A hefty serving

Thought-provoking fare was dished up at the ACRL conference in Seattle. As a newbie, with little experience of conferences, it was an event which served up many new ideas and ways to improve service in our libraries. It was also an event which provoked many questions. Because of the range of papers, I concentrated my interest on:

- Assessment and evaluation processes for libraries. Attendance of a preconference workshop set the scene by improving my understanding of analytic assessment of information literacy by using a rubric. Further insight was offered by papers on using mystery shoppers to assess library service, using dashboards and scorecards to present assessment data; and selecting the most suitable method from knowledge tests, rubrics and integrated assessment to measure learning. Does your library have an assessment plan or policy?

- Online strategies for improving users access to subject content. The LibGuides research guide management software seems to have made an impact in the library market. Many librarians shared their experiences to capacity audiences. Ease of use, consistent layout, and incorporation of Web2.0 features were some of the aspects shared in papers, posters and Cyber Zed Shed sessions. Take a look at the LibGuides demo version. An alternate is the open source program, Library a la Carte, created by Oregon State University Library. Other online topics investigated whether assessment data is available on library websites; and creating learning objects for multiple users on the go.

Making sense of it all requires some thought and reflection. Opportunities to observe first-hand how these processes work in our host libraries will also enhance understanding and aid digestion!