Statement of Competency N

Janine Weston Libr 289-01 ePortfolio Spring, 2009 1 Statement of Competency N Evaluate programs and services on specified criteria. Introduction Winston Churchill stated, “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things” (ThinkExist, 2009). When it comes down to evaluating library resources, programs, and services, having a critical eye is not only necessary, it is an essential element of librarianship. In regard to evaluation and assessment, Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) states, “Consistent assessment of resources in the context of users' needs is essential to keep any information service vital and relevant. A parallel effort in assessing and evaluating the delivery of information services is equally important” (American Library Association, 2007, Evaluation and Assessment of Resources and Services, para.1). Just as librarians are expected to utilize selection criteria from collection development policies when evaluating books, journals, software, and websites, to meet the needs of specific user-groups, programs and services must also go through an assessment process. In order to ensure evaluation beyond merely a personal response, librarians have a professional responsibility to develop or make use of formal or informal evaluative criteria. In today’s school libraries, many librarians are reluctant to rid their collections of outdated books because they fear there will not be funds to replace them and they will be forced to send students away empty-handed. This Janine Weston Libr 289-01 ePortfolio Spring, 2009 2 reluctance to apply collection evaluation criteria is a disservice to the client group, resulting in the provision of misinformation instead of current and correct information. Teacher Librarians have the responsibility to evaluate the information service they provide for their school community through continual analysis and weeding of their collections. Employing appropriate weeding and collection management evaluation criteria, such as MUSTY (Misleading information, Ugly, Superseded by better works, Trivial, Your collection has no use) and CREW (Continuous, Review, Evaluation, Weeding), every school librarian can be successful in incorporating routine assessment to better serve their students (Dickinson, 2005). In larger organizations, evaluation of library programs and services can be used to provide evidence of the impact libraries make on their clients. Using regional accreditation and “Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Standards and Guidelines” as criteria, Lindauer (1998) evaluates the library’s impact on campuswide outcomes to prove its value in education. Emphasizing the importance of access, availability and use, Lindauer determines how well the library is doing in the three key areas, then makes recommendations for improvements, and finally establishes measurement indicators for continued valuable service across the campus. Librarians in any environment must be prepared to frequently evaluate programs and services—from selecting effective presentation formats, to grading collaborative projects, to assessing the impact of summer reading programming, to formal examination of reference interview processes, to implementing Janine Weston Libr 289-01 ePortfolio Spring, 2009 3 recommended models in online course design—our efforts are highly dependent on creating vital and relevant resources, services, and programs for our users. Application In Dr. Connie Costantino’s Spring 2008, Libr 250: Design and Implementation of Instructional Strategies for Information Professionals course, I present two analytical essays that evaluate instructional programs according to information literacy standards. The first, Measuring Up to Information Literacy Standards, evaluates May Ying Chau’s 2006 research article and online library skills tutorial regarding their effectiveness in promoting greater information literacy among twenty-first century students. Referring to recommendations in peer-reviewed journal articles, I determine the effectiveness of design, implementation and measurement in Chau’s work. Using theory-based learning strategies as criteria, I present an in-depth analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, related to her implementation strategies for improving learning experiences during the research process. My evaluation highlights the benefits of online formats such as versatility, access and convenience along with challenges such as modified interactivity, isolation, and miscommunication. The second program evaluation, Silver Surfers Ride the Waves: Effectively Connecting Seniors with Technology, analyzes the collaborative research and training project submitted by classmates from the same Libr 250 course. Through examination of their research, instructional design, creativity, and insight, I provide a highly positive evaluation of their program for their work assisting seniors to effectively use technology to connect, learn, and create. A Janine Weston Libr 289-01 ePortfolio Spring, 2009 4 SWOT analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to their project, leads to professional recommendations for improving the project and its advocacy components. In addition, I employ a rubric to justify points awarded for each component of the extensive project. Anchoring my evaluation in professional guidelines originating in peer-reviewed research, I support my compliments and criticisms with documented references. Finally, I evaluate the quality and process involved in creating and presenting related advocacy projects. Through the evaluation of both instructional programs, I come to the conclusion, that when presented with the opportunity for incorporating information literacy, librarians must wholeheartedly embrace learning theories and information literacy standards in the design and evaluation of effective instruction. From Dr. Dan Fuller’s Summer 2002, Libr 204: Information Organizations and Management, my conflict-related case study, Evaluation of Self Check Out Services, examines the impact of increased population growth and library use on Et Cetera Public Library’s circulation services and patron satisfaction. Focusing on their objective to alleviate increased environmental stress, I evaluate the implications of the decision to purchase self-check-out machines. My analysis includes impacts on people, process, and technology, the viability of the solution, as well as solution alternatives to fund, automate, and assist the incorporation of new technology such as RFID. Through my research on successful service management strategies, my evaluation concludes that with proper funding, technology automation, and patron assistance, the Et Cetera Public Library can Janine Weston Libr 289-01 ePortfolio Spring, 2009 5 maintain satisfied employees and patrons, utilize reliable product-purchasing processes, and integrate flexible technologies. In my future position as an instructional librarian, I will have the frequent opportunity to evaluate the impact of new library technologies on services and work with my colleagues, faculty and students to implement them. My Peer Reference Interaction and Evaluation, from Libr 210: Reference and Information Services, with David Midyette in Fall 2008, transcribes, describes and evaluates two reference interactions with classmates. I complete an evaluation form incorporating specific criteria from the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) “Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Services Professionals” to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the interactions (American Library Association, 2007). Specifically, the evaluation measures the interactions to standards for the approachability, interest, listening/inquiring, searching, and follow-up elements of the reference interview. The peer-evaluation process is effective for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of others while reinforcing our personal understanding of the value in using evaluation criteria. Currently, in my school library field work for Libr 295, I refer to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing candidate competence and performance standards to prove my competence in eleven different areas, several of which are directly related to evaluation. For example, outlined in the Standards of Program Quality and Effectiveness, the Teacher Librarian capacity emphasizes responsibility for evaluating existing and emerging technologies and Janine Weston Libr 289-01 ePortfolio Spring, 2009 6 applying them appropriately. To exemplify this competency, I am designing and using evaluation criteria to select online survey software and gather library use data to “provide more efficient management, administration, and implementation of an effective school library media program” (California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, 1991, p.15). Conclusion In any library or information venue, one of a librarian’s key roles is to keep information programs and services vital and relevant through formal and informal methods of evaluation. Assessment methods can range from the simple use of follow-up questions in a reference interview, to self-evaluation using guidelines for professional development, to feedback on book club programming from a web survey, to rubric-based assignment grading, and on through unobtrusive observation of library volunteers. Milton Friedman said, “One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results” (Owlre, 2008). As we become better informed about our user group, our standards for excellence and evaluation criteria will also change. It is crucial that we implement periodic evaluation in order to produce intended results and renew the most valuable resources, programs and services for our clients. Janine Weston Libr 289-01 ePortfolio Spring, 2009 7 References American Library Association. (2007, February). Guidelines for behavioral performance of reference and information service providers. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/archive/protools/referenceguide/gui delinesbehavioral.cfm American Library Association. (2007, March). Professional competencies for reference and user service librarians. Retrieved February 7, 2009, from http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/archive/protools/referenceguide/pro fessional.cfm California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (1991, March). Standards of program quality and effectiveness and factors to consider in the evaluation of Library Media Teacher programs. Retrieved February 5, 2009, from http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/standards/library.pdf Dickinson, G. (2005, April/May). Crying over spilled milk. Library Media Connection, 23(7), 24-26. Retrieved February 3, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database. Lindauer, B. (1998, November). Defining and measuring the library's impact on campuswide outcomes. College & Research Libraries, 59(6), 546-570. Owlre.com. (2008). Top ten quotes on evaluation. Retrieved February 8, 2009, from http://www.owlre.com/wordpress/wpcontent/uploads/2008/01/factsheet_owlre_quotes.pdf Janine Weston Libr 289-01 ePortfolio Spring, 2009 8 ThinkExist.com Quotations. (2009, January). Criticism quotes. Retrieved February 8, 2009, from http://einstein/quotations/criticism/