Fall+2006+q4+answer

Question #4

 * Information professionals increasingly are required to collect and present evidence that demonstrates a connection between needs, funding, and outcomes. Provide examples of the kind of evidence you would use to support your argument that your agency makes a positive contribution to its community. Select ONE information environment of your choice (e.g., academic, school, public/special library, archive, etc.) as a setting for your response.**

Academic Libraries:

Needs: Must be aware of clientele which are served and growing needs Needs are assessed through formal and informal means: focus groups, individual feedback, surveys, suggestions for individuals, gorups, departments, organizations, etc.

Needs Scenario: i.e. SGA complains that there is a need for the increase in library hours. Although the library is open 109 hours per week, the SGA thinks that the library needs to be open 24 hours a day like UNC and NCSU. Library administration and others investigate: must consider added costs (staffing and resources), security, actual need (rather than want), what may be thwarted as a result of this initiative... all this must be weighed to assess if it is actually a need and one the library can respond....

Funding: Stewards of monies to be used. Once needs are assessed, funds should be allocated where needed. In academic library, most of the funding is targeted for providing resources (print as well as electronic.. monographs, serials, etc... staffing... both professional and paraprofessional). Outside money should also be sought through grant writing and target specific needs.

Funding Scenario i.e. in the example above, the library administration must look to the budget ..., if it is a good budget year, it is easier to say yes but for an ongoing service... have to be more careful to make sure if committed tha this is a service that won't be taken away. Monies like this will be taken out of the operations budget. In the case of this library, additional security personnel would have to be added, increase student assistant and staff time... must make some kind of monetary compensation for those working horrendous hours.

Outcomes: Hard data and feedback: gate counts, count use, surveys (i.e. LibQual), feedback,

Outcomes Scenario: Once the library tries the service (in this case, extending hours some...), headcounts and gate counts will be taken hourly to monitor use, activities patrons are doing will be noted (in other words, administration would have to balance whether the library should be open just to operate as a homeless shelter for the community or a place for students to sleep vs. actual physical need to be open).

Start the process all over to assess the next need that presents itself.... reassessing needs and directed funding and assessing success or lack thereof. Libraries can't do everything so they must make a concerted effort and make informed choices on how they manage their resources.

I've just begun studying and wanted to help with the wiki, so I'm jumping in here with a school library scenario please adjust as you see fit: Environment: School Library Evidence to support argument that the school library makes a positive contribution to its community with connection between needs, funding, and outcomes: Needs: Collection Development includes books, databases, technology (computers, projectors, Smart Boards—from separate technology fund, hopefully). Keep up with the latest technology trends in education. Have the tools to support the current curriculum will create more informed and information literate students.

Funding: Local, state, and federal Need the money for the tools to keep the school current (keep staff and students informed in the constantly changing educational and technological environment).

Outcomes: Test scores, reading and information literacy Better outcomes with current tools (not only technology and database, but also books—fiction and non-fiction).

Examples of evidence Circulation statistics Students are checking out books=reading =smart kids

Reading literacy statistics (work with teacher on this) Reading/Language Arts use of library materials

Information literacy (work with teachers on this) Media center programs promoting information literacy and research skills Students are required to have information literacy skills