Library Assessment and Development

  • Information resources and services are evolving at a breakneck pace, with new tools and technologies bringing a wealth of options—and challenges—to individuals looking for information, and to the organizations that help them. In this environment of constant advancement, libraries must regularly assess and evaluate their collections, technologies, and services to make sure they are delivering relevant and useful information to their users, providing the services that users need and desire, and remaining careful stewards of both institutional resources and the historical record.

    A Culture of Assessment

    At the IUP Libraries, we embrace a culture of continual assessment: regularly engaging with our users, reviewing our services and resources, and keeping a weather eye on the horizon as new technology comes into use.

    Continual assessment help us understand where we’re delighting our users and where we can improve, and lets us align our offerings with the needs of our students, faculty, and staff. Furthermore, that careful assessment helps us demonstrate our impact on student success, and how our services integrate into and support the university’s academic mission.

  • How We Measure What We Do

    The IUP Libraries use a number of methods to evaluate our services and resources. Some of those methods include:

    • LibQUAL+, other user surveys, and library user focus groups are an excellent source of information.
    • Direct library user feedback in the form of e-mail, suggestion cards, and one-on-one conversation is collected and evaluated.
    • Aggregated data on visits, reference desk interactions, website and database use, and information literacy instruction is collected and evaluated.
    • Formal program reviews and collection analyses bring together the breadth of our operation, and invite comment and recommendation from expert reviewers from outside IUP.

    Questions or Comments

    If you have questions about library assessment or development projects or practices, please contact Beth Kilmarx (bkilmarx@iup.edu), assistant dean for Library Assessment and Development.

  • IUP Libraries
  • Stapleton Library, Room 203
    431 South Eleventh Street
    Indiana, PA 15705
  • Phone: 724-357-2330
  • Fax: 724-357-4891

Hours of Operation

Mondays and Fridays: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Tuesdays—Thursdays: 8:00 a.m.– 7:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sundays: Closed

Exceptions to Regular Library Hours