1. Getting the Library
Dog to Bark
Maximizing the Value of the Research Library
Paul Bracke Susan Stearns
Purdue University Libraries Ex Libris Group
pbracke@purdue.edu susan.stearns@exlibrisgroup.com
ALA Midwinter 2011

2. State of Library Assessment
Aligning with Institutional Goals
In Today’s
Impacting Assessment
Presentation
Q&A

3. Average state Higher Education
Average State Higher Education
appropriations
Appropriations

4. Declines in endowment values

5. Schools intending to review cuts
for academic support services

7. Expenditure Trends in ARL
Libraries
Materials
Salaries
Operating
1986

8. Expenditure Trends in ARL
Libraries
2008
Source: ARL Statistics, Association of Research Libraries, Washington, DC

9. Expenditure Trends in ARL Libraries
1986–2008
Library
Materials Library
Materials
(+286%)
$10,454,644
286% Total Expenditures
(+188%)
$23,556,230
Salaries (+157%)
$10,302,966
Operating (+138%)
$2,649,899
CPI (+101%)

10. Monograph and Serial Expenditures in ARL Libraries
1986–2008
Serial
Expenditures Serial
Expenditures
(+374%)
374%
$7,097,140
CPI (+101%)
Monograph Unit
Cost (+89%)
Monograph
Expenditures
(+86%)
$2,084,991

11. Percentage of Total Expenditures
Average State Higher Education
Spent on Electronic Resources
Appropriations

12. Number of Higher Education
Average State
Library Staff
Per Student
Appropriations

13. Library StatePercentage of
Average
as Higher Education
University Expenditures
Appropriations

14. The Dog that
Didn’t Bark

15. “The Library Dog”
It is often the library dog that does
not bark when it comes to providing
clues to improving student learning
or other important outcome
measures. As we look to the future
of our libraries, and our library
systems, we want to ensure we
design the barking dog into the
equation.
David Shulenburger
Vice President, Academic Affairs
Association of Public and Land Grant Universities

16. inaudible
instrumental

17. Four Metrics

18. Four Metrics

19. Four Metrics

20. Four Metrics
User-oriented
Finance-driven
Activity-based
Outcome-oriented

21. User-oriented
Users
Government
Administration Faculty

22. Finance-driven
Cost/Benefit Analysis
Purchase Value
Time Saved

23. Activity-based
Input/Output Measures
Bibliographic Instruction
Course Reserves

24. Outcome-oriented
Learning Research General
Outcomes Outcomes Outcomes
i.e. i.e.
Student i.e. Institutional
Enrollment Faculty Reputation
Grants

25. $4.38 $1.00
in grant invested in
income the library

26. Food for thought
Who are
your value
stakeholders?

27. Food for thought
Do our tools
map to what
we should be
measuring?

28. Food for thought
How can next
generation
library systems
impact value?

29. Aligning library staffing
and organization with
institutional goals
Paul Bracke
Purdue University Libraries
pbracke@purdue.edu

30. From Assessment to
Organizational Change
Assessment
Strategy development
Organizational change

31. 3 Things to consider
1Organizational Context
2Ourselves
3Challenges and Opportunities

32. State-funded
Land Grant
39,697 Students
2,763 Faculty
$327.5M in sponsored research

33. LIBRARIES
12 Libraries, Archives/Special Collections
Active in Information Literacy & e-Science
Active Collaborators
Faculty Status

34. LIBRARIES
3 Approaches to Realignment
Campus Library Library
Environment Trends Resources

35. 3 Approaches to Realignment
Campus
Environment
Parallel structure to Colleges
Revitalize Liaison Program

36. LIBRARIES
Plan 1
Two Strategic Discovery
Interdisciplinary Research
Plans over the
past 5 years Learning
Information Literacy
Engagement
Enhanced Quality of Life

37. LIBRARIES
Plan 2
Two Strategic Launching Tomorrow’s
Leaders
Plans over the
past 5 years Discovery with Delivery
Meeting Global Challenges

38. 3 Approaches to Realignment
Library
Trends
Changing Information Environment
Changing Collections Priorities

39. Food for thought
How do we
respond to
these trends?

40. 3 Approaches to Realignment
Library
Resources
Aligning with Campus Environment
More intensive public service activities
Transformed Technical Services Work

41. Food for thought
How do we
balance this
with current
expectations?

42. Food for thought
How do we
balance this with
fewer staff?

43. Rethinking the
Organization
Misalignment of priorities
Need more professional
staff
Centralization v.
De-centralization

44. Reorganizations and
Changing Practice
Streamlining Support
Surfacing the Digital
Looking Further Forward
Technology

45. inaudible
instrumental

46. Food for thought
How can next
generation
library systems
impact value?

47. Institution-focused ROI
Data Collection and Analytics
Data Shareability
Data Mashups
Data-driven Design

48. Business-focused ROI Tool
Designed to quantify costs
Use data to ensure accuracy
Separate analyses of costs
Sample ROI Analysis
from Ex Libris Alma

49. ROI Tool
Areas of Analysis
Infrastructure
Administration
Services / Workflows
Learning Impacts
Research Impacts

50. Providing Robust Data
bX as an example

51. Case Study
bX improved services, reduced costs
Top source of citations for scholarly
content
Uniquely cites content from all
publishers
Ranked by students and faculty around
the world
Reduced ILL Costs

52. Give Users What they Want
Increase in Discovery System Usage
Recognized value of recommendations
Increased number of recommendations

53. Providing Robust Data
Primo as an example
Average Number of Sessions per Day

54. Providing Robust Data
Primo as an example
Average Length of Session

55. Primo in action
Number of Searches per Month

56. Primo in action
Response Time (seconds)
Title in Set
Analysis of Mandatory Reading List

57. Primo in action
Position in Result Set (page)
Title in Set
Analysis of Mandatory Reading List

58. Integrating Data into Workflows

59. The Librarian’s Dashboard
Resource Usage by Fund Overlap in New Purchases Request
Time to
Fulfillment
Loan
Digital Submissions by Department ILL Requests Converted to Purchases
Purchase
Digitize

60. Food for thought
How should we
define the value
our libraries
offer?

61. The “research library” through history

62. “Library assessment” just coming into its own

64. Works Cited
• “Expenditure Trends in ARL libraries” (Source: ARL Statistics, Association of Research Libraries,
Washington, DC)
• The Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report prepared by Dr. Megan
Oakleaf from Syracuse University for ACRL in 2008.

65. Getting the Library
Dog to Bark
Maximizing the Value of the Research Library
Paul Bracke Susan Stearns
Purdue University Libraries Ex Libris Group
pbracke@purdue.edu susan.stearns@exlibrisgroup.com
ALA Midwinter 2011