” 10. Steve Hiller, Martha Kyrillidou, and Jim Self, “When the Evidence Is Not Enough: Organizational Factors That Influence Effective and Successful Library Assessment,” Performance Measurement and the Metrics 9, no. 3 (2008): 223–30, doi:10.1108/14678040810928444. 11. Ibid. 12. Farkas, Hinchcliffe, and Houk, “Bridges and Barriers,” 164. 13. Ibid. 14. Ibid., 162. 15. Megan Oakleaf and Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, “Assessment Cycle or Circular File: Do Academic Librarians Use Information Literacy Assessment Data?” in Proceedings of the 2008 Library Assessment Conference: Building Effective Sustainable Practical Assessment, ed. Steve Hiller, Kristina Justh, Martha Kyrillidou, and Jim Self (Washington, DC: Association of Research Libraries, 2008), 161, http://libraryassessment.org/bm~doc/proceedings-lac-2008.pdf. 16. Denise Troll Covey, “Academic Library Assessment: New Duties and Dilemmas,” New Library World 103, no. 1175/1176 (2002): 156–64. 17. Meredith Gorran Farkas, “Building and Sustaining a Culture of Assessment: Best Practices for Change Leadership,” Reference Services Review 41, no. 1 (2013): 13–31, doi:10.1108/00907321311300857. 18. Lakos and Phipps, “Creating a Culture of Assessment.” 19. Ibid. 20. Hiller, Kyrillidou, and Self, “When the Evidence Is Not Enough,” 228. 21. Oakleaf and Hinchliffe, “Assessment Cycle or Circular File.”

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Small Academic Libraries and the Culture of Assessment 191

22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.

Farkas, Hinchliffe, and Houk, “Bridges and Barriers,” 163. Oakleaf and Hinchliffe, “Assessment Cycle or Circular File.” Lakos and Phipps, “Creating a Culture of Assessment.” Farkas, Hinchliffe, and Houk, “Bridges and Barriers,” 166. Hiller, Kyrillidou, and Self, “When the Evidence Is Not Enough,” 228. Covey, “Academic Library Assessment,” 159. Lakos and Phipps, “Creating a Culture of Assessment,” 353. Covey, “Academic Library Assessment,” 162. Lakos and Phipps, “Creating a Culture of Assessment.” Farkas, Hinchliffe and Houk, “Bridges and Barriers,” 164. Hiller, Kyrillidou, and Self, “When the Evidence Is Not Enough,” 229. Covey, “Academic Library Assessment,” 161. Ibid., 161. Ibid., 158. Megan Oakleaf, “Building the Assessment Librarian Guildhall: Criteria and Skills for Quality Assessment,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 39, no. 1 (2013): 126–28. 37. Ibid. 38. Ibid., 127. 39. Association of College and Research Libraries, Value of Academic Libraries. 40. Lakos and Phipps, “Creating a Culture of Assessment.” 41. Oakleaf, “Building the Assessment Librarian Guildhall.” 42. Lakos and Phipps, “Creating a Culture of Assessment,” 355. 43. Ibid. 44. Steven Bell, “Future Proofing the Library: Here’s How We Do It,” (presentation, Iowa ACRL Conference, Waterloo, IA, April 17, 2009). 45. Julie Hansen, “Strategic Initiatives,” Wilcox Library, last updated September 8, 2014, http://wmpenn.libguides.com/content. php?pid=618674&sid=5169076; Julie Hansen, “Building Renewal Plan,” Wilcox Library, last updated September 8, 2014, http://wmpenn.libguides. com/content.php?pid=618674&sid=5125348.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Section Five: Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Technology

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Chapter 10

Technology Triage

*

Assessing and Managing Library Systems and Projects Michael Rodriguez

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

University of Connecticut

Introduction Assessing, prioritizing, and managing library technologies are daunting challenges—and essential skills—for librarians at small or isolated academic institutions. Whereas larger libraries are more likely to have the financial assets and specialized staff to innovate or outsource technology services, small academic libraries are more likely to subsist on shoestring operating budgets and employ jack-of-all-trades professionals rather than specialized technical experts. This is particularly the case with community colleges or private universities lacking large endowments or other reliable revenue flows. The latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) supports these claims, with over half of academic libraries (2,023) spending under $500,000 per year. At least half these This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/. * 

195

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

196 Chapter 10

budgets went to salaries and benefits, leaving little funding for technology or specialized staff. Of all academic libraries, 2,496 counted as small by NCES standards, reporting a full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment under 2,999. Of those libraries, 1,388 served fewer than one thousand students.1 This is a vast pool of libraries for which highly functional, user-friendly technologies can be at once essential and unaffordable. The library technology manager’s role is widely acknowledged as “one of the most challenging aspects of service management in a small library.”2 Technological stagnation is commonplace in many libraries. Particularly in small or rural libraries, lowered funding for improvements and staffing means technology managers often find themselves working solo. Moreover, librarians working in small or rural environments may undertake major, vital projects without a budget, support staff, or prior experience. In addition to learning how to manage workflows and concurrent projects, these librarians must obtain buy-in from coworkers and stakeholders, develop support networks beyond physically isolated rural workplaces, and learn from their mistakes. Above all, professionals who embrace tech-heavy roles must be ready to teach themselves the process of technology triage: how to identify, prioritize, and implement critical technological enhancements. Technology triage requires assessing priorities, executing improvements rapidly, and proceeding to other areas of need. These skills are essential for technology managers to master.

Definitions As concept and praxis, medical triage is transferrable to technology management in libraries. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, triage denotes “the assignment of degrees of urgency to wounds or illnesses in order to decide the order or suitability of treatment.”3 In medical triage, health-care personnel assess the severity of injury to each patient and prioritize seriously wounded but viable patients over fatally injured patients, who will die regardless of treatment, and over lightly injured patients, who need minimal care. Patients are color-coded according to condition: black for fatally injured or deceased patients who are beyond help, red for immediate life-saving care, yellow for urgent care, and green for the walking wounded.4 Some classification systems

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Technology Triage 197

add a fifth category: white for patients with minor injuries. Triage is used in mass-casualty situations and is practiced at all levels of medical authority, from physicians to paramedics.5 While life and limb are rarely at stake in the library context, the application of triage underscores the importance of assessing and managing priorities in environments where resources are limited and outcomes are significant. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary offers an alternative, nonmedical definition of triage as “the assigning of priority order to projects on the basis of where funds and other resources can be best used, are most needed, or are most likely to achieve success.”6 In context, this can refer to assessing and prioritizing technological improvements based partially on the severity or urgency of the situation and its impact on customers. Table 10.1 gives a comparison of triage applications in medical and technological contexts. Regardless of the context, fundamental to triage is the core consideration of resources expended in relation to benefits achieved. At the heart of triage is cost-benefit analysis, better known as return on investment (ROI). TABLE 10.1

Triage codes

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Type

Medical

Technological

Examples

Characterizations

Black

Deceased or fatally injured

Cease support and replace

Web application platform, intranet

Red

Urgent, life-saving care

Prioritize the life cycle

Library website, Improvement vital documentation to library services

Yellow

Urgent, Salvage and non-critical sustain care

Knowledge base, discovery layer

Malfunctioning is significant but still at acceptable level

Green

The walking wounded

Monitor

Library services platform

Operating normally but inefficiently

White

No need for treatment

Benign neglect Library study room booking system

Operating normally and effectively

System no longer viable—consider replacing

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

198 Chapter 10

This chapter seeks to fill a gap in the literature by highlighting how the methodological framework of triage can offer a new way to understand and apply best practices in technology management at small or rural academic libraries. This approach is grounded in comparative analysis and a literature review. Using the author’s institution as a case study, this chapter explores how to thrive as a library technology field surgeon by implementing cost-effective, user-centered solutions in small academic libraries.

Literature Review

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Triage in LIS

In LIS literature, the concept of triage appears within the context of reference and general management but almost never in the context of managing library technologies. Searches for technology triage and triage in Google Scholar, WorldCat, Scopus, ERIC, LISTA, and other databases produced few results—and almost none relevant to library technology management.7 Researchers have used the term to refer to routing virtual reference queries efficiently or creating instant messaging services to automate responses to student questions.8 Other authors have used triage to identify an emerging practice in which paraprofessional staff handles directional and other basic reference transactions.9 Brown explained how to optimize workflows using triage management generalizations of “can wait,” “hopeless,” and “urgent,” which tends to reduce triage to a triumvirate of absolutes instead of a series of contingencies, for which the methodology is designed.10 Hennen used the term to comment on budget cuts—a perennial concern for libraries but not a technology-specific one.11 Finally, a twenty-five-year-old Library Journal article discussed triage management but used a humorous case study of red ant invasions at its author’s library—also a scenario distinct from technology management.12 Many other works offer starting points for librarians who manage information technology (IT) or would like to explore the triage framework. See Appendix 10A for a listing of additional resources.

Triage in Management and IT

The concept of triage figures largely in business management and information technology literature. Management researchers invoke the

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Technology Triage 199

concept of triage to improve profitability, whether by assessing products, grasping project requirements, or improving environmental sustainability.13 IT researchers use the term in reference to developing more efficient processes for tasks such as sorting e-mails (e-mail triage), troubleshooting software applications (bug triage), or processing large volumes of data or documents (information triage or document triage).14 Harper and Bechhofer used semantics-based triage to mean stripping unnecessary data from websites to improve accessibility for visually impaired users.15 Other authors have used triage to mean prioritizing IT support requests not only according to urgency but also according to how efficiently the problem can be resolved. The literature shows that the nonmedical usage of triage is variously defined, creating space for another effective adaptation of the methodology: in support of limited staffing and resources at small and rural academic libraries.

Hodges University and McMahan Library

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Hodges University

With 2,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) students, Hodges University is a private, nonprofit institution located in southwest Florida. It offers thirty-eight degree programs, concentrated in business, technology, and health care, with a mixture of online and on-campus offerings. Hodges serves mostly nontraditional students who tend to remain local after graduation. Following rapid growth in the period of the Great Recession (c. 2007–2009), Hodges, like many community colleges and universities, experienced a sharp post-2011 drop in enrollment. Experts have attributed this decline to adult learners pursuing jobs amid an economic recovery instead of returning to school.16 At Hodges, declining enrollment resulted in tighter finances and layoffs, leading to neglect of library technologies. A new library director sought to reenergize the library and grow its impact on student success and retention, achieved partly through technological innovation.

McMahan Library

As of 2016, Hodges University’s Terry P. McMahan Library employs four faculty librarians and one library assistant, runs on the OCLC WorldShare Management Services platform, hosts its website using the LibGuides

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

200 Chapter 10

content management system (CMS), and spends about one-quarter of its pared-down budget on electronic serials and other online services and resources. As Hodges University’s web services librarian starting in summer 2014, the author inherited an obsolescent website, an inadequately maintained intranet, virtually nonexistent documentation and workflows, few technical skills among staff, a fraught relationship with the Hodges IT department, and no funds for improvement. This array of responsibilities and challenges was overwhelming, and applying the triage methodology helped to identify, organize, and manage projects and workflows.

Applying Triage at McMahan Library

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Priority Assessment

An essential feature of triage is its adaptability, as practitioners must reassess and modify triage placement as needs and priorities evolve. Triage’s adaptability establishes it to be not a measurement technique but rather a framework to help conceptualize and implement a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to library technology management.17 Triage is not just a stopgap measure—it is essential to developing better services and systems. How librarians apply triage should be contingent on local needs and resources, which vary widely across the thousands of small and rural academic libraries nationwide. Librarians should prioritize assessing the needs of local stakeholders, whether through observation and informal discussions with faculty and students or through structured interviews, surveys, or focus groups. Projects should be triaged at least partly according to these assessments. Recognizing that the process of triage should be adjusted to each library’s internal and external operating environments and user needs, the rest of this chapter will discuss how technology priorities were assessed and ranked according to urgency of need, costs, and efficiency of implementation at the McMahan Library. (See Appendix 10B for criteria for cost-benefit analysis to use when triaging technologies.)

Code Black

Literature warns health-care providers against wasting vital time and resources on patients with little to no chance of survival.18 Similarly, librarians should not waste customizations on Code Black systems; rath-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Technology Triage 201

er, those systems should be replaced and technical support provided only to minimize service gaps until the new systems come online. User needs are particularly important when assessing usability and impact of online services and resources—often users’ first point of contact with the library. The McMahan Library’s website was dysfunctional to the point of Code Black (see figure 10.1). The previous McMahan Library website was built piecemeal using the Microsoft SharePoint and Springshare LibGuides v1 platforms. Neither platform was responsive to mobile devices, visually appealing, or user-friendly. Also, the university’s IT department controlled the library website, locking access to the site behind a login and locking down permissions so the librarians could not make meaningful interface changes. Exacerbating the site’s obsolescence and inaccessibility was library staff’s initial decision to continue working with the existing web platforms rather than adopting a new content management system. This led to staff expending a significant number of hours in unproductive effort. The low capacity for improvement of the original website platforms should have been quickly assessed; had this been done, less effort would have been dedicated to improving them. Readers should recognize, however, that palliative care is essential to prolonging the life cycle of the product until staff can implement a replacement system. Quick transitions are risky and unrealistic, as IT project management literature notes.19

FiGURE 10.1

Screenshot of Hodges University’s Terry P� McMahan Library homepage (pre-triage, 2014)�

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

202 Chapter 10

FiGURE 10.2

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Screenshot of Hodges University’s Terry P� McMahan Library homepage (post-triage, 2016)�

Replacement was the best call. Springshare was offering a major product upgrade at no additional cost, so the McMahan Library decided to merge its two web platforms into one site using LibGuides CMS v2. The library adopted an agile approach, migrating the website from a defective CMS and making iterative improvements over the following year, from designing a mobile responsive discovery search box to coding new virtual reference widgets. The library now manages a user-friendly, visually attractive, unified interface optimized for mobile devices (see figure 10.2). The initial migration, however, upgraded the status of the website from Code Black to Code Red—improved, but still needing help.

Code Red

Code Red characterizes digital systems and resources that are essential to library operations but are in acute need of improvement. Library websites frequently fall into this category because they deliver essential services but are not necessarily easy for users to navigate to find what they need.20 The website is where students and faculty often

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Technology Triage 203

initiate their interaction with the library—users are lost or captured at the homepage. According to a 2015 Pew Research Center Report, 22 percent of people over the age of 16 have used a library website in the past year, 50 percent of whom used a tablet or smartphone to access the site.21 A user-friendly, resource-rich, mobile-friendly website is an essential front-facing service for any organization. Once McMahan Library transitioned to the latest version of LibGuides, the library’s website downgraded to a Code Red priority as staff performed usability testing and customized search boxes and other features. After a year of work, the site had moved up to Code Green, rapidly approaching the stage of benign neglect. Between Code Red and Code Green, however, the triage method posts Code Yellow.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Code Yellow

In technology triage, Code Yellow systems are not upgraded until technologists can deal with immediate priorities (Code Red). Illustrating Code Yellow are McMahan Library’s knowledge base and discovery layer search, which experienced inconsistent link resolution requiring constant maintenance. Ideally, discovery layers facilitate access; instead, McMahan Library users all too often encountered error messages when trying to access a resource. Librarians traditionally worked around these failed searches by training researchers to go directly to the databases. Since users had been trained to avoid using the discovery search, library staff agreed not to prioritize repairing the knowledge base and discovery layer because the coping mechanism was already in place, and knowledge base cleanup would require massive investment of staff time. Librarians continued to perform routine maintenance—deleting lapsed subscriptions from the knowledge base and investigating reports of inaccurately resolving links—but overall, staff elected not to invest significant effort into replacing or revamping the system. Nevertheless, link resolution improved because of better reporting and maintenance by the vendor.

Code Green

Code Green involves stabilizing and monitoring triaged systems so that they continue to function, even if below peak efficiency. For instance,

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

204 Chapter 10

McMahan Library’s library services platform (LSP) had poor usability and limited functionality, to the point that staff had to pull usage reports via clumsy file transfer protocol (FTP). However, the platform is economical and handles the core functions of circulation, cataloging, and interlibrary loan perfectly. At McMahan Library, triage assessment led to a decision not to work on the LSP until the website and other top priorities had been addressed. In this instance, enhancements were pushed back for a year with few associated complaints from end users, as the LSP limitations impacted staff workflows only. Commonly categorized as Code Green are nonessential software updates, major customizations, and inventory.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Code White

For technologies that exhibit no signs of impending obsolescence, the preferable course of action is often benign neglect. Let the system run itself while staff focuses on higher-order priorities. To illustrate a typical Code White situation, McMahan Library used an event and room management system that also offered survey forms, a personal scheduler with Google and Microsoft Outlook integrations, and other attractive special features. However, the library never sought to implement these features, as study room reservations were the only function needed by stakeholders. Vindicating Code White status, the room booking component took only ten minutes per year to maintain.

Priorities and Best Practices Prioritize Relationships

Libraries at smaller colleges and universities might be highly interdependent with, if not dependent on, other university departments. For instance, the university’s finance department might review purchases and handle payments for equipment or software, information technology maintain library hardware, and online learning facilitate integration of library resources into the college’s learning management system. With this interplay in mind, library technologists should prioritize developing or repairing useful or complementary relationships with stakeholders inside the larger organization. Developing interdepartmental relationships is a priority for effective

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.



Technology Triage 205

technology triage, if only because technologists must gain the cooperation of these departments to get invoices paid, learning objects embedded, and computers operational. Librarians should work to strengthen existing relationships or improve any troubled relationships they may inherit. For library technologists, the single most important interdepartmental relationship is usually with the university’s IT department. Librarians can often improve or strengthen that relationship simply by expressing empathy and respect for IT personnel and priorities and writing friendly help tickets that always end in thank-yous.22 Common courtesy and empathy build camaraderie and help to smooth over any past conflicts.23 Additionally, demonstrating high personal levels of technological competency, following up assertively on lagging issues, and personalizing professional relationships will also command respect for the librarian tasked with technology management. At small and rural libraries, whose staff may have limited technology skills, librarians should seek out opportunities to learn from IT colleagues and take advantage of professional development webinars, workshops, and readings (see Appendix 10A) as opportunities present themselves. The key takeaway is that library technology managers should see IT and other departments as internal customers, with needs and priorities as important as those of the library, faculty, or students.

Prioritize Internal Customers

The importance of internal service applies to library staff also. Albrecht defined internal service as “the idea that the whole organization must serve those who serve.”24 When internal service is valued and a positive work environment developed, employees are better able to perform triage effectively, which in turns leads to improved services for external customers. For example, clear and consistent expectations regarding information security and privacy frees staff to focus on implementing enhancements and fixes without fretting about accidentally flouting policy.25 Essentially, library technologists must find answers to a deceptively simple question: What will optimize staff performance to the point that the needs and expectations of users are consistently surpassed?

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

206 Chapter 10

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Prioritize Efficiency via Documentation

Documentation is key to internal service and triage implementation. Library staff can spend an inordinate length of time on chat or e-mail determining why a particular user is having difficulty accessing an electronic resource. Logins can fail for any number of reasons, from a mistyped password to a firewall that blocks authentication. At McMahan Library, such situations could snowball to the point of the entire staff getting involved in one technical support issue. This was largely because the staff members who initially tried to help had no troubleshooting documentation or workflows for guidance. Lack of documentation leads to duplication of effort, poorly served constituents, inefficiency, and frustration. Documentation of workflows, policies, logins, and procedures is the simplest and most effective way to improve efficiency and internal service. Among the first initiatives at McMahan was to produce detailed, step-by-step documentation for troubleshooting all points of resource access. The documentation was made public on the library website so library users could troubleshoot their own issues, reducing callbacks by 90 percent. These documentation measures also relieved pressure on staff attempting to deliver on-the-fly technical support, as well as reducing dependence on specialized technologists. To further support in-depth troubleshooting, a master password list and a vendor contact list were created. Documenting procedures and cross-training staff on how to access and use the documentation are essential to enabling library technology triage on the front lines.

Prioritize Documentation to Train Staff

To facilitate triaging, frontline staff should be empowered to troubleshoot and enhance library technologies independently, without relying totally on an in-house expert. Lack of professional development is common in small and rural academic libraries given the lack of resources and opportunities;26 however, documentation can help bridge this gap by encouraging continuous learning and building cross-training into expectations for all staff. Reframed as a method of professional development, documentation offers high ROI for all stakeholders, empowering staff to exercise autonomy in troubleshooting common maintenance and access issues. In addition to developing staff skills,

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Technology Triage 207

documentation frees library technology managers to focus on high-order concerns and long-range planning.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Discussion Triage is integral to long-range planning because it enables library technology managers to determine the order in which systems need to be replaced or upgraded and plan budgets accordingly. Financial and strategic planning, along with investments in sound technological infrastructure, support triage. Failure to plan ahead leads to frequent system failures, slower machines, and other frustrations. This results in heavier staff workloads and poor user experiences. In the long run, poor infrastructure investment is more expensive than up-front costs to maintain and upgrade that infrastructure.27 To implement triage effectively, library managers must monitor technology life cycles and track inventory to anticipate the costs of upgrading obsolescent systems and services. Technology triage is uniquely suitable for the small or rural library environment because it is scalable, flexible, and appropriate for adaptation to any project or work environment, by solo librarians or by teams. Whereas project management methods are optimal for team environments with a number of collaborators and specialists, triage is ideal for small organizations or solo practitioners because, unlike Gantt charts or the Scrum methodology, triage is less a rigorous, team-based methodology than a conceptual (and visual) framework into which to fit and formulate diverse needs and projects. Notwithstanding these benefits, triage implementation poses challenges, including the need for frequent reassessment, the limitations of a five-category framework, and the loosely structured nature of triage-based workflows. Librarians may wish to develop additional color-coded triage categories to ensure maximum flexibility and scalability when sorting priorities. Another common challenge is stakeholders’ reluctance to black-code a system. This reluctance requires librarians to evaluate triage decisions carefully, sell those decisions to stakeholders and administrators, and be self-critical and flexible in potentially reevaluating those decisions. During implementation, unexpected situations may arise that require lower-level priorities to be rapidly prioritized. For instance, while executing minor modifications to a webpage,

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

208 Chapter 10

a buggy line of code may crash the entire website and escalate a maintenance situation (Code Green) to a top priority (Code Red). Overall, the flexibility of technology triage is key, and it is this characteristic that most benefits small and rural academic libraries. The method is straightforward yet adaptable—just what a low-budgeted, understaffed organization needs.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Conclusion Technology triage is more than an emergency technique for repairing systems or squashing bugs—it is a conceptual and methodological framework that enables librarians to optimize technology management based on cost-benefit analysis. In technology triage, the primary consideration is ROI—how should the library technology manager allocate scarce staff, time, and resources as efficiently as possible to obtain the best overall results for both staff and end users? Triage ROI should be calculated according to how each technology impacts stakeholders’ ability to accomplish their work or academic goals. Pragmatic and results-oriented, triage enables library technology managers to assess, prioritize, and manage technology repairs and enhancements in the high-stakes, low-budget environments of many small or rural academic libraries.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Technology Triage 209

Appendix 10A: Resources for Library Technology Management

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Publications Bolan, Kimberly, and Robert Cullin. Technology Made Simple: An Improvement Guide for Small and Medium Libraries. Chicago: American Library Association, 2007. Breeding, Marshall. “Professional Development for the Library Technologist.” Computers in Libraries 30, no. 4 (May 2010): 30–32. Burke, John. Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion: A Basic Guide for Library Staff. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2013. Cohn, John M., and Ann L. Kelsey. The Complete Library Technology Planner: A Guidebook with Sample Technology Plans and RFPs on CD-ROM. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2010. Engard, Nicole C., and Rachel Singer Gordon. Accidental Systems Librarian. Medford, NJ: Information Today, 2012. Erlandson, Rene J., and Rachel A. Erb. Technology for Small and One-Person Libraries: A LITA Guide. Chicago: American Library Association, 2013. Farmer, Lesley S. J., and Marc E. McPhee. Technology Management Handbook for School Library Media Centers. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2010. Houghton-Jan, Sarah. Technology Training in Libraries. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2010. Library Technology Reports. Chicago: ALA TechSource, 2001–. Thompson, Susan M. Core Technology Competencies for Librarians and Library Staff: A LITA Guide. New York: Neal-Schuman, 2009.

Online Training Library and Information Technology Association (LITA). “Online Learning.” http://www.ala.org/lita/learning/online. Library Juice Academy. “Courses.” http://libraryjuiceacademy.com/courses.php. Webjunction. “Find Training.” https://www.webjunction.org/find-training.html.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

210 Chapter 10

Appendix 10B: Sorting Technology Triage Priorities through Cost-Benefit Analysis Cost-Benefit Considerations Questions Analysis Cost

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Benefit

Analysis

Time to plan, implement, and sustain project

How many work hours will project implementation take? How long overall will it take to complete the project? How much maintenance will it require?

Budget to implement and sustain project

What resources need to be allocated to the project? What risks are incurred if costs exceed projections? What resources may need to be diverted fr om other projects? How might reallocation impact services?

Skills to implement and sustain project

Does staff have the skills needed to implement the project? Will they need to learn new skills or systems, adding to project duration and cost? Will managers need to recruit new personnel or rewrite job descriptions?

Need for new or improved systems or services

How urgently do external and/or internal customers need the new or improved service or system? Is the need real or just assumed? Is the decision data-driven? Are existing systems adequate? For how long?

Need for improved perceptions

Does the institution have a forwardthinking tech reputation to sustain, or a negative one to overcome? Would community perceptions demonstrably improve due to the project?

Benefits, including potential benefits, of implementation

How immediately, tangibly, and significantly will the technology benefit internal and external customers? What about potential? Note: Need is distinct from benefit , as users frequently do not realize the benefits of new systems or workflows until after the fact.

Return on How can the library technology manager investment (ROI) use scarce resources as efficiently as possible to obtain the best overall results for users?

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Technology Triage 211

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Notes 1. Tai Phan, Laura Hardesty, and Jamie Hug, Academic Libraries: 2012: First Look, NCES 2014-038 (Washington, DC: US Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2014), 10-11, http://nces.ed.gov/ pubs2014/2014038.pdf. 2. Donna Brockmeyer, “Jack of All Trades, Master of One: Librarianship,” Feliciter: Journal of the Canadian Library Association 57, no. 2 (April 2011): 45. 3. OED Online, s.v. “triage,” n., def. 2a, accessed April 6, 2016, http://www.oed. com/view/Entry/205658?rskey=nhDKEL&result=1&isAdvanced=false. 4. Leslie A. Lenert, Douglas A. Palmer, Theodore C. Chan, and Ramesh Rao, “An Intelligent 802.11 Triage Tag for Medical Response to Disasters,” in AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings 2005 (Bethesda, MD: American Medical Informatics Association, 2005), 440–444. 5. Susan C. deWit and Candice Kumagai, eds., Medical-Surgical Nursing: Concepts and Practice (St. Louis, MO: Elsevier, 2013), 1001. 6. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., s.v. “triage,” n., def. 2. 7. Diana M. Akey, “Creation of a Technology Triage Center for Campus Services at SUNY Plattsburgh” (PhD diss., SUNY–Plattsburgh, 1994); J. Stephen Guffey, Lary C. Rampp, and Mary Jane Bradley, “Technology Staff Development: Triage Using Three Mastery Levels,” Opinion Paper, 1998, ERIC (ED418072). 8. Jeffrey Pomerantz, Scott Nicholson, and R. David Lankes, “Digital Reference Triage: An Investigation Using the Delphi Method into the Factors Influencing Question Routing and Assignment,” Library Quarterly 73, no. 2 (2003): 103–20; Jeffrey Pomerantz, “Factors Influencing Digital Reference Triage: A Think-Aloud Study,” Library Quarterly 74, no. 3 (2004): 235–64; Stephanie Hall, “Collaborative Chat Reference Service Effectiveness Varies by Question Type for Public Library Patrons,” Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 3, no. 1 (2008): 72–74; Jason Snyder and Meredith Field, “We Got the Message: Creating an Instant Messenger Service Point,” SIGUCCS ’06: Proceedings of the 34th Annual ACM SIGUCCS Fall Conference (New York: ACM, 2006), 378–80. 9. Carrie Forbes and Jennifer Bowers, Rethinking Reference for Academic Libraries: Innovative Developments and Future Trends (Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2015); Kate Shaw and Amanda Spink, “University Library Virtual Reference Services: Best Practices and Continuous Improvement,” Australian Academic and Research Libraries 40, no. 3 (2009): 192–205; Gary E. Strong, “If We Change It—Will They Come?” Reference Services Review 34, no. 3 (2006): 333–39; Judith Siess, “Triage at the Reference Desk: Animal Farm Was Right,” One-Person Library 22, no. 5 (September 2005): 6–7; Marlene A. Porter and Jolene M. Miller, “Case Study 2: Reference Triage at the Medical University of Ohio: Just-in-Case to Just-in-Time at the Mulford Library,” in An Introduction to Reference Services in Academic Libraries, ed. Elizabeth Connor (Binghamton, NY: Haworth, 2006), 23–34.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

212 Chapter 10

10. Barry Brown, “Triage Assessment and Management Measures for Access Services,” Collection Management 17, no. 1/2 (1992): 217–35. 11. Thomas J. Hennen Jr., “Performing Triage on Budgets in the R*E*D,” American Libraries 34, no. 3 (March 2003): 36–39. 12. Marilyn Naito, “Management by the MASH Model,” Library Journal 116, no. 17 (1991): 45–47. 13. Robert G. Docters, “Improving Profitability through Product Triage,” Business Horizons 39, no. 1 (1996): 71–78; Alan M. Davis, “The Art of Requirements Triage,” Computer 36, no. 3 (March 2003): 42–49; Chuan Duan, Paula Laurent, Jane Cleland-Huang, and Charles Kwiatkowski, “Towards Automated Requirements Prioritization and Triage,” Requirements Engineering 14, no. 2 (2009): 73–89; Diane Holt and Howard Viney, “Targeting Environmental Improvements through Ecological Triage,” Eco-Management and Auditing 8, no. 3 (September 2001): 154–64. 14. Inge Alberts and Dominic Forest, “Email Pragmatics and Automatic Classification: A Study in the Organizational Context,” Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 63, no. 5 (2012): 904–22; MamdouhTop of Form Alenezi, Kenneth Magel, and Shadi Banitaan, “Efficient Bug Triaging Using Text Mining,” Journal of Software 8, no. 9 (2013): 2185–90; George Buchanan and Fernando Loizides, “Investigating Document Triage on Paper and Electronic Media,” in Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries, ed. Rachel Heery and Liz Lyon (Berlin: Springer, 2007), 416–27. 15. Simon Harper and Sean Bechhofer, “Semantic Triage for Increased Web Accessibility,” IBM Systems Journal 44, no. 3 (2005): 637–48. 16. Richard Pérez-Peña, “College Enrollment Falls as Economy Recover,” New York Times, July 25, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/26/education/ in-a-recovering-economy-a-decline-in-college-enrollment.html. 17. Christopher H. Lee, “Disaster and Mass Casualty Triage,” AMA Journal of Ethics 12, no. 6 (2010): 466–70. 18. Ibid.; Lenert, “An Intelligent 802.11.” 19. Jack T. Marchewka, Information Technology Project Management: Providing Measurable Organizational Value (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2003). 20. Emily Singley, “Top 5 Problems with Library Websites—A Review of Recent Usability Studies,” Usable Libraries (blog), October 1, 2015, http://emilysingley.net/top-5-problems-with-library-websites-a-review-of-recent-usabilitystudies/; Anthony S. Chow, Michelle Bridges, and Patricia Commander, “The Website Design and Usability of US Academic and Public Libraries: Findings from a Nationwide Study,” Reference and User Services Quarterly, 53, no. 3 (2014): 253–65. 21. John B. Horrigan, “Libraries at the Crossroads,” Pew Research Center, September 15, 2015, http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/09/15/libraries-at-the-crossroads/.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Technology Triage 213

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

22. Cheryl Wolfe, “Learn to Speak IT: Communicating with IT Staff and Technology Vendors for Results” (paper presented at the Florida Library Association Annual Conference, Orlando, FL, May 14, 2015). 23. Shin Freedman, “Collegiality Matters: How Do We Work with Others?” (presentation, Charleston Conference, Charleston, SC, November 4–7, 2009), doi:10.5703/1288284314771. 24. Karl Albrecht, The Only Thing That Matters: Bringing the Power of the Customer into the Centre of Your Business (New York: Harper, 1992), 101. 25. Steve Farner, Fred Luthans, and Steven Sommer, “An Empirical Assessment of Internal Customer Service,” Managing Service Quality 11, no. 5 (2001), 350–58. 26. Kaetrena Kendrick, Deborah Tritt, and Echo Leaver, “Link Up the Sticks: Access and Barriers to Professional Development for Small and Rural Academic Librarians,” Codex: The Journal of the Louisiana Chapter of the ACRL 2, no. 3 (2013), 38–77. 27. Sarv Devaraj and Rajiv Kohli, The IT Payoff: Measuring the Business Value of Information Technology Investments (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2002).

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Big Ideas, Small Libraries

Being Innovative Creating Innovative Tutorials Ustadza Ely

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Yavapai College

YAVAPAI COLLEGE (YC) IS a community college with six campuses throughout Yavapai County in Arizona. YC offers various associate’s degree programs, including unique offerings such as gunsmithing. Twenty-two percent of our students make use of YC’s online classes, which allows them to obtain an education when they are unable to travel or if it interferes with their work schedule. The college even offers discounted child-care services (3 months–5 years) on the main campus. The YC Library is located on the main campus in Prescott, and there is a branch in Clarkdale. Librarians are able to travel to serve students on the smaller campuses, and Ask A Librarian services are also offered via chat, phone, and e-mail. Additionally, pathfinders created in LibGuides are available so students have a starting point for research that is accessible anytime—a far cry from the eighties, when YC Library’s materials had to be strapped to a horse for an eight-mile trip down into a remote canyon village. Why did the Yavapai College Prescott Campus Library begin to create online video tutorials?

Ustadza Ely: The creation of online tutorials was triggered by a desire to promote our resources and services in a fun and different way to reach out to students. Armed only with a video camera and Windows Movie Maker, my coworker James Rider and I made a vintage video called “An Afternoon Romp” to showcase our DVD collection. Short-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Being Innovative 215

ly after that we created “Thrall & Zorga in …Let’s Ask A Librarian,” which won a Bronze Telly Award for Online Video. These videos were placed on YouTube and embedded on our library website. Later on I made an interactive video tutorial on how to use the catalog. Characters from the popular game World of Warcraft were incorporated and quizzes—with a creature attacking if you got the answer wrong— were scattered throughout. Eventually, the Library Instruction and Library Technology team were tapped to participate in creating a video tutorial on plagiarism. This tutorial is very popular: YouTube hits for this video alone come to over 20,000 views as of 2016. How do online video tutorials support your students?

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Ustadza: The video tutorials we create are beautiful visual presentations that capture the student’s attention. They support the needs of distance education students by being available 24/7 online. The videos also appeal to those with short attention spans since they explain research concepts or provide library technology support in a brief amount of time. A mark of your tutorials is creativity and innovation—how do you support and encourage this at a small academic library?

Ustadza: We encourage professional development and exploration. The more knowledgeable our staff are, the better we can serve our students. When a staff member shows an interest in learning a new type of technology or teaching tool, they are assigned a library project that requires them to put their training into practice. Luckily, our staff are all a very curious bunch who love to grow and hardly need any encouragement to explore. How do you access professional development opportunities and hone your technology skills?

Ustadza: We make use of the free trainings provided by the Arizona State Library, books available at our library, YouTube tutorials, as well as Yavapai College courses. Our staff also seek training opportunities in-house since we know the technology strengths of the

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

216 Big Ideas, Small Libraries

people in our department. We have created in-house tutorials for staff using the screen-capturing software Camtasia. Time is an essential resource for librarians at small and rural academic libraries. How do you and your staff manage time to create online tutorials?

Ustadza: We use our staff talent efficiently. A project may require Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, acting, etc. We distribute the workload and assign tasks to the person whose strengths are in that area. This means that a few librarians may work on the script, while another figures out how to visually present the content, and a paraprofessional may work on editing the images or film. It requires a lot of communication since there are many cooks in the kitchen, but because the workload is spread out, we are still able to continue working on other projects.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

We always have a library manager in charge of the project to make sure everyone is getting the support they need to complete their task. When things get hectic, we may double up and work on a project while on the reference desk or use flex time. We always find a way to complete the project in a timely manner. How do you leverage your budget to obtain technology tools? Do you have any creative low-cost solutions?

Ustadza: We are fortunate that we can use the software made available to students in art, computer, and filmmaking classes. Early on, we made sure we invested in good tools that would have a long life span. We have artists and crafters in our department, so we have made costumes for the videos and created the props ourselves with things from home and bargain bins in stores. Once, we even had the college orchestra create and record music for one of our videos so that we did not have to purchase music rights. What are some of the biggest challenges you face in the creation and distribution of online tutorials?

Ustadza: Finding new and unique ways to present the information

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



Being Innovative 217

and choosing which service to highlight is always a challenge. We always want to do more, but must find balance with our other duties. With regard to distribution, we are constantly trying to find different ways to reach out to faculty. It can be difficult since so much information is being thrown at faculty. Using LibGuides has definitely helped us to share these resources at the students’ point of need. What advice do you have for other small and rural academic libraries that want to create innovative online tutorials?

Ustadza: Start small. You do not have to make a full-length feature film for your first tutorial. Choose a topic that can give you a lot of bang for your buck and will create that “Ah-ha!” moment for students. Also, you can never do enough storyboarding. The more you plan, the less you will have to redo. And remember, this is fun!

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

What is the future of online tutorials at your library?

Ustadza: They will continue to grow. Distance education at YC is booming, and students are constantly on the lookout to get information faster and have it stick. We will strive to find new ways to give the students the tools they need to succeed.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Chapter 11

Instructional Technology and Instructional Space on the Satellite Campus Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Amanda Kraft Horry Georgetown Technical College, Grand Strand Campus Library

Elena Rodriguez Horry Georgetown Technical College, Georgetown Campus Library

Elaine Holliday Horry Georgetown Technical College, Conway Campus Library

Introduction When it comes to instructional technology integration or library instruction space planning, the terms new and innovative are relative. While technologies will always be emerging and best practices and standards can always be revised, the primary concern of academic li219

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

220 Chapter 11

brarians will always be to provide resources and services to students and faculty members that support the mission and values of the institution. Often the provision of resources and services is directly related to the allocation of funds, which depends on a clear demonstration of need. This is a situation with which many, if not most, small or rural public colleges and universities are all too familiar, and the librarians at these institutions have been negotiating issues related to technology and instruction for quite a long time. In January 1993, for example, “The Academic Library: A Time of Crisis, Change, and Opportunity” was the cover story of the Journal of Academic Librarianship. The article, written by the journal’s then-current editor, Richard M. Dougherty, and associate editor, Ann P. Dougherty, attempted to comprehensively outline, summarize, and forecast impending changes to college and university libraries. On the subject of new and emerging technologies, which were introduced early on as “both the root of our troubles and the font of our opportunities,”1 Dougherty and Dougherty had the following to say: “Librarians must face the fact that there has never been and will never be enough money; they must make hard choices in prioritizing and allocating inadequate funds…. Traditional library activities—whether in technical or public services—will have to be reassessed and probably reconfigured to accommodate new information resources.”2 Dougherty and Dougherty also addressed, at the very end of the article, the controversial debate over whether or not academic librarians are “intellectually and organizationally well positioned to play a role”3 in an on-campus information literacy program. At the time of publication, Dougherty and Dougherty were hopeful that “enhanced understanding and appreciation of librarians’ role will result from finding ways to become better connected to and involved with the larger academic community.”4 While the physical spaces and services of academic libraries have dramatically changed in the last two decades, depending on the size and location of one’s institution, a surprising number of conditions outlined in this article appear to be stuck in stasis, especially at small or rural institutions and, of course, the satellite campus. Within the context of two satellite campuses and the practices of the reference and instruction librarians at Horry Georgetown Technical College (HGTC), this chapter will discuss methods in overcoming

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Instructional Technology and Instructional Space on the Satellite Campus 221

the lack of instructional technology in the classroom and instruction space itself and briefly discuss in-class activities using popular apps and web-based collaboration tools, which foster engaging instruction and encourage hands-on experience with library resources. These apps and online tools can also produce assessment artifacts to be presented to library leadership and accrediting bodies. Because information literacy librarians teaching on smaller, remote campuses must also continually foster and improve relationships with information technology staff and faculty members who may be teaching courses on various campuses, online, or both, strategies for faculty-librarian partnerships will be considered.

Literature Review

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Libraries as Technology-Rich Learning Spaces

Academic librarians have spent a substantial part of the twenty-first century, so far, determining which new and emerging technologies should be installed in their library spaces, taking into consideration all of the ways in which these technologies may change these academic librarians’ mission, values, and on-campus identity. Information literacy librarians have been, and continue to be, especially concerned with the ability of educational and collaborative learning technologies to fit into their pedagogical goals as well as their physical classrooms. While most academic libraries strive to build and cultivate “technology-rich learning spaces,”5 defined by Roberts and Weaver in 2006 as “student-centered learning facilities designed to accommodate pedagogical shifts” in the ways students learn and information literacy librarians teach,6 exorbitant costs and other limitations sometimes stand in the way of offering state-of-the-art library spaces and classrooms. In 2004, in addition to the widely expected and reluctantly accepted “budgetary constraints” of public higher education, Simon outlined campus politics, governance, and “symbolism” (i.e., faculty openness to change in the “sacrosanct” library space), willingness of library staff to become comfortable with the new and emerging technologies to be acquired, and perhaps most importantly, student acceptance of new and improved facilities as aspects that community college administrators must thoroughly explore before “reconfiguring” libraries as “true centers of learn-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

222 Chapter 11

ing, centers of interaction” that are fully integrated “into the life of the college.”7 Unless funding is somehow a nonissue, the first step in said reconfiguration will likely be to determine and demonstrate explicit, immediate need through various assessment tools, and more importantly, to compile the data collected into reports that can be understood by administrators making funding decisions. In 2008, however, Oakleaf and Hinchliffe found that 17 percent of surveyed information literacy librarians who painstakingly collected assessment data in their classrooms did not ultimately use it to make future decisions.8 The aforementioned work by Roberts and Weaver called for “effective evaluation that is thoughtfully designed and tailored to local institutional contexts,”9 underscoring the importance of purposeful, library-wide assessment—of current services as well as the library as a place—and the use of collected data to determine the specific wants and needs of an institution’s students, faculty, and library staff. On a smaller scale, information literacy librarians must also assess their instructional technology and space needs.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Information Literacy Librarians as Instructional Technologists

Whether or not an institution has professionals dedicated to instructional design and technology on staff, information literacy librarians are often stuck with tough decisions regarding library instruction space— or, even worse, their input is passed over and completely ignored. Librarians at small or rural libraries may be tempted to emulate a larger institution; however, this is an ineffective way to meet the specific needs of their students. In a 2011 discussion of technology’s role in reflective teaching and effective learning, Booth stated that “a common challenge for educators is how to use teaching tools not based on their hype potential, but on their practical affordances”10 and that lack of meaningful data can all too easily lead librarians to follow trends blindly and without concern for the actual interests and academic inclinations of students or for the return on investment. In the midst of a seemingly endless stream of scholarly communication regarding newly constructed information or learning commons facilities and makerspaces in 2013, Farkas also stressed a pragmatic approach to the integration of educational and collaborative learning technologies in the classroom, suggesting librarians

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Instructional Technology and Instructional Space on the Satellite Campus 223

use a “critical lens” while deciding in which “shiny new thing[s]” to invest.11 Perceived priorities to acquire the latest and greatest technologies versus those that are the most beneficial or appropriate are often misguided. In addressing “thing-dominated strategic goals,” Bennett acknowledged in 2015 that academic librarians often find themselves in an unfortunate, “self-imposed planning trap” that confuses “the things of learning for learning itself.”12 That is, in attempt to meet obligations outlined in their college and university mission statements, many very competent librarians and administrators are often mistaken “in believing that if [they] provide a learning commons or collaborative learning spaces or a lot of high-end technology, students will learn.”13 In addition to perceived wants and needs, librarians will need to consider students’ personal and academic inclinations as well as the learning curve of the devices they suggest for purchase.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Students as Technology Providers

While Simon cautioned that “overlaying some technology onto an existing structure” can be antithetical to “the careful planning …and the complex coordination” involved in the renovation or remodeling of library spaces and classrooms,14 personally owned mobile devices (e.g., laptops, smartphones, and tablets) already present on campus offer a unique solution to both instructional technology and space limitations. In a 2015 study, the Pew Research Center found that 64 percent of Americans own a smartphone of some kind and that 97 percent of smartphone owners aged 18 to 29 have used their device to access the Internet.15 Farkas, while recognizing that national statistics such as these may not accurately represent every student population, wrote in 2013 that mobile learning not only “provides opportunities for developing immersive, interactive, and individualized forms of instruction” but also allows students to learn how to use library resources beyond the classroom and at any future “point of need.”16 In this way, the library classroom is extended to any place with wireless access, eliminating the immediate need for drastic reconfigurations or expensive renovations and, at the very least, creating “new pedagogical possibilities for making learning more seamless, contextual, and individualized.”17 Therefore, mobile technologies provided by students are priceless resources on smaller or rural campuses such as HGTC’s satellite campuses.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

224 Chapter 11

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Horry Georgetown Technical College While HGTC is considered medium-sized in comparison to the other technical or community colleges in South Carolina, its Grand Strand and Georgetown campuses are a great deal smaller than its main campus in Conway. In fact, according to Carnegie classification description, HGTC’s current approximate FTE categorizes it as M2, or medium two-year school; the Grand Strand campus would be classified as S2, or small two-year, if considered individually, and the Georgetown campus would be a VS2, very small two-year.18 The Conway campus is located in the county seat of Horry County, and its library has a larger floor plan and more extensive print collection than the Grand Strand or Georgetown Campus Library. Library staffing also reflects the size of each campus. There is one full-time reference and instruction librarian at each campus and an additional part-time reference and instruction librarian who floats between the Conway and Grand Strand campuses. The Grand Strand campus, which is located on the south end of Myrtle Beach, houses about 30 percent of the college’s classes while Georgetown offers approximately 10 percent. It should be stressed that despite the college’s administration and the majority of its faculty being located on the Conway campus, the two other campuses are not officially considered to be “satellites.” Instead, they are treated simply as smaller locations with enrollment congruent to their size. Due to their size and location, however, the libraries on these campuses face limitations that are more likely to be recognized by librarians at smaller or more rural institutions, especially when it comes to instruction space, which directly affects the use of instructional technology.

HGTC Instruction Space Limitations

The Conway Campus Library (on the largest campus) and the Grand Strand Campus Library (on the larger of the two satellite campuses) have a small “research classroom,” or library instruction room, equipped with the standard setup of desktop, mounted projector, and retractable screen. This designated classroom not only gives the HGTC reference and instruction librarians a space to teach and engage with the students without interruption but also gives new students a reason to visit and familiarize themselves with the library as opposed to situations in

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Instructional Technology and Instructional Space on the Satellite Campus 225

which the librarian visits the classroom. Other than the TurningPoint student response clickers that are used for in-class surveys and quizzes, the technology in these classrooms is designed for instructor use only. Until very recently, no technology was provided for student use. Currently, all three libraries are sharing thirty Chromebooks. These devices are used primarily to give students hands-on experience when being first introduced to library resources and services as well as the opportunity to research on their own during class with both their professor and a librarian present to guide them. Since these library instruction rooms have to double as a computer lab (when Chromebooks are used) and a traditional classroom (when Chromebooks are not used and stored in their charging cases), the librarian is charged with setting up the classroom, which requires extra preparation before a library workshop, as well as breaking it down. The Georgetown Campus Library, in contrast to the Conway and Grand Strand Campus Libraries, does not have a designated classroom space, which causes instruction to take place in various assigned classrooms throughout the campus. Occasionally, these classrooms are computer labs, but more frequently, the classrooms are designed for lecture only. In response to these limitations, the HGTC reference and instruction librarians at the Grand Strand and Georgetown Campus Libraries often turn to activities and in-class assignments that utilize a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) model and use tools that are free and mobile. While having the campus’s librarian come to the classroom is convenient for the class and the professor, the students lose out on the opportunities to visit and familiarize themselves with the library. The librarian is also required to adapt to each classroom and its technology. While all of the classrooms are equipped with a mounted projector, there are still limitations with the computer software being available or working properly. In addition, while there are definite advantages when there is an opportunity to teach from a computer lab, there are still no guarantees that each computer will work at the same speed due to inconsistent campus WiFi or that free web services will function properly for every student due to varying computer configurations. This can make teaching and assessment challenging for the librarian and make learning and participation frustrating for the student. There is also a greater deal of preparation—including scheduling and public

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

226 Chapter 11

service desk coverage—that goes into visiting a classroom. If certain technologies do not work properly, then alternative formats or resources must be provided. In summation, the space and technological limitations of the three campuses are as follows: Conway Campus Library • 30 seats (with the possibility of adding chairs from the library) • podium with desktop computer (equipped with TurningPoint software) • mounted projector and retractable screen • speakers installed in ceiling

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Grand Strand Campus Library • 25 seats (with the possibility of adding chairs from the library) • podium with desktop computer (equipped with TurningPoint software) • mounted projector and retractable screen • speakers installed in ceiling Georgetown Campus Library • no classroom space in the library

HGTC Instructional Technology (IT) Limitations ACQUIRING IT RESOURCES As suggested above, budgetary constraints can pose problems when it comes to acquiring new and emerging classroom technologies. While qualitative assessment data, such as comments from student and faculty surveys, and other artifacts documenting the need for improved IT may lead to approval of purchases, information literacy librarians may have a different set of priorities than those of their administrators or their colleagues. At HGTC, three different classroom situations, teaching styles, and student populations complicate the IT discussion and therefore weaken justification arguments. When a one-size-fits-all approach is inappropriate, college or university administrators are likely to disregard individual preferences entirely

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Instructional Technology and Instructional Space on the Satellite Campus 227

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

and make decisions based solely on regional or even national trends. Upon discovering a surplus of funds at the end of the fiscal year, for example, it can be tempting to keep up with the Joneses (i.e., larger, established academic libraries that regularly contribute to professional literature regarding new and emerging technologies) rather than actually assessing what technologies may solve specific problems or improve student and faculty experiences. Acquiring appropriate IT in the library classroom will likely depend on the librarian’s ability to compare assessment data to evidence-based research in professional literature and compile his or her findings in a way that is convincing to administrators. SHARING IT RESOURCES Even if purchases are approved, administration may expect resources to be shared between campuses or departments—either temporarily or indefinitely—depending on available funding and demonstrated need. While it may be prudent to trial new or emerging technologies on a small scale before committing to an expensive, widespread reconfiguration, sharing can be especially inconvenient if resources must be transported to different locations whenever they are needed for instruction. Differences in space, whether actual square footage or technological capabilities, may also affect the perceived effectiveness of newly acquired resources. At HGTC, WiFi speed on any given day greatly affects successful use of the Chromebooks at the Conway and Grand Strand Campus Libraries, and because the Georgetown Campus Library does not have a designated instruction space, the usefulness of netbooks is somewhat limited. Office of Information Technology (OIT) personnel, who most certainly divide their time between buildings, may also be shared between campuses. NEGOTIATING IT RESOURCES Introducing new and emerging technologies requires quite a lot of planning, communication, and negotiation with other on-campus departments as well as off-campus vendors and third parties. On the satellite campuses of HGTC, it can very often feel like every technological resource is based off-campus, including the aforementioned OIT staff,

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

228 Chapter 11

who travel from campus to campus depending on the type of work that needs completing. From working together to troubleshoot WiFi and LAN issues to sharing changes made to proxy server configuration files and web-based resources such as Springshare products (e.g., LibGuides, LibAnswers, LibChat, etc.) and citation generator tools with OIT web administrators and consortium-appointed systems librarians, communicating—and sometimes even negotiating—library needs is imperative to successful implementation of IT.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Overcoming Limitations Librarians teaching information literacy classes on smaller, more remote campuses with limited classroom space and technology often face challenges not considered by librarians at larger institutions. According to Blackburn and Hays, the library instruction classroom “environment is determined by how instructors manage their classroom.”19 The importance of the library instructor feeling comfortable and confident in the library instruction space cannot be overlooked. Regardless of the number of times the instructor has taught the curriculum, maintaining departmental or even personal standards for instruction is difficult when the classroom itself often changes. In an inconsistent environment, standards regarding learning outcomes and lesson plans are difficult to maintain. At HGTC, the library instruction workshop curriculum and post-class surveys are standardized across all three campuses, even though all three campuses do not have the same instructional space and technologies available so that all HGTC students are receiving the same library instruction.

Overcoming Space Limitations

Issues that may arise when a library does not have a designated instructional space include scheduling conflicts and preparation of materials. When a library workshop depends on the use of certain computer programs or websites, making sure those services are available in any given classroom is crucial, and being prepared with a backup solution is not always possible. Additionally, visiting other classrooms requires preparing and gathering the necessary materials beforehand, which means last-minute preparation is not an option, and the extra time needed to

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Instructional Technology and Instructional Space on the Satellite Campus 229

relocate adds up and takes away from coverage of other library services. Whether an information literacy librarian is visiting a professor’s classroom or whether that professor is bringing the class to the library, communication between the librarian and the faculty is important. Support from professors is crucial for continuing to provide library instructional workshops to a large percentage of the student population, and additionally, professors are capable of aiding librarians regarding what information literacy needs will be most important for their students for upcoming assignments. Librarians at smaller or rural campuses must also foster and improve relationships with their faculty members, as well as OIT personnel, as these relationships are one of their most valued resources.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Overcoming IT Limitations

In addition to space limitations, librarians at small or rural academic libraries often face various technology challenges as they seek to provide information literacy instruction. The most basic of these issues deals with inconsistent or faulty hardware and software in classrooms as well as their regular maintenance (e.g., various application updates, interactive whiteboard configurations, etc.), a challenge that is most often seen at the Georgetown Campus Library. Tackling this issue requires the HGTC reference and instruction librarian to plan well in advance for the workshop. Visiting the classroom one to two days before a workshop to check what software is available on the instructor’s computer—and in the case of a computer lab, what is available on the students’ computers—allows time to solve any immediate issues. Building a strong working relationship with OIT personnel helps to ensure that needs will be met and dealt with in a timely manner. In some instances, however, technology will decide to fail on the day of the workshop (usually, in true Murphy’s Law fashion, the exact moment the librarian begins to speak or demonstrate a specific database or other web-based electronic resource). Librarians should anticipate these difficulties and provide a low-tech alternative to accomplish the task and lesson at hand. While inconsistent or faulty technology in each classroom presents its own challenges for the Georgetown Campus Library, the lack of permanent desktop computers in the Grand Strand Campus Library classroom

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

230 Chapter 11

creates a distinct disadvantage when creating and implementing engaging instruction. The recent addition of Chromebooks has been the most direct solution to this issue. The purchase of these devices has allowed students to participate in class during instruction. Netbooks solve only some of the aforementioned IT problems, however, and they do not come without their own challenges. Currently, HGTC has one set of thirty Chromebooks to share among all three campuses. This requires careful planning when scheduling workshops and shipping the netbooks (via intercampus courier) to the appropriate campus library in time to be used in specific classes that the librarian has decided will benefit, especially, from hands-on experience. Determining these classes can also be difficult. In addition to Chromebooks, the HGTC reference and instruction librarians at the Georgetown and Grand Strand campuses have incorporated the use of mobile apps and other online services in their workshops. Specifically, the use of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and so on, and web-based collaboration software, such as Google Drive and Dropbox, has greatly enhanced and promoted active and even differentiated learning. By incorporating homegrown activities such as HGTC Library’s Hashtag Hunt (i.e., a Twitter-based scavenger hunt that “requires thoughtful and strategic use of hashtags”20 by students in order to produce helpful, searchable content for their classmates) into certain workshops, students are utilizing recommended library resources as well as their laptops, smartphones, and tablets to complete information literacy activities and share their work in a constructive manner (see figures 11.1 and 11.2). Often the activities that require individual social media accounts are done in groups, which helps accommodate students without personally owned devices. When Chromebooks are available or a workshop is taking place in a computer lab, however, the use of Google Drive during a workshop allows students to work either collaboratively with classmates or to work independently and then use the documents created or form data recorded to reflect in the future on what has been taught. For example, an exercise designed to assist students in developing their research topic into a clear and focused research question—one that may have previously been disseminated as a paper worksheet21—could be shared as a live document, or form and corresponding spreadsheet, that can be simultaneously read and edited by multiple students (see figure 11.3). By

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Instructional Technology and Instructional Space on the Satellite Campus 231

HGTC Library Hashtag Hunt | Group 3 Username:@hgtclibg3 | Password: eng102 1.

Use the library's catalog to find a book (or an ebook) written by Alice Walker. •

2.

Use the library’s catalog to find a book (or an ebook) about Alice Walker. • Take another photo of the physical book in the stacks (or take a screenshot of the ebook's record), and post it with the hashtag #hgtclib. Once again, if the book is at the Conway or Georgetown campus (or currently checked out), take a screenshot of its record.

3.

Use Credo Reference or Gale Virtual Reference Library to find online reference books and tertiary sources (i.e. factual works with or without authors) about psychoanalytic theory/criticism. •

4.

5.

Take a photo of any young adult book, and post it with the hashtag #hgtclib.

Find the copier. •

7.

Post the name or title of the book or the full MLA citation. You may also take a screenshot but don't forget to add the hashtag #hgtclib.

Find the Young Adult section. •

6.

Post the name or title of the book in which you found this factual, background information (ex: The Cambridge Guide to Literature in English) or the full MLA citation. You may also take a screenshot, but don't forget to add the hashtag #hgtclib.

Use EBSCO eBook Collection or ebrary to find an ebook on psychoanalytic theory/criticism. •

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Take a photo of the physical book you find in the stacks (or take a screenshot of the ebook’s record), and post it with the hashtag #hgtclib. If the book you find is at the Conway or Georgetown campus (or currently checked out), take a screenshot of its record.

Take a photo of the copier, and post it with the hashtag #hgtclib.

Find the Circulation Desk. •

Ask the circulation specialist what information you need to use a computer. Take a photo of any desktop computer set up for student use, and post it with the hashtag #hgtclib.

Bonus: Find the new touchscreen scanner. Take a photo of the USB port that you can use to scan items directly to your flashdrive and post it with the hashtag #hgtclib.

FiGURE 11.1

Hashtag Hunt sample worksheet�

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

232 Chapter 11

FiGURE 11.2

Hashtag Hunt sample Tweet�

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Instructional Technology and Instructional Space on the Satellite Campus 233

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

using collaborative software that can be linked for later access, students participating in this exercise use class time to brainstorm with help from both the professor and the librarian. After submitting their work via the Google Form, they can view the responses of their classmates and discuss the results as a class. The use of this technology allows students to not only be engaged with the lesson, but also engaged in their classroom community.

FiGURE 11.3

Google Forms sample worksheet�

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

234 Chapter 11

In addition to promoting active, experiential learning, using IT in the library classroom provides opportunities for assessment, which is beneficial for both the information literacy librarian and the larger department. There must be careful consideration about what data is gathered, however, and the best way to collect it so that there are meaningful results to present to library administration. The use of webbased services during instruction can once again assist the information literacy librarian, in this case by being a new method of collecting and even storing data. Socrative and Poll Everywhere, two free online audience response programs designed to use laptops, smartphones, and tablets as polling devices, can save and calculate the results from pre- and post-assessments. This data is easy to save and share, and the librarian can present assessment results to defend and justify purchase requests and other, more large-scale budgetary changes. Even when administrators are finally in the position—financial or otherwise—to address the IT shortcomings, it can be difficult to decide where to focus innovation and renovation efforts. Therefore, in order for the IT and space-related needs of information literacy librarians to be adequately met, they must contribute to data collection.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Best Practices While a lack of technology and space can present problems, the information literacy librarians must navigate these challenges with the goal of providing effective and engaging instruction to their students. Through trial-and-error and experience, we have discovered and implemented strategies and tools to combat our IT and space issues. When there is not a designated library instructional space: • Visit the classroom beforehand, when possible, in order to confirm that any technologies being used are working. • Arrive at the classroom early in order to set up and not be rushed. • Have a low-tech backup plan (bring paper surveys along with electronic survey). • Communicate with the professor. Ask him or her to ask the students to bring personal computers or mobile devices to class. Some still might forget, but group activities require only

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Instructional Technology and Instructional Space on the Satellite Campus 235

so many devices. Maybe the class is already equipped with computers, or if not, see if it is possible for the professor to request a classroom that has computers. • Communicate with OIT (as well as the professor about available devices or the typical WiFi situation in their room). Ask yourself, “Will the Internet break if I do this activity?” If you’re not sure, check with the professionals on your campus first. When there is a designated library instructional space: • Always set up the room before the class is there, whether this means rearranging tables and chairs, setting up Chromebooks, or laying out paper surveys. Try to imagine how setup of technology will affect the flow of the class and nip problems in the bud. • Have a low-tech backup plan is good tip even when the space is regularly available. • For activities that require students to use their smartphones or other personally owned devices: Be aware that not all students have access to (or thought to bring) laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other mobile technology. For this reason, be flexible about turning solitary assignments into group work. • Be ready to work with students who are not familiar with technology. Be prepared to break instructional classwork into simple steps for students who are unfamiliar. • Be comfortable communicating with the professor of the class and your OIT staff. Remember: the library functions as a part of the college community.

Conclusion While academic libraries are moving toward more active, experiential learning techniques, the current resources of a small or rural academic library do not necessarily match the current vision of a “technology-rich learning space.”22 New and innovative are relative terms when it comes to resource acquisition, however, and perceived resource limitations vary as well. The staff at one library may bemoan their lack of instructional space, while another may feel a strain of too few staff members available. Despite the IT and instructional space limitations

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

236 Chapter 11

faced by information literacy librarians at small or rural academic libraries, the ultimate goal to acquire and negotiate the use of resources that will allow the student to effectively learn and succeed is universal, and creative thinking and innovative use of space and IT can help to reach that goal of serving the students’ academic needs. Information literacy instruction inherently promotes learning beyond the library classroom, in any way that works best for the students, and small or rural libraries can do this just as well as large, established academic libraries through meaningful, campus-specific assessment and properly allocation of resources.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Notes 1. Richard M. Dougherty and Ann P. Dougherty, “The Academic Library: A Time of Crisis, Change, and Opportunity,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 18, no. 6 (January 1993): 342. 2. Ibid. 3. Ibid., 346. 4. Ibid. 5. Susan Roberts and Margaret Weaver, “Space for Learners and Learning: Evaluating the Impact of Technology-Rich Learning Spaces,” New Review of Academic Librarianship 12, no. 2 (2006): 95. 6. Ibid., 96. 7. Matthew J. Simon, “Redefining the Facilities of Community College Libraries and Learning Resource Centers in the 21st Century,” Community and Junior College Libraries 12, no. 2 (2004): 75–79. 8. Megan Oakleaf and Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, “Assessment Cycle or Circular File: Do Academic Librarians Use Information Literacy Assessment Data?” in Proceedings of the 2008 Library Assessment Conference Building Effective Sustainable Practical Assessment, ed. Steve Hiller et al. (Washington, DC: Association of Research Libraries, 2008), 162. 9. Roberts and Weaver, “Space for Learners,” 105. 10. Char Booth, Reflective Teaching, Effective Learning: Instructional Literacy for Library Educators (Chicago: American Library Association, 2011), xix. 11. Meredith Farkas, “Spare Me the Hype Cycle,” American Libraries 44, no. 5 (May 2013): 23. 12. Scott Bennett, “Putting Learning into Library Planning,” portal: Libraries and the Academy 15, no. 2 (April 2015): 217, 220. 13. Ibid., 220. 14. Simon, “Redefining the Facilities of Community College Libraries,” 79. 15. Aaron Smith, Kyley McGeeney, Maeve Duggan, Lee Rainie, and Scott Keeter,

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Instructional Technology and Instructional Space on the Satellite Campus 237

16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

22.

U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015 (Washington, DC: Pew Research Center, April 1, 2015), 2, 34, http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/01/us-smartphoneuse-in-2015/. Meredith Farkas, “Mobile Learning: The Teacher in Your Pocket,” in The Handheld Library: Mobile Technology and the Librarian, ed. Thomas A. Peters and Lori Bell (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2013), 43. Ibid., 32. “Classification Description,” The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, accessed December 9, 2015, http://carnegieclassifications. iu.edu/descriptions/size_setting.php. Heidi Blackburn and Lauren Hays, “Classroom Management and the Librarian,” Education Libraries 37, no. 1–2 (Summer–Winter 2014): 26. Amanda Kraft and Aleck F. Williams, “#Shelfies Are Encouraged: Simple, Engaging Library Instruction with Hashtags” College and Research Libraries News 77, no. 1 (January 2016): 11. “From Topic to Research Question,” Indiana University Libraries, accessed February 2, 2016, https://libraries.indiana.edu/sites/default/files/TopicToResearchQuestion.pdf. Roberts and Weaver, “Space for Learners,” 95.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved. The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

About the Authors

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Karla J. Aleman, Distance Instruction Librarian at Morehead State University, grew up in sunny California. She received her BA in Medieval Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2004 and her MLIS from San Jose State University in 2007. She spent two years in Chicago at the College of DuPage Library before starting her employment at Morehead in 2010. Hired to coordinate library services and instruction to regional and online students, Karla has a strong interest in developing and adapting those services to fit the needs of students and faculty in an ever changing environment. She currently is the Library Liaison to the English Department and the Library’s Webmaster. Calvin Cleary is the Reference and Instruction Librarian at The Ohio State University’s Lima Campus Library. He has a BA in English literature focusing on creative writing from Ohio University and an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh. He regularly contributes articles and reviews to a number of websites, including Comics Beat, GeekRex, and Luxury Reading. Kaetrena Davis Kendrick, MSLS, is a graduate of the historic Clark Atlanta University School of Library and Information Studies. Currently, she is Assistant Librarian and Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina Lancaster, where she has expanded outreach, grown instruction, introduced and promoted teaching and learning technologies, and implemented data collection and scholarship curation initiatives on her small campus. Her research interests include racial and ethnic diversity in the LIS field, professionalism, ethics, and 239

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

240 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

the role of digital humanities in practical academic librarianship. In addition to publishing articles on these topics, she is the author of Global Evolution: An Annotated, Chronological Bibliography of International Students in US Academic Libraries (Chicago: ACRL, 2007) and Kaleidoscopic Concern: An Annotated, Chronological Bibliography of Diversity, Recruitment, Retention, and Other Concerns Regarding African American and Ethnic Library Professionals (Chicago: ACRL, 2009).

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Ustadza Ely is the Library Manager for Technical Services and Technology at Yavapai College Library. She started her library career as a student assistant at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Hunt Library while pursuing a degree in Human Factors Psychology. She received her MA in Information Resources and Library Science from the University of Arizona and has spent most of her career in academic libraries. Her library video work includes the Telly award–winning Thrall and Zorga in Let’s Ask A Librarian and Maria—Library Orientation, which was nominated for Best Animation by the LibVid Awards. She is also a bellydance instructor and recently produced the DVD Dynamic Zilling for Tribal and Cabaret Bellydance, which features a music notation system she created for finger cymbals. Naulayne R. Enders, BA, MSLS, graduated from the University of Louisville with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and from Clarion University with a Master of Science in Library Science. She has been the Director of Young Library at Kentucky Christian University since 2011. She is an online instructor for nursing research courses in both the traditional BSN program and the RN-BSN program. Rebecca Freeman is an Assistant Librarian at the University of South Carolina Lancaster. With a student population of about 1,800, the University of South Carolina Lancaster is a regional campus located in a rural area of South Carolina. In her position at the university, Rebecca is one of two librarians who manage all areas of the library. She is a contributing author to the book The Complete Guide to Using Google in Libraries, edited by Carol Smallwood. Valerie Freeman has a Master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio. She joined

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



About the Authors 241

the staff at Johnson & Wales University in August 2008 and is the liaison for the College of Business. She also participates in teaching information literacy classes, assists with cataloging, manages student workers, and coordinates service desks. She is a member of the American Library Association and the North Carolina Library Association, in addition to the Metrolina Library Association, where she has served on the board of directors for five years. She is coauthor of the book Personal Librarian: Enhancing the Student Experience. Darla Haines is the Technical Services and Systems Librarian at Manchester University. She received her MLS from Kent State University in 1997 and also holds an MA in English from Kent. She enjoys and appreciates the collaboration that takes place and the camaraderie that develops in a small academic library.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Julie Hansen received her M. A. in Library and Information Science from the University of Iowa in 1983. She has worked in higher education as the Librarian/Archivist for William Penn University for 26 years. She recently received a grant from the George Daily Family Trust to fund an oral history project. Elaine Holliday, MLIS, is the First Year Experience Librarian at Horry Georgetown Technical College in Conway, South Carolina. She provides reference and instruction at the Conway campus and teaches developmental college courses. Rebecca Johnson is the Instruction and Emerging Technologies Librarian at Manchester University. A 2010 graduate of the MLIS program at the Indianapolis campus of Indiana University, she is dedicated to instilling a sense of life-long learning in students by way of innovative technologies and participatory learning. Research interests include social media in higher education, active and participatory library instruction, flipped classrooms, and information literacy. She continues to educate while at home, where she has more babies than hands. Marisha C. Kelly served as the assistant director of the Belle Glade Library Learning Resource Center and an associate professor at Palm Beach State College from 2013 to 2015. She oversaw hiring for the campus library, chaired various selection committees, and taught infor-

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

242 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

mation literacy courses. Since then, she has pursued a career in medical librarianship. Marisha holds a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Drexel University and a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Syracuse University. Laura F. Keyes earned her MLS from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007 and has been the director of a small public library, director of a rural high school library, and solo librarian in a small private college library and is now Head of Adult Services in a medium-sized public library. Miss Keyes has supervised volunteers, student workers, part-time staff, full-time staff, and union employees and has been sought after for her advice on how to train and supervise staff.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Amanda Kraft, MSLIS, is the Electronic Resources/Reference Librarian at Horry Georgetown Technical College in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. In addition to electronic resources management and reference and instruction duties on the Grand Strand campus, she coordinates social media marketing and outreach for all three campus libraries and maintains the library’s website. Anne LePage graduated from the University of British Columbia with her MLIS degree in 2006. She has been the Technical Services Librarian at Mount Allison University since 2012. As Technical Services Librarian, Anne manages the Technical Services units of Cataloguing, Acquisitions, and Serials Management. She is also a subject liaison, teaches information literacy, and provides reference support. Anne works closely with the Systems Librarian to maintain the ILS and is the main point of contact as the electronic resource manager. Anne also works closely with the University Archivist regarding digital initiatives being created and ensuring adequate metadata standards are being created and supported. She is the chair of the Collections Committee and manages the acquisitions budget. Anne dedicates the majority of her research to the combined topics of work-life balance and succession planning to examine how the pressures of increased responsibilities affects an individual’s work-life balance and professional achievements. Kate S. Lewallen Before receiving her MLIS from the University of Alabama in 2013, Kate Lewallen attended the University of Montevallo, a small liberal arts school in Alabama, where she worked in the library

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



About the Authors 243

and received her Bachelors in History and French. She is currently the Access Services Librarian at Tennessee Wesleyan College, where she has planned numerous events in collaboration with other campus groups, such as a Banned Books Read-Out and the Long Night Against Procrastination.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Jill Lichtsinn is Library Director and Learning Management System Administrator at Manchester University, where she has focused on creating connections to and from Funderburg Library since 1986. She earned her MLS and MS in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University. Jill escapes the hectic pace of modern life from her off-the-grid treehouse, one hand on the binoculars and the other on one of the books she is currently reading. Henri Mondschein is Manager of Information Literacy at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California. In recent years, he has given numerous conference and poster presentations on information literacy assessment at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference and Exhibition, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Academic Resource Conference (ARC), the Workshop for Instruction in Library Use (WILU) Conference, and the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) Conference. He also contributed chapters in Putting Assessment into Action: Selected Projects from the First Cohort of the Assessment in Action Grant, edited by Eric Ackermann (Chicago: ACRL, 2016) and the Discovery Tool Cookbook: Recipes for Successful Lesson Plans, edited by Nancy Fawley and Nikki Krysak (Chicago: ACRL, 2016). Mondschein holds an MA degree in education from California State University, Northridge; a Master of Library Science degree from the University of California, Los Angeles; and an EdD in Educational Leadership from California Lutheran University. Elena Rodriguez, MLIS, is the Reference and Instructional Librarian at Horry Georgetown Technical College in Georgetown, South Carolina. In addition to providing reference and instruction on the Georgetown campus, she coordinates and participates in the Embedded Librarian Program and serves as a writing center coach for the Student Success and Tutoring Center.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

244 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Michael Rodriguez is Electronic Resources Librarian at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. His previous position was E-Learning Librarian at Hodges University, Fort Myers, Florida, where he managed the library’s digital services and resources. He holds an MLIS from Florida State University and a dual BA in History and English from Florida Gulf Coast University. In addition to freelance training and consulting on copyright and technologies, Michael reviews titles in social sciences for Library Journal and was named a 2015 LJ Reviewer of the Year. He enjoys hiking and cycling in the hilly woodlands of northeastern Connecticut.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Tina Schneider, a professor at The Ohio State University Libraries, has authored and co-authored articles on regional campus libraries and academic libraries’ outreach to the community. She has also been awarded the Ohio State University Libraries’ Distinguished Scholar Award. She earned her BA from St. Olaf College, an MA in music history from The Ohio State University, and an MLS from Kent State University. She served as the Director of Research for The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada from 2008 to 2014. Edita Sicken is a 2014 graduate of the Kent State University MLIS program and is the new Instruction and Access Services Librarian at Manchester University in northeast Indiana. She has spent six years working in academic libraries, from private institutions with fewer than 2,000 students to public schools with over 40,000. She believes strongly that with creativity and resourcefulness, even the smallest libraries can provide great services and experiences on par with their much larger counterparts. When not causing trouble at the library, she enjoys being an embarrassing cat mom. Madeline Sims has been a librarian for over eight years in small academic institutions of fewer than 1,000 students. She has managed library assistants, student workers, and tutors. She has been published in Library Worklife and has presented several poster sessions at the Florida Library Association. She has a wide range of interests within her profession and in recent years has sharpened her skills in graphic design, web design, marketing, social media, and instructional design.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and



About the Authors 245

Jennifer Sterling earned an MA in Library Science from the University of Missouri in 1998. She began her career at William Penn University at 1998 as the Reference Librarian. She took a position as Education Librarian at UT Southwestern Medical Center in 2000 and returned to William Penn University in 2002 as the Instructional Services Librarian. Jennifer is active in the Iowa Chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries, currently serving on the executive board as secretary-treasurer.

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Deborah Tritt, MLIS, MSIT, is an instruction/reference librarian and assistant professor at the University of South Carolina Aiken’s Gregg-Graniteville Library. She is also the archivist for the Gregg-Graniteville Archives and oversees the library’s digital collections. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Comparative Literature from the University of Georgia, possesses a Master of Library and Information Science, and a Master of Science in Information Technology. Her research focuses on issues surrounding the practice of librarianship in small and rural academic libraries and emerging technologies in libraries. Jennifer Ward has worked in the only academic library located in Juneau, Alaska, since 2002. She has had stints working in academic libraries within larger systems, including Harvard College Library (Cambridge, Massachusetts) and Helsinki University Library (Finland). She enjoys the sense of community and the beautiful scenery and outdoor opportunities of her unique setting. Jennifer is well published in the library literature, including in three ACRL publications (Cook and Cooper, Teaching Information Literacy Skills to Social Sciences Students and Practitioners: A Casebook of Applications; Cook and Farmer, Using Qualitative Methods in Action Research: How Librarians Can Get to the Why of Data; and Sittler and Cook, The Library Instruction Cookbook). Erica Watson has been a manager for seventeen years, with the last four in libraries. As the sole librarian among student workers, she has developed and implemented different protocols and procedures to engage her workers to become solid library assistants. Being in “one person” libraries with small budgets, along with her DIY ethic, allows her some managerial latitude in running the library as a great space for her assistants and patrons.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and

246 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Copyright © 2016. Association of College and Research Libraries. All rights reserved.

Bethany Wilkes has worked in public and academic libraries for over ten years, including small academic libraries in Saipan, CNMI, St. Thomas, USVI, and larger urban libraries like Run Run Shaw Library, City University of Hong Kong. Bethany has presented at conferences and conducted professional workshops on a variety of topics, including reference skills and literacy efforts, in the US and abroad. She joined Egan Library in 2012, where she greatly appreciated the intimate setting of UAS and collaborating with library faculty and staff. In 2016 she changed things up again and moved to Singapore to work as the Head of Instructional Services at Nanyang Technological University Libraries where she leads and supports librarians’ information literacy instruction.

The Small and Rural Academic Library : Leveraging Resources and Overcoming Limitations, Association of College and