Re-framing assessment: A patron-centered approach

Authors

Jeanne M. Brown, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow

Meeting name

Library Assessment Conference

Meeting location

Seattle, WA

Document Type

Poster

Publication Date

8-4-2008

Abstract

The Strategic Plan is a standard blueprint guiding library assessment activities. Many, if not most, Strategic Plans are organized along library departmental lines and/or library functions, and use language with which librarians frame their efforts—not language with which patrons would necessarily resonate. In an effort to drive home the concept that it is “impact on the patron” which should be the touchstone for all we do, the UNLV Libraries Dean and Assessment Librarian have created a framework which turns the Strategic Plan document on its head, making it patron-centric. From six goals, the UNLV plan was revised to focus on three goals of primary concern to the patron: Delivery/Access, Discovery, and Use. Objectives from the former iteration of the Strategic Plan were mapped to the new frame. Reactions have been positive, once staff saw themselves in the new configuration. An advantage to this approach is that the focus is on the patron and the goal, not any one department.

Keywords

Academic libraries – Evaluation; Mission statements; Public services (Libraries); Strategic planning

Disciplines

Library and Information Science

Comments

Poster session for the Library Assessment Conference, Seattle, WA.

Repository Citation

Brown, J. M. (2008, August). Re-framing assessment: A patron-centered approach. Presentation at Library Assessment Conference, Seattle, WA.

Available at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/libfacpresentation/32