Assessment

Assessment takes place through a variety of means, including informal feedback through the website form; formal self-assessment by librarians, staff, and committees; outside consultants; and formal surveys like LibQUAL.

The Library continues to use the LibQUAL assessment data, gathered in 2005, to inform its programmatic planning. The response to the LibQUAL+ survey was outstanding. The library received 4,736 responses (the most responses received out of the 700 institutions that have used the survey). LibQUAL is a web-based survey instrument that measures general satisfaction with the Library and the Library's ability to meet patrons' information needs.  The survey measures patrons' perceived effectiveness of the Library in three areas:

1. Affect of Service:  ability to handle service problems, display a willingness to help users, understand user needs, deal in a caring fashion, and our ability to give users individual attention.
2. Information Control: print and electronic collections, easily accessible information, modern research equipment, online resources that facilitate independent research, and remotely available resources.
3. Library as Place: physical facilities, place for group learning and study, a comfortable and inviting environment, and quiet spaces for individual study.

Just over 4,500 SDSU students, faculty, and staff responded to the LibQUAL survey.  Of the respondents, 89.57% visit the physical Library at least once a month (67.04% visit the Library at least once a week); and, 84.19% use the Library's online resources at least once a month (58.05% use them at least once a week).  When compared to 4-year ARL libraries that also conducted the LibQUAL survey in 2005, SDSU is above the norm in the area of Library as Place (55% of ARL libraries had a lower perceived mean than SDSU) and in the area of Information Control (56% of ARL libraries had a lower perceived mean than SDSU).  SDSU is slightly below the ARL norm in the area of Affect of Service (48% of ARL libraries had a lower perceived mean than SDSU).

Another LibQUAL survey is planned for the near future.

 
Other Assessment Data

In addition to LibQUAL, the Library considers a variety of evaluative resources when planning our services and resources. 

The Library determined a need for thorough compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, specifically in terms of the website and our Course Reserves system. The resulting assessment and ongoing changes have brought us considerably closer to compliance with Section 508 of the ADA.

Special Collections and University Archives conducted a comprehensive assessment of the extent of their collections. The physical survey project has revealed that the department holds 208 processed collections, and 290 unprocessed accessions. Special Collections is exploring ways to reduce this large backlog more quickly, including a more efficient archival processing method. A testing phase is now in progress, and the impact of increased accessibility on remote and in-person reference will be assessed in the coming months.

Finally, librarians tasked with redesigning library instructional services are conducting ongoing assessments to determine instructional effectiveness and student needs. This group is developing further assessment tools to integrate into library instruction.

See also:

Information Literacy Assessment: http://infodome.sdsu.edu/infolit/assessment.shtml

SDSU Statistics: http://asir.sdsu.edu/app/

SDSU Library Statistics: http://infodome.sdsu.edu/about/stats.shtml

Library Accomplishments Related to Strategic Planning: http://infodome.sdsu.edu/about/planning/stratplannew.shtml

SDSU Undergraduate Studies Assessment: http://dus.sdsu.edu/assessment/index.shtml