General Information About the LRC

OZUNA LEARNING RESOURCES CENTER / LIBRARY

LRC Evaluation
Institutional Effectiveness and Program Reviews

LATEST New ACRL Standards
Peer Institutions Selection

Yr. 2000 Reports
Yr. 2001 Reports
Yr. 2002 Reports

Introduction
Evaluation Committee
Effectiveness Criteria
Pgm.Rev. 5-Year Cycle
Evaluation Components
Review Plans by Program

LRC FACT Book
ACRL Standards 2004
New ACRL Standards

Info.Lit. Best Practices
Deadlines
Works Cited
Background Research
IRC Survey
TIF Survey, 7/3/00

Program Reviews

Access Services in 2000
A/V Services in 2000
Children's Library in 2001
Collection Management in 2001
Library Outreach in 2002
Instructional Svcs. in 2002

Introduction

The mission of the LRC Evaluation and the Evaluation Committee is to regularly and systematically evaluate the LRC to ensure that it is meeting the needs of its users and is supporting the programs and purpose of the institution.

Components

A formal written program for the evaluation of each department and component of the LRC with the librarian or professional with designated responsibility.
An annual schedule of activities and components to be evaluated.
A long-range plan for a ten-year cycle of evaluation to allow for longitudinal studies.

Effectiveness Criteria

The quality of the LRC programs will be evaluated based on the following criteria or standards (based on

the PAC LRC Mission;
Standards for University Libraries,
Standards for College Libraries, and
Poll and Boekhorst (see Works Cited for details)).

User Instruction:

Inform the public about the services of the library.
Assist users in learning how to use the library, find information, and access services.
Provide reference services in person, in printed forms and pathfinders, and electronically.
Provide courses to address all areas of information studies, research, and resource-based learning.
Provide other services and courses as needed to be an integral part of the instructional area of Palo Alto College.
Instruct students in methodologies to prepare them for learning activities in an exploding world of information resources.
Expose students of the College to a variety of points-of-view to assist in making rational decisions for the future.
Foster intellectual, cultural, social, and political awareness, interest, and activism in students.
Formulate and offer point-of-use instruction in equipment operation.
Assist in the improvement of teaching/learning by developing instructional materials
Assist in the improvement of teaching/learning by encouraging innovation and new methods of teaching
Prepare students to deal with a complex, rapidly changing technological world through experiential structures and modes of education that foster individual skills

Access:

Help the user access the collection through a catalogue that is intuitive and easy to use, comprehensive, up-to-date, and can be used by many users simultaneously.
Have the book or other resource on the shelf or otherwise available when the user needs it.
Provide open library hours consistent with user needs and demand patterns.
Good access for handicapped persons.
Quick access to material which is not in our collection.
Provide adequate space and facilities for study and research.
Provide adequate equipment and furniture for study, research.
Provide a comprehensive base of all information services.

Collection:

Provide traditional and non-traditional resources to support the college curriculum and research needs of our students.
Provide those resources as promptly as possible.
Provide those resources to the largest percentage of our students and other users as possible.

Audio Visual:

Provide media production services and instruction.
Provide audiovisual equipment for classroom use.
Provide those resources to the largest percentage of our students and other users as possible.
Provide all the equipment support necessary for instruction, administration, and the students.
Provide all the equipment support necessary for instruction, administration, and the students.
Provide the necessary production equipment and staff to accomplish the College's and District's shared goal of providing quality education.

Administration:

Develop a continuing program of evaluation of all LRC programs, services, personnel and administration
Seek external funding through grants, etc.
Apply resources in a cost-effective way and use new management techniques.
Adopt, as possible, new technologies.
Take part in cooperative programs to enhance the LRC's services and resources.
Enable the staff to acquire new knowledge and skills, and foster professional development and professional behavior.

Evaluation Components

The evaluation will consist of the following:

Comparison to ACRL standards
Comparison to last year and multi-year trends
Comparison of outcomes to mission and goals
Survey to address factors which cannot be quantified
Specific research as requested, needed, or scheduled
Any factors in the program review manual not covered above will be added

Program Review Cycle:

(for evaluation Plans of Departments, click on the department name)

First Year 1999-2000	Access Services (Circulation, ILL, etc.) Audio Visual Services
Second Year 2000-2001	Children's Library Collection Development/Management (includes Technical Services)
Third Year 2001-2002	Library Outreach Instructional Services
Fourth Year 2002-2003	Reference Services
Fifth Year 2003-2004	Electronic Resources & Services (includes Information Concourse) Web Site

Please note that the LRC entire, and administrative questions, will be reviewed every year.

Annual Evaluation Time Line

Month	Week	Action
Sept.	First Week	Evaluation Committee meets and forms subcommittees to address the sections of the work.
Sept.	Third Week	Subcommittees return work to Evaluation Coordinator who summarizes the plan and submits to the Evaluation committee for approval.
Oct.	First week	Surveys are sent out.
Oct.	Third Week	Surveys results are tabulated and added to all other data which has been collected.
Feb.	First Week	Final test draft of report is submitted to Director of Learning Resources for review.
Feb. 19	Second Week	Director forwards two copies of the entire report, supporting documents, and a summary to the Executive Vice President.
Feb. 27	Last Week	Program Review Council meets to review the report and establish an Open Forum Schedule.
Apr. 2	First Week	Program Review Council completes review, attaches their assessment form, provides feedback to LRC, and forwards the remaining copy of the report to the President.
Apr. 15	Third Week	President reviews the report, completes assessment form, provides feedback to lower levels, confers with anyone given a probationary status.

Works Cited

Poll, Roswitha, and Peter te Boekhorst. Measuring Quality: International Guidelines for Performance Measurement in Academic Libraries. IFLA Publication no. 76. New Providence: Saur, 1996.

"Standards for College Libraries, 1995 Edition." Final Version Approved by the ACRL Board and the ALA Standard Committee. College and Research Library News 56 (1995): 245-257.

Standards for University Libraries: Evaluation of Performance. Prepared by ACRL's University Libraries Section. Chicago: Association of College & Research Libraries, 1989.