Assessment
The Mansfield Library strives to integrate assessment and evaluation initiatives into library operations to inform decision-making. The Library's efforts take many forms, including instruction feedback and learning outcomes measures, surveys, trend analyses, and user studies. Through this work, library personnel seek to understand users' perceptions of services; to identify their behaviors and needs; and to measure student learning.
Questions? Contact Kate Zoellner, Assessment Coordinator.
Use of Data
Library personnel use quantitative and qualitative data resulting from assessment and evaluation initiatives to inform decision-making, including changes to assessment measures, in tandem with institutional data and priorities and trends in higher education and academic libraries. For example, findings and directions have informed decisions to:
- Integrate bibliographic management software instruction into first-year curricula to support students in organizing and formatting their references.
- Reallocate acquisition funds to maintain subscriptions to high-use electronic resources requested for research, retention, teaching, and grant proposals.
- Refurbish and organize the Accessible Technology Room, and designate quiet study areas, to meet student research and study needs.
- Remodel the main level of the building to bring in light and views of the natural environment, and financially support student art on diversity, to create a welcoming physical space.
- Revise the library organizational structure to align service areas and address staffing levels.
- Revise the feedback form students complete after receiving library instruction to capture engagement and integrate Project Outcome for Academic Libraries questions.
Statistics
Statistics, such as collection size, circulation figures, and instruction sessions, are maintained internally for benchmarking, and reported to the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) in the annual Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey to enable peer comparisons. Contact Kate Zoellner if you are interested in data comparisons available via the Benchmark: Library Metrics and Trends tool.
Surveys
The library periodically conducts user surveys to understand the perceptions, library use, knowledge, and experiences of students, staff, and faculty, and internal employees. Internally-developed surveys have focused on accessibility space and equipment offerings and on research data management; other surveys have included Project Outcome Undergraduate Instruction survey, National Survey of Student Engagement Experiences with Information Literacy topical module, LibQUAL+®, and ClimateQUAL®: Organizational Climate and Diversity Assessment.
Projects
Library personnel employ stand-alone projects or studies to better understand university community members and library and higher education environments. Faculty projects have focused on understanding the experiences and needs of graduate students, and on accessibility needs, through interviews and focus groups. And library task forces have evaluated institutional racism; organizational structure; building space; and open access publishing supports.
Assessment Reports
Library personnel prepare biennial Department Assessment Reports for the Office of the Provost. Consult the most recent library assessment report for further information on library goals and measurement tools utilized, results and modifications, and future plans for continued assessment; the campus is re-envisioning this reporting process. The library's assessment and evaluation efforts are also reported in accreditation reports to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). For example, the 2017 Demonstration Project Year Seven Report articulates the findings of direct and indirect methods library personnel have employed to measure students' information literacy knowledge and experiences and the 2023 Year Six Accreditation Report outlines the ways the library meets NWCCU standards.
Last updated July 2026.