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WHAT IS LIBRARIES ASSESSMENT?
BY KAREN HUM |
Since I joined the Purdue Libraries this past January, I’ve frequently been asked, “What exactly is Libraries assessment?” That’s the million-dollar question, and one I’ve asked myself more than a few times along the way. If you Google library assessment, however, you’ll find the answer isn’t quite so simple. It seems every institution has its own interpretation and approach. To further complicate the situation, even the general definition of assessment is consistently inconsistent, with some also including evaluation under the same umbrella. According to Merriam-Webster, assessment is “the action or an instance of making a judgment about something,” which doesn’t provide much clarity, either. So, with all that being said, how does a new Director of Libraries Assessment determine the best path?
For me, the first — and most important — step was learning as much as possible about the Purdue Libraries. Who are we, what do we do, and how do we do it? Of course, nine months later, I’m still learning! I have determined, though, that we generate and collect a LOT of data. Unfortunately, for a myriad of reasons, much of these data aren’t being fully utilized — if at all — to help tell our story, or to demonstrate our impact on student success. Thus, finding more efficient ways to identify these data and make them more easily accessible for analysis, marketing, etc. is definitely a priority. And definitely a team project.
Whether via pre/posttests, surveys, focus groups, or the like, Libraries staff already conduct valuable assessment on a daily basis. As I’ve progressed through my first year in this position, I’ve come to realize that the role of the Director of Assessment is not to micromanage this activity, but rather to capitalize on it for the benefit of the Libraries. By capturing these data and sharing best practices, as well as finding new approaches to quantify our impact and reach, we’ll be better positioned to fulfill the Libraries’ mission and to help move the Libraries forward.
As an aside, I’m also available to advise on survey creation, data analysis, and other fun stuff. So, please feel free to reach out to me at humk@purdue.edu to ask questions, to share information, or to just say hello! |
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LIBRARIES EXTENDED HOURS CALLOUT
BY DONNA FERULLO |
The end of the semester is approaching, and Purdue Libraries will once again be extending hours in three of our libraries: Hicks will be open 24-hours beginning Sunday, Dec. 3. Humanities, Social Sciences and Education (HSSE) and Parrish will extend hours Friday, Saturday and Finals week. All other libraries will remain open normal hours. See https://www.lib.purdue.edu/hoursList.
LIBRARIES EXTENDED HOURS FALL 2017
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HICKS (HIKS) |
HSSE (STEW) |
Parrish (KRAN) |
Sun., Dec. 3 |
24 Hour Library Begins at 1 p.m. |
1 p.m.–Midnight |
Open at 11 a.m. |
Mon.-Thu., Dec. 4-7 |
Open 24 hours |
7 a.m.–Midnight |
Open 24 hours |
Fri., Dec. 8 |
Open 24 hours |
7 a.m.–Midnight |
Close at Midnight |
Sat., Dec. 9 |
Open 24 hours |
11 a.m.–Midnight |
10:30 a.m.–Midnight |
Sun., Dec. 10 |
Open 24 hours |
1 p.m.–2 a.m. |
Open at 11 a.m. |
Mon.-Thu., Dec. 11-14 |
Open 24 hours |
7 a.m.–2 a.m. |
Open 24 hours |
Fri., Dec. 15 |
Open 24 hours |
7 a.m.–10 p.m. |
Close at Midnight |
Sat., Dec. 16 |
24 Hour Library Ends at 5 p.m. |
11a.m.–5 p.m. Normal |
10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
Sunday, Dec. 17 All Libraries Closed. Interim Hours begin Dec. 18.
This schedule will have participating libraries open for many additional hours, and staff are needed to help cover some of the extended hours. No reference experience is required. Training in circulation, building and emergency procedures, and food and drink policies will be provided if necessary. Typically, shifts are scheduled to allow for maximum coverage.
HSSE (HSSE staff/faculty— work with RaeLynn Boes to cover extended hours)
Parrish (Parrish staff/faculty—work with RaeLynn Boes to cover extended hours)
Hicks – seeking staff from throughout Purdue Libraries – contact RaeLynn Boes, rboes@purdue.edu.
- Monday–Friday, 2 a.m.–7 a.m.
- Friday, 6 p.m.–Saturday, 1 p.m.
- Saturday, 6 p.m.–Sunday, 1 p.m.
If you wish to participate or have questions, please send an email with your availability by Monday, Nov. 13 RaeLynn Boes for Hicks.
A combination of overtime and flex scheduling is possible, consistent with the pay period and supervisor’s permission. Biweekly staff and monthly non-exempt staff members who work hours in excess of 40 in a workweek (Monday through Sunday) will be paid time-and-a-half. No employee may work more than 16 hours (regular and overtime) in a 24-hour period. The maximum overtime an employee may work in any workweek is 20 hours. Monthly exempt staff and faculty could adjust their schedules as appropriate.
Thank you so much to everyone who has helped keep the Libraries open in the past and to new volunteers who are able to contribute a few hours of time at the end of this semester. This greatly appreciated initiative would not be possible without your help! |
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LIBRARIES TO HOST 2017 GIS DAY
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The 2017 Purdue GIS Day Conference is set from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9 in Stewart Center, rooms 206 and 214. The daylong event is open and free to Purdue students, faculty, staff and the public.
The Purdue GIS Day Conference 2017 includes a variety of events and activities, including the 10 a.m. keynote presentation, “Spatiotemporal Computing for Enabling Scientific Research and Engineering Development” by Chaowei (Phil) Yang, Professor of Geography and Geoinformation Science, George Mason University, and Purdue University Honor College’s Visiting Scholar.
The conference also includes career discussions, a GIS Career Luncheon, student lightning talk presentations, a poster competition, and, new this year, the Esri Development Center (EDC) Student of the Year Award at Purdue, which will recognize one Purdue University student who demonstrates advanced GIS knowledge and innovation with an emphasis on development and programming (see below or www.lib.purdue.edu/gis/edc for more information).
The full 2017 Purdue GIS Day Conference schedule is below, with links to the Career Luncheon registration (required) and the instructions and entry form for lightning talk and poster presentations, which are due by 11:59 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3.
EDC Student of the Year Award Competition
More information about the EDC Student of the Year at Purdue Award competition is available at www.lib.purdue.edu/gis/edc. Entries are due by 11:59 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 and should be entered via the online form at https://purdue.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6mtqdiq7mvDG6tT. The winner of the EDC Student of the Year at Purdue contest will be awarded limited travel reimbursement (from Purdue Libraries) to attend the Esri International Developer Summit in Palm Springs, CA, during the spring of 2018.
GIS Day: A Global Celebration
Across the globe, GIS Day is a celebration of geospatial research and geographic information systems technology. At Purdue University, Purdue Libraries faculty and staff work with the GIS Day planning committee, which is comprised of faculty, staff, and graduate students from various departments across the University, to organize this multidisciplinary, campus-wide event.
For more information, contact Nicole Kong, GIS specialist at Purdue Libraries, at geohelp@purdue.edu.
Purdue GIS Day Conference 2017 Schedule
Thursday, Nov. 9
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
STEW 206 and 214
- 9-9:30 a.m. – Coffee Social and Poster Presentation Sessions Setup
- 9:30-10 a.m. – Lightning Talk Presentations: Submit 250-word abstract by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 3 at https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3ldwBIgBm1OaG57&Q_JFE=0
- 10-11 a.m. – Keynote Address: “Spatiotemporal Computing for Enabling Scientific Research and Engineering Development,” by Chaowei (Phil) Yang
- 11 a.m.-noon – GIS Presentations: “Leveraging Space Observations for Understanding the Changing Planet,” by Kumar Navulur, Director of Next Generation Products in Labs, Digital Global; and others
- Noon-1 p.m. – GIS Career Luncheon. Please register at https://purdue.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1TZ0EBCFmtc7Zjv. Registration is required.
- 1-1:30 p.m. – Poster Presentations: Submit 250-word abstract by 11:59 p.m. Nov. 3 at https://purdue.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_3ldwBIgBm1OaG57&Q_JFE=0
- 1:30-2 p.m. – What Are the Exciting GIS Resources at Purdue?
Presented by Purdue University Libraries and Information Technology at Purdue (ITaP)
- 2-3 p.m. – First Round of Display Table and Lightning Talks
- 3-4 p.m. – Second Round of Display Table and Lightning Talks
- 4-4:30 p.m. – Award Ceremony: Poster Session Competition and EDC Contest
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INFORM PURDUE: PURDUE LIBRARIES' INFORMATION LITERACY CELEBRATION
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One of the pillars of the Purdue University Libraries’ learning model is to cultivate information literacy among students to support Purdue University’s goal to deliver student-centered learning. Student-centered learning requires that learners know how to find, evaluate, interpret, and apply information to solve problems and construct new meanings.
According to Purdue Libraries Associate Professor and Information Literacy Specialist Clarence Maybee, to support learners in today’s information-rich environment, the Purdue Libraries faculty and staff members are committed to enhancing student information literacy by advancing educational practice and research.
To highlight the importance of information literacy, on Monday, Oct. 16, Purdue Libraries launched “Inform Purdue,” an information literacy social media campaign. In a series of videos and images, the campaign will feature Purdue University faculty and students talking about how they have applied information literacy in their courses and research.
“Purdue Libraries’ approach to information literacy is to teach students to use information in the context of learning about something — much as they will do on the job, or to make personal decisions after graduation,” Maybee explained. “In the ‘Inform Purdue’ campaign, Purdue students, faculty and staff share their own ‘stories’ of teaching and learning about information literacy, and how it helps them to accomplish their educational and professional goals.”
Content in the “Inform Purdue” campaign is posted on Purdue Libraries Facebook page and Instagram and Twitter feeds (see www.facebook.com/PurdueLibraries/; twitter.com/PurdueLibraries; and www.instagram.com/purdueulibraries/). Purdue students, faculty and staff are encouraged to share how they apply information literacy in comments and in retweets (with the hashtag #InformPurdue).
For more information about Purdue Libraries’ information literacy resources, visit www.lib.purdue.edu/infolit, Purdue Libraries’ Information Literacy blog at http://blogs.lib.purdue.edu/infolit/, or contact Maybee at (765) 494-7603 or via email at cmaybee@purdue.edu. |
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AROUND THE LIBRARIES
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The Hicks Undergraduate Library returned to 24/7 (with Purdue University ID swipe access overnight) on Monday, Oct. 16 for the remainder of the fall semester 2017.
According to Dean of Purdue University Libraries James Mullins, after gathering data about use at the Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC), it was determined there is a need for Hicks to provide 24/7 access due to the high number of student-group meetings taking place in the Wilmeth Active Learning Center (WALC) classrooms in the evening, reducing its capacity.
A task force will be formed comprised of Libraries faculty and staff members, Registrar staff members, and Purdue Student Government president to determine the appropriate use of the WALC classrooms for the Spring 2018 semester. Use statistics will be collected for both Hicks and WALC during the late-night and early-morning hours to determine the level of demand and whether it warrants maintaining Hicks as a 24/7 facility.
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