International Journal of Librarianship

Strategies for Assessing and Enhancing Electronic Journal Collections

Orolando Duffus — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The introduction of 22 new degree programs and the establishment of the College of Medicine at the University of Houston (UH) prompted a comprehensive assessment of the Libraries' electronic journal collections to align with evolving academic needs. This study adopts a data-driven, evidence-based approach to analyze collection strengths and coverage gaps, utilizing tools such as Scopus, Web of Science, and Alma. Findings reveal significant journal coverage for most programs, while also identifying specific areas requiring enhancement. Methodological challenges, including data accuracy and benchmarking limitations, are discussed alongside strategic recommendations to strengthen collection development and support academic excellence. The study contributes to growing discussions around patron-driven acquisition and equitable resource allocation. This assessment identifies strategic growth areas and highlights the Libraries’ evolving role as a responsive academic partner in enhancing resource alignment, improving user satisfaction, and supporting institutional research and learning outcomes.

Creating a Culture of Care

Piper Cumbo, Abigail Higgins — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This case study investigates the role of Auburn University Libraries (AUL) in enhancing student wellbeing during finals week, a period characterized by elevated stress and anxiety levels among students. In light of rising mental health concerns within college populations, particularly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this research aims to assess the effectiveness of AUL’s targeted initiatives designed to support students during this critical time. The study addresses four core questions regarding student perceptions of the library's involvement, the perceived impact of activities on stress and anxiety, student recommendations for future initiatives, and the evaluation of the return on investment for resources allocated to these programs. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research draws upon both qualitative and quantitative data to provide insights into student experiences and the effectiveness of wellness initiatives. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on the importance of academic libraries in fostering mental health and wellbeing in higher education, ultimately aiming to inform future strategies and ensure the sustainability of supportive programs within the university’s educational ecosystem.

Designing and Prioritizing Key Performance Indicators in Evaluating and Improving the Productivity of Special Libraries (the organization under study: Water and electricity industry of Iran)

Maryam Fattahi, Davood noori, Azim azimi — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This research study aims to determine and prioritize essential performance criteria and indicators for evaluating and enhancing the productivity of special library services within the public sector’s water and electricity industry of Iran. Focusing on the perspective of the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) system, we first addressed the pathology of library service quality. This was done by measuring the integrated LibQUAL service quality model and the Three-pronged model. BSC and PPM were applied to analyze management structures and library performance, forming the basis for identifying critical success factors and designing key performance indicators (KPIs). The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method played a key role in our evaluation, as it helped us to weight and rank a list of critical success factors (CSFs) according to success criteria (SC). In the following step, KPIs were designed and selected using the Six-step method proposed by Zis et al. (2023), based on these factors. The research findings revealed eleven critical success factors that influence the productivity management of libraries. The most significant criterion identified was the learning culture (95.0%), followed by customer satisfaction (72.0%), a positive experience (64.0%), and access to information resources (61.0%). Finally, seven key performance indicators for libraries were introduced as follows: satisfaction, net promoters, acquisition cost, repeat purchase/loan rate, customer experience, experience management, and customer churn rate.

From Rubric to Reality

Shuyi Liu — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This case study examines the development and implementation of a campus-wide assessment of the Information Literacy (IL) Core Competency at California State University, Fresno, during the 2023-2024 academic year. A cross-disciplinary faculty committee evaluated 153 upper-division General Education student papers using a rubric adapted from the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) VALUE rubric and aligned with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy. Through norming sessions, rubric revision, and collaborative scoring, the project revealed key challenges in evaluating IL across disciplines, particularly in achieving interrater consistency and interpreting student work in the absence of assignment context. The study explores how faculty from different academic fields interpreted IL criteria and how librarians contributed a focused lens on information behaviors. Reflections from the assessment process offer practical recommendations for improving rubric design, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, and supporting institution-wide assessment practices. The findings underscore how shared assessment efforts can strengthen institutional understanding of IL and inform both instruction and faculty development.

Translating Data into Action

Jeff Graveline, Peggy Kain — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As the academic publishing landscape evolves, read and publish agreements have emerged as a crucial mechanism for balancing the costs of publishing with the goals of open access. Demonstrating the value of these agreements is critical for libraries. This project report examines how one academic library created a data gathering framework to show how cost-savings data could substantiate the benefits of these agreements, and how they developed and implemented data gathering and display tools in the library to make a strong, data-backed case for read and publish agreements.

Assessing Chat Transcripts

Rebecca Graff, Melissa Johnson, Shannon Adams — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Ask Us is the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Libraries chat reference service. Since Ask Us is most people’s introduction to SMU Libraries, it’s essential the experience is positive. SMU Libraries model includes an Ask Us team overseeing the virtual reference program. Members of the three-person team consist of two instruction librarians and one access services librarian from across SMU Libraries. We assess chat transcripts regularly to ensure high-quality service. Using a form developed internally, the Ask Us Team evaluates reference interactions for relationship building, the reference interview, and instruction.

You Say Hello and I Say Goodbye

Helen Cawley — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This Report from the Field outlines the implementation of a formal, comprehensive assessment program for an academic library’s virtual chat service, designed to analyze quality and inform improvements to all reference interactions. The methodology features twice-yearly, team-based peer review among graduate student employees, utilizing an eight-metric rubric to generate quantitative and qualitative data. Initial sessions found that most interactions were Proficient or Excellent but highlighted the need for coaching on closing statements and providing updates during long searches. Recommendations include adding canned messages to the chat platform and refining training with tutorials and more reference documentation to reinforce consistent service quality.

Benefit and Cost Analysis of Resource Sharing

Cherie Weible, Janelle Sander — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Libraries are not exempt from rising costs. The situation presented is how libraries can continue to provide services while also finding efficiencies in labor and operational expenditures. Libraries must examine where budgets are currently being allocated and then evaluate what further steps can be taken to ensure prompt and reliable service while also remaining efficient. For libraries who participate in interlibrary loan or consortial resource sharing, it may be beneficial to use OCLC’s Interlibrary Loan Cost Calculator or to determine what the return on investment is for being part of a consortium. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign used the ILL Cost Calculator and the return on investment provided by the statewide consortium to evaluate current operations and determine what further steps could be taken to provide materials in a timely manner.

Conducting a Historical Map Collection Condition Assessment Survey at the Rochester Public Library

Ronald Martin-Dent — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Historical maps retain tremendous research value in the digital era. While many libraries have digitized their maps to expand research access, challenges remain for preserving physical maps. This project report describes a collection condition assessment survey at a public library using free online tools and volunteer hours to identify preservation issues and develop strategies to improve collection care. Collection condition surveys can serve as a road map for further preservation, conservation, and digitization projects.

Analyzing Public Library Cardholder Signup to Increase Access

Amy Mikel — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

As attempts to restrict or remove books in libraries continue to proliferate across the United States, Brooklyn Public Library has taken steps to bring attention to a crucial set of policies that libraries can use to protect access and advance the right to read: how patrons get library cards. In 2023, BPL undertook a national research project to study the practice of cardholder registration in American public libraries, with findings and analysis published in spring 2024. This is the first known national dataset collected and shared in this area of practice. The research findings further informed the development of a set of guiding principles developed for public libraries to consider when restructuring policy and process in the area of cardholder signup in order to reduce barriers and increase access to their collections and services.

Implementation and Application of a Generative AI Virtual Librarian

Yun-Fan Chen, Hsiang-Ping Ma — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Since its transformation into Taiwan’s first national digital library in 2013, the National Library of Public Information (NLPI) has continuously adopted innovative technologies to advance intelligent services. In response to the rise of large language models (LLMs), NLPI launched the “Generative AI Virtual Librarian” project in 2023 and developed Xiaoshu, a virtual librarian capable of natural voice interaction. Centered on generative AI, the system integrates four databases and eight intent categories, applying retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and speech recognition to provide collection search, book recommendations, service inquiries, and social interaction.

Xiaoshu effectively handles a large number of repetitive yet diverse library inquiries, demonstrating the linguistic flexibility of generative AI. Compared with rule-based systems that rely on extensive pre-set Q&A pairs, generative AI reduces maintenance workload by shifting the focus from data quantity to data quality. From late 2023 to October 2025, Xiaoshu recorded over 70,000 interactions, serving about 3,000 users monthly with an accuracy rate above 80%, and reducing human librarian workloads by approximately 16 hours per month.

The project highlights the importance of defining clear service goals, user scenarios, and resource planning in the early stages. Overall, NLPI’s experience shows that generative AI librarians can enhance service efficiency and create a new paradigm for human–AI collaboration in public libraries.

What’s in an Address?

Joanne McIntyre — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interlibrary loan (ILL) systems contain a wealth of data that can inform operations, assessment, and collection development. Yet, the capacity to analyze and interpret ILL activity often lags behind other library departments because of legacy software. ILLiad, one of the most widely used ILL management systems, contains numerous free text fields, including address records originally designed for mailing rather than for analysis. Inconsistent and incomplete entries limit the ability to extract meaningful statistics about resource sharing activity. To answer nuanced questions, including those required by the ALA RUSA STARS Quadrennial International Interlibrary Loan Survey, we developed a simple, replicable three part method: Clean, Create, and Group. By cleaning address data using a controlled vocabulary, creating internal-use addresses to represent local workflows, and grouping records by category, we transformed a static contact list into a dynamic data source. This project enhanced our ability to generate targeted statistics, improved collaboration across departments, and demonstrated how a modest data-cleaning initiative can yield lasting operational and analytical benefits.

Visualizing Impact

Michael C. Hawkins — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This project report examines how Kent State University Libraries’ Map It! service integrates data visualization and assessment to enhance research support, learning, and community engagement. Established in 2019 within the Map Library, Map It! provides consultation, instruction, and project collaboration for students, faculty, staff, and community partners seeking to communicate data through maps, dashboards, and visual narratives. Assessment is embedded throughout the service workflow, combining quantitative metrics, such as project volume, disciplinary reach, and tool usage; with qualitative feedback that captures learning and engagement outcomes. Over five years, Map It! has completed more than 150 projects, expanded across 20 academic departments, and developed partnerships with local organizations. Findings demonstrate how visualization functions as both a library service and a framework for assessment, making institutional and community impact both measurable and visible. The report concludes with lessons learned and future directions for sustaining evidence-based, data-informed, and community-centered library services.

Beyond Numbers

Feng-Ru Sheu — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Assessment is a fundamental practice across professional domains, providing the basis for understanding effectiveness, identifying areas for improvement, and guiding evidence-based decision-making. Within libraries, assessment is often dominated by quantitative measures such as surveys and usage statistics, which, while valuable, offer only a partial view of user experience. This paper advocates for a shift toward qualitative approaches that capture the deeper, human dimensions of library engagement—emotions, belonging, confidence, and meaning. Drawing on current literature and recent case studies from academic libraries, this article demonstrates that qualitative assessment, though sometimes perceived as time- and labor-intensive, can be feasibly integrated into existing workflows, even with limited resources. Methods such as interviews, reflections, observations, and artifact analyses yield richer insights into how library services influence learning and community. By emphasizing understanding over measurement, qualitative assessment fosters empathy, inclusion, and continuous improvement. Ultimately, this human-centered approach repositions assessment as a process of learning rather than evaluation, aligning evidence with the lived experiences of library users.

Assessment in Libraries

Feng-Ru Sheu, Yin Zhang — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000