The document discusses how the Loras College Library contributes to student success and retention in several ways. It provides resources and spaces that support learning, hosts instruction sessions improving students' research skills, and fosters a sense of community through partnerships, programming, and a welcoming environment. Studies show student use of the library is linked to higher GPAs and persistence, while library expenditures are correlated with increased retention and graduation rates at other institutions.

1. THE VALUE OF THE
LORAS COLLEGE LIBRARY
Recruitment Achievement
Retention Philanthropy

2. Mission Statement
The Loras College Library is a welcoming center dedicated to
fostering the intellectual development and personal growth of the
Loras community in support of the College’s mission.

3. The Library is an important stop on the
campus tour. Here’s why:
Extremely or very important facilities in the selection decision process
Reynolds and Cain, 2006, p. 58
21.8
16.3
14.8
14.2
21.3
34.6
34.4
32.3
29.6
28.6
35.6
42.2
53.6
50.9
49.8
73.6
Facilities for Major
Library
Sophisticated Technology
Classrooms
Residence Halls
Exercise Facilities
Bookstore
Open Space
Student Recreation Facilities
Science or Engineering Facilities
Dining Halls
Performing Arts Center
Student Union/Center
Visual Arts Center
Intramural Sports Facilities
Varsity Athletic Facilities

4. The Library has a lot to offer, but you
can’t see it all on a campus tour:
Book Materials
4 Floors of Books
Curriculum Library
Federal Government Documents
Iowa Government Documents
Special Collections
Audiovisual Materials
Audiobooks
Educational Media
Entertainment DVDs
Wilkie Classic Film DVDs
Electronic Materials
EBooks
Periodical Article & Indexing Databases
Reference Databases
Paper Periodicals
Newspaper subscriptions
Periodical Subscriptions
Miscellaneous Materials
Plagiarism Checking Software
Microfilm/Microfiche

5. The Library supports a variety
of ways that students study
25 Study rooms
3 Classrooms
50 Study carrels
383 Chairs
107 Lounge Chairs
2 Bean Bag Chairs
70 Tables
6 Faculty Studies
2 Couches

6. When students enter the Library, they become “part of a
larger community – a community that endows one with a
greater sense of self and higher purpose.”
Freeman, 2005, p. 6

7. Resources
The Library contributes to
student success with:

8. Student use of library resources is correlated with
achievement, retention, and graduation.
“The library is the only centralized location where new and
emerging information technologies can be combined with
traditional knowledge resources in a user-focused, service-rich
environment that supports today’s social and educational
patterns of learning, teaching, and research.”
Freeman, 2005, p. 3

9. Student use of electronic resources is
increasing, which has a positive effect
on retention and achievement.
Average Per Student Use of Journal and Periodical Databases
100
115
142
45 44
54
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Searches Full-text Articles
“…there is an association between these types [databases] of library use and a student
remaining enrolled…”
“there is a statistically significant relationship between student attainment and […] e-resources
Haddow and Javanthi, 2010, p. 240; Stone and Ramsden, 2013, p. 556
use and book borrowing statistics”

10. Why does this matter?

11. Our study shows that Loras students
who check out more library materials
have higher GPAs
30.24
Average number of books checked out by GPA range
21.7
15.9
11.1
56.18
25
13.6
36.6
21.8
10
27
16.3
13.2
22.5
14.9
9.8
9.1
8
8
3.4 3.5 1.9 1.9 4.4 2.5
3.5-4 3.0-3.49 2.5-2.99 2.0-2.49 0-1.99
Total First Year Sophomores Juniors Seniors

12. What do library expenditures have to do with
retention and graduation rates?
cuts to library expenditures may have negative consequences for
student retention and graduation
Hamrick, Schuh and Shelley, 2004; Gansemer-Topf and Schuh, 2006, p. 632; Hamrick, Schuh and Shelley, 2004; Mezick, 2007, p. 564;
Whitmire, 2002, p. 121

13. What do library expenditures have to do with
retention and graduation rates?
Institutions with libraries that spend more on materials and have
more staff are correlated to greater retention rates
Hamrick, Schuh and Shelley, 2004; Gansemer-Topf and Schuh, 2006, p. 632; Hamrick, Schuh and Shelley, 2004; Mezick, 2007, p. 564;
Whitmire, 2002, p. 121

14. What do library expenditures have to do with
retention and graduation rates?
studies show that providing quality library resources leads to
student persistence
Hamrick, Schuh and Shelley, 2004; Gansemer-Topf and Schuh, 2006, p. 632; Hamrick, Schuh and Shelley, 2004; Mezick, 2007, p. 564;
Whitmire, 2002, p. 121

15. What do library expenditures have to do with
retention and graduation rates?
library expenditures (as a part of academic support expenditures)
also may be related to higher graduation rates in many
institutions
Hamrick, Schuh and Shelley, 2004; Gansemer-Topf and Schuh, 2006, p. 632; Hamrick, Schuh and Shelley, 2004; Mezick, 2007, p. 564;
Whitmire, 2002, p. 121

16. What do library expenditures have to do with
retention and graduation rates?
“Institutions with greater numbers of library staff; that spent more money on librarians’ salaries
and wages; that purchased more books, journals, computer files, and computer searches; that had
more volumes in their collections, circulated more books, and had more reference desk
transactions and had undergraduates with greater self-reported gains in critical thinking.”
Hamrick, Schuh and Shelley, 2004; Gansemer-Topf and Schuh, 2006, p. 632; Hamrick, Schuh and Shelley, 2004; Mezick, 2007, p. 564;
Whitmire, 2002, p. 121

17. The Library contributes to current students’ success
with spaces that support academic and social needs
“...students also are looking for a place to meet other students,
work on group projects, and seek out opportunities for interaction
with fellow students. The library has become a social
environment, a place to be, and a destination, where students can
experience the company of fellow students." Waxman, 2007, p. 429

18. Despite our laptop campus and wealth of
online resources, students still love coming
to the Library
93
109
94
106
102 100
87
96
3.4
7.2 5.1 4.1 3.1 2.6 0.7
Loras St. Ambrose Wartburg Coe Luther Augustana Central St. Norbert
Weekly Hours Open Weekly Entries per Student
NA
NCES 2012

19. Why does it matter if students study in their residence
hall, the café, or the library? If they don’t use the library,
students are “7.19 times more likely to drop out.”
Studying in the library is significant because students who do so:
• gain more effective study skills
• are more engaged in learning
• have higher GPAs
• are 1.54 times more likely to persist
Oseguera, 2007, p. 37; Haddow & Javanthi, 2010, p. 238; Bell, 2008, p. 3;
Mezick, 2007, p. 562; Weaver, 2013, p. 116

20. Services
– Library as Place – Welcoming Hospitality
– Materials Checkout
– Faculty Library Liaison
– Information Literacy Classes
– Library Catalog
– Award-winning Web Site
– Research Guides
– Personal Librarian Program
– Printers/Photocopiers/Scanners
– Research Help
– Interlibrary Loan
– Reserves
ACRL April 2013 College Library
Website of the Month.
The Library provides many services for
students, faculty, the campus, and the world!

21. Information literacy instruction:
A core library function
1,349
1,908
Information Literacy Instruction
6,199
3,899
2,037 1,909
Students
Sessions
975
733
69
470 465 262 127 110 61 37
Loras St. Ambrose Augustana Wartburg Luther Central Coe St. Norbert
NCES 2012

22. Library instruction is steadily increasing, as is
the need for information literacy skills!
Library Instruction Sessions and Students
1028
1188
1251
1,349
53 63 62 69 90
1,757
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13
Sessions Students

23. Why does library instruction matter?
• Students who attend library instruction sessions
cite more and more varied types of sources, have
more scholarly citations in their papers, and are far
more likely to cite book sources
•A study of over 8,000 students found that attending
three or four library instruction sessions within a
program is positively associated with a student’s
GPA.
Cooke & Rosenthal, 2011, p. 341 ; Wong & Cmor, 2011, p. 472

24. Research Help Center
“…thank you for helping me with my research. I couldn’t
have done it without you! It was great to have those
additional resources. Last week I presented and defended
my research and am happy to report that it went really
well.”
-Dana Disteldorf, Loras senior

25. Interaction with all library staff in general makes
students more engaged with learning.
The Library staff contributes to the success of current
students
Emmons and Wilkinson, 2011, p. 146

26. Partnerships with faculty ensure that students have
tailored resources and support, which leads to
success in coursework, which ultimately leads to
increased retention.
Hagel, Horn, Owen & Currie, 2012
•Library Liaison Program
•Embedded in eLearn
•Course-related Research Guides
“The research needs of the modern academic change rapidly, thus the
services of a highly trained librarian are such an asset to our campus.
Library instruction helps students think through the process of
acquiring information about the work they are doing.”
-Dana Livingston, Spanish faculty member

27. The Library also works hard to
create a sense of community
Events & Promotion
Faculty Publications
READ reception
Primal Scream
Dance Party
Bathroom Ads
Facebook
Kiosk
Finals Week
National Library Week

28. Thursdays @ the Library : Building Community
• Over 46,000 cups of beverages served since we began in 2006
• A campus event that regularly brings in 150–250 people each week
“I look forward to Thursdays at the library…
sometimes it’s the best part of the week!”
“Oh my gosh, you meet so many people here.
I should have my office here every Thursday!”
“This is great - a way of building community!”

29. Thursdays@the Library is part of the Library’s culture.
One of the comments
received on this posting:
“I mean, it would only
make sense if it was
coffee Thursday.”

30. Trust us. It’s worth it!
"A library that supports fun, non-traditional activities will invoke
positive attitudes about its space. Areas specifically designed for
comfort, pleasure and productivity will be remembered and reused.“
Dennis, 2007, p. 90

31. Connecting with Alumni
“Alums really loved the collages in the hallway of the
Campus Center that mentioned various prices, etc. from
their reunion years. Kudos to Joyce Meldrem and her
library staff for putting those collages together – they
were a hit!” (Sheila Germaine in an e-mail 10-1-2012)

32. The enduring value of the Library
“Students at all levels of academic proficiency need and want to
go to the library now more than ever before. Going to the library
adds value to their lives and offers many of the tools and
experiences that will give them the competitive edge they will
need to succeed after their formal education is completed.”
Freeman, 2005, p. 6

33. Library instruction teaches
workforce-ready skills
A recent study showed that the following Information Literacy
skills taught by the librarians are sought by employers:
81% look for critical thinking and analytical
Hart Research Associates, 2010, p. 2
thinking skills
75% look for the ability to analyze and solve
complex problems
68% look for the ability to locate, organize, and
evaluate information from multiple sources

34. Library skills persist
beyond graduation
“Students are employing research skills in the workplace; they
value and use library resources; and most importantly, they value
the skills they gain from engaging in finding, evaluating and
applying information.”
“48% felt their information literacy skills were a factor for getting
hired in their current position and 77% of respondents felt ‘finding
information is an essential part of my work.’”
Travis, 2011, p. 29

35. What our students want to add to their
library environment:
In addition, other libraries are adding:
Booth seating
Café tables and stools
Portable white boards
Presentation production rooms
James Madison University
St. Norbert College
UCSF
Better lighting
More quiet areas
More comfy armchairs
Couches
Adjustable height chairs
Bean bag chairs
Treadmill with book stand
Television

36. Library as a 3rd space
“As an extension of the classroom, library space needs to embody
new pedagogies, including collaborative and interactive learning
modalities. Significantly, the library must serve as the principal
building on campus where one can truly experience and benefit
from the centrality of an institution’s intellectual community.”
Freeman, 2005, p. 2

37. Adapting to the role of the
library as 3rd space
“…the core role of the library building in the next decade will not be
as a storehouse of collections or as a central point of information
service, although… it will continue to play both those roles. The core
role of the library as a place, … is as a place of collaborative learning
and community interaction. Further, … this role cannot be jettisoned
during a time of fiscal constraint.”
Montgomery & Miller, 2011

38. Loras College Library…
yesterday, today, and tomorrow
“To meet today’s academic needs as well as those in the future, the library
must reflect the values, mission, and goals of the institution of which it is a
part, while also accommodating myriad new information and learning
technologies and the ways we access and use them. As an extension of the
classroom, library space needs to embody new pedagogies, including
collaborative and interactive learning modalities. Significantly the library must
serve as the principal building on campus where one can truly experience and
benefit from the centrality of an institution’s intellectual community.”
Freeman, 2005, p. 2

39. What is the value of the Loras College Library?
Student use of library resources is correlated with achievement,
retention, and graduation
Spending just 10% more per student on library resources results
in an additional 1.77 percentage points of graduation rates
Students at Loras who check out more library materials have
higher GPAs
The library contributes to student success with spaces that
support both academic and social needs
Students are 7.19 times more likely to drop out if they don’t use
the library
Library instruction teaches workforce-ready skills

40. Conclusion
When you invest in the Library, there are gains in recruitment, achievement,
retention, and philanthropy
When Library funding is cut, there are long-lasting negative consequences
We must move forward or our students will fall behind
The future of our Library, therefore, is not to be a static building but rather
a dynamic combination of people, resources, and places that serve the
ever- changing needs of an increasingly diverse student body.
The Library needs funding so we can maintain and improve our resources,
services, spaces, staff, and community. We understand budgetary
constraints at this time, but our hope is that knowing the Library’s effect on
recruitment, achievement, retention, and philanthropy will make clear that
cuts to Library funding have deep and lasting effects.