Full 2013-2014 Annual Assessment Plan & Report
Measure A1
The library will annually compare its opening hours with those of other UC Libraries with the goal of being at or above the UC Systemwide median for total hours open.
Responsibility: Eric Scott
Campus Public Service Hours (Main Library)
Average: 95.025
Measure A2
The library will measure building occupancy rates, tying measured occupancies to day of the week, time of day, and library locations. The Library Access Services Unit will conduct daily occupancy counts on nights and weekends; it will conduct weekday counts from 2 to 3 times per semester. The library will analyze this data and consider it in planning the scheduling of operating hours, staffing levels, and furniture acquisition.
Responsibility: Eric Scott
|
FY13-14 Headcount Averages |
||
|
Hours |
Average Headcount |
Average Headcount (M-F) |
|
10:00 AM |
286 |
337 |
|
12:00 PM |
314 |
419 |
|
2:00 PM |
345 |
431 |
|
4:00 PM |
283 |
348 |
|
6:00 PM |
235 |
248 |
|
8:00 PM |
153 |
163 |
|
10:00 PM |
85 |
88 |
|
11:00 PM |
136 |
116 |
Measure A3
The UC Merced Library will collect data on the number and type of events hosted in the library with the goal of creating a longitudinal record of the use of the library.
Responsibility: Eric Scott
Measure B1:
90% of the students who received library instruction in a WRI 10 class will refer to the library (instruction, resources, space, and services) as helping them to complete their academic work. [biannual]
Based on a review of exit slip information from students in spring 2014, 100% of students felt better prepared to locate resources for their class as a result of the session (59% strongly agree; 41% agree). These results were based on exit slips from 492 participants.
Full Report: Exit_Slip_Results_Instruction_spr2014
Measure B2:
90% of selected WRI 10 students receiving library instruction will use appropriate resource types for their WRI 10 annotated bibiographies. [biannual]
In an evaluation of the annotated bibliographies from one Writing 10 section, 13 of 17 students (76.5%) met the minimum requirements for resource selection for their annotated bibliographies while the remaining four (23.5%) did not. This section had received in-person library instruction earlier in the fall 2013 semester.
See: Students Finding and Using Academic Resources (fall 2013; written 7 Jan. 2014)
Measure B3:
90% of the bibliographies from selected capstone papers will reflect a variety of relevant resources. [biannual]
Not available. This will require additional conversations with faculty and assessment coordinators to be part of information literacy assessment at the program level.
Measure B4:
80% of students' writing (capstone completion) about the research process will reflect a highly developed understanding of the research process. [biannual]
Not available. This will require additional conversations with faculty and assessment coordinators to be part of information literacy assessment at the program level.
Measure B5:
90% of students who respond to UCCUES questions on library research skill will report that their current ability is "good," or "very good," or "excellent." [biannual - even years]
UCCUES is distributed biannually in the spring of even years. In the 2012 results for UC Merced, 80% of respondents rated their level of proficiency in Library research skills as “good”, “very good”, or “excellent.
Due to concerns about how this self-reported data is used, we do not have access to this information for 2014.
Measure B6:
90% of the students responding to the graduating senior campus survey who received library instruction will "agree" or "strongly agree" with the statement "The library research instruction I received helped me find suitable information resources for my papers and projects." [annual]
The Graduating Senior Survey is distributed annually by Institutional Research & Decision Support (IRDS). In 2014, 443 students (39%) completed the survey.
Based on the survey results, 91% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the library research instruction they received helped them find suitable information sources for their papers and projects.
Measure B7:
80% of focus group participates will report on two or more communications and explain how these made him/her aware of library services and resources. [biannual]
Focus Group Report:
In spring 2014, 14 undergraduate students participated in two library focus groups. We were unable to have each participant report out on two or more communications and explain how these increase one’s awareness of library services and resources. However, we were able to determine some of the key ways in which students and learning about the library and also what actions with can continue or pursue to increase effective communication. For example, we found that students primarily learn about the library through UMCROPS, the Library Services Desk, Library instruction sessions, and the iPod Touch Library Tour. In addition, they may learn about the library through faculty and Happenings announcement though their reaction to Happenings was mixed. Communication channels that had less profile for them included Welcome Week events, Facebook postings, and digital signage.
See full report especially pages 3 & 4.
Measure B8:
65% of graduate students responding to the Graduate Student Survey will report that they frequently use the library. [annual]
The 2014 Graduate Student Survey was sent to 340 students. Eighty-nine individuals (26%) completed and submitted the survey while another 113 (33%) began the survey but did not complete it.
Only 39.5% (62) of the graduate student respondents reported frequently visiting the library facilities. A great number of respondents 51% (80) were occasional users while another 9.6% (15) never used the library facilities. We did not meet our target for this measure.
Measure B9:
Graduate student association members will discuss the communications and services offered by the library that have proved most useful to them in the previous year. [annual]
We are in the process of building our communication channels with various groups including graduate students. We did not contact the GSA for this information.
Measure B10:
Of the committee members on the upcoming library advisory committee, 80% will indicate that they have become increasingly aware of available library services and resources.
This committee does not yet exist so no data is available.
Measure B11:
85% of graduate students responding to the Graduate Student Survey will report excellent or good quality of experience with the library facilities.
Eighty-eight percent of graduate students reported excellent (57) or good (68) quality of experience with the library facilities. Another 10.6% (15) rated their experience as fair leaving 1.4% rating it as poor (1) or not applicable (1).
Measure C1:
90% of individuals will be able to complete 100% of assigned tasks via the library's website during usability testing. [biannual]
We did not complete testing this year but will be doing web testing in the upcoming year winter 2014 & 2015 as we move to the Drupal platform.
Measure C2:
90% of students responding to the Graduating Senior survey will indicate that they received satisfactory assistance (strongly agree or agree) from library staff when they asked for help finding information for their papers and projects. [annual]
Based on the survey results, 93% of students agreed or strongly agreed that when they asked for help in finding information for their papers and projects, they received satisfactory assistance from library staff.
Measure C3:
90% of students of the on the Graduating Senior survey will indicate that they received satisfactory assistance (strongly agree or agree) from library staff when they asked for help at a library service desk. [annual]
Based on the survey results, 93% of students agreed or strongly agreed that when they asked for help at a library service desk, they received satisfactory assistance from library staff.
Measure C4:
90% of those using the DigRef service and receiving help from UC Merced staff will indicate that the quality of the library staff in answering their request was excellent or good. [annual]
During the fiscal year between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014, 56 surveys were completed by UC Merced patrons or by patrons who were helped by UC Merced librarians through the Digital Reference service. Seventy-five percent of those surveyed indicated that the quality of the library staff answering their request was excellent, and 17.86% indicated that the quality of staff was good. Combined, 92.86% of respondents indicated that the quality of the library staff answering their request was either good or excellent.
Measure C5:
Based on a random sample, 90% of DigRef transcripts analyzed will reveal that UC Merced library staff are, at a minimum, satisfactorily answering digital reference questions. [rubric analysis, biannual]
We did not complete due to time constraints and time spent looking at TRAIL student reflections and work in the summer of 2014.
Measure C6:
90% of those who respond to a survey regarding their in-person reference experience will report that they received excellent or good assistance. [biannual]
Librarians evaluated in-person reference service from spring 2014 by asking students to complete a short survey a couple weeks after the reference transactions. Fifty-two individuals were sent the survey and 28 responded for a response rate of 53.8%. Based on the questions asked, almost every respondent (96%, all except one) expressed a positive experience. In addition, 96% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the assistance they received from the librarian helped them find the information they needed.
Full Report: Ref_Eval_Report_spr2014
Measure D1:
Seventy-five percent of students in focus groups will respond that they are "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the library's information resources.
Responsibility: Sara Davidson
Focus Group Report: In spring 2014, 14 undergraduate students participated in two library focus groups. These students were asked a number of questions including questions about the library’s resources. Overall students were impressed by the collection available to them and reported using databases and search tools. Based on a poll during the focus groups, 86% (12/14) of the participants were either very satisfied or satisfied with the library’s resources.
Measure D2:
Upon the formation of a committee to advise the library, the University Librarian will work with that committee to get additional faculty input on information resources.
Responsibility: Donald Barclay
The UC Merced Academic Senate did not form a committee to advise the library and the most recent proposal to form such a commitee was tabled by the Divisional Council.
Measure D3:
Review 2012 systemwide ILL Customer Satisfaction Survey to establish a baseline for future assessment.
Responsibility: Eric Scott
Measure D4:
The library will achieve a 95% fill rate for direct requests from faculty to purchase books or DVDs.
Responsibility: Jim Dooley
This measure was abandoned due to budget constraints. Due to the demands of a growing faculty, inflation in the cost of information resources, and insufficient growth in the collections budget, the Library is not long able to fulfill faculty requests at our historical high level.
Measure D5:
UC Merced Library will be at or above the median for percentage of total budget expended on information resources as compared the other UC Libraries.
Responsibility: Jim Dooley
Among the eight UC Libraries that report percentage of total budget expended on information resources, UC Merced ranked third, well above the median of 36.4%:
Measure D6:
Technical service staff will put all physical materials (books, DVDs, etc.) on the shelf and load records into OCLC WorldCat within five working days of receipt.
Responsibility: Jim Dooley
The average turnaround time for shelving items acquired via the Library’s YBP approval plan was 2 days (arriving one day, shelved the next). Eight shelving times were logged 3 days or longer, usually due to holidays, vacations or technical issues with WMS.
Measure D7:
For the library's Supplemental Course Resources (SCR), library staff will prioritize and fulfill all requests in order to meet instructional needs in a timely manner.
Responsibility: Emily Lin
100% of the requests submitted by the priority deadline were fulfilled by the week before the start of instruction. All requests submitted after the priority deadline were fulfilled within two weeks of submission, typically within one week.
Measure D8:
Co-invest with the California Digital Library in support of open-access publishing by UC Merced faculty and/or graduate students.
Responsibility: Susan Mikkelsen
Beginning in January 2013, the UC Merced Library, along with all other University of California libraries, launched an open access fund designed to assist scholars who did not have funds available to pay for open access journal publishing fees. Part of the funding came from seed money provided by the California Digital Library (CDL) and part came from the local collection budgets. The primary goals of the program on our campus were to support local researchers interested in reshaping the current models of scholarly publishing by changing publishing behavior, and to foster wider dissemination of the scholarly output of the university. In addition, we hoped to educate scholars about the importance of controlling their own copyright.
The pilot ended on March 31, 2014. Over the course of the program, twenty-one scholars applied for funding. These applications came from a variety of disciplines, but were primarily from STEM units. The vast majority of applications came from faculty, but a handful were submitted by Graduate and Post Doctoral students. Ultimately, the library funded eleven articles; ten authored by faculty and one authored by a graduate student. The most common reason for not funding an article was that it did not meet the stipulation that the article be published in a fully open access journal.
It is somewhat challenging to determine whether or not the pilot accomplished our goal change publishing behavior on campus. In many cases, we funded articles for faculty who had previously published in open access journals. However, publicizing the fund was good way to connect with faculty and graduate students to start the conversation about why they should consider the open access option.
A full report on the pilot is available at http://libraries.universityofcalifornia.edu/groups/files/cls/docs/UC%20Open%20Access%20Pilot%20Report%20FINAL%20072914.pdf
Measure E1:
UC Merced Library annual participation in staff training/professional development will be maintained at or above the level of previous year.
Responsibility: Eric Scott
Measure E2:
The library will host at least three in-service activities for library staff during the fiscal year.
Responsibility: Eric Scott
Measure E3:
When surveyed about their satisfaction with the training and professional development opportunities they receive, at least 75% of library staff will report that they are "satisfied" or "highly satisfied."
Responsibility: Eric Scott
Measure E4:
100% of student employees will receive the following minimum amount of training, which will be tracked.
• 4 hours of classroom training
• 4 hours of additional individual training
• 4 hours of coaching per year
• complete a post-training assessment
A 90% attendance and completion rate will be considered successful.
In addition, public service student employees will complete all Question of the Week assignments.
Responsibility: Eric Scott
All of library student employees are required to attend an 8 hour training event once a year. Two individuals were unable to make this event and completed equivalent activities while at work. The majority of library student employees work for Library Services, which includes a semi-structured onboarding program that takes about 27 hours to complete. In addition to this library student employees received coaching as needed and participate in a question of the week exercise aimed at introducing them new research skills and reinforce library policies.
Measure E5:
The UC Merced Library will achieve a retention rates among student employees of 85% (excluding students who separate due to graduation, transfer, or by otherwise separating from the university).
Responsibility: Eric Scott
The retention rate ws 88%.
1) Library will work with the Office of Research to review all data management plans for projects funded by federal agencies with data management requirements in place for any necessary follow-up action.
The library does not have access to all of the data management plans for projects funded by federal agencies. The library provided consultation on individual projects’ data management needs.
2) Library will review and consult on data management plans for all proposals to funding agencies with data management requirements in place.
The library does not review and consult on data management plans for all proposals to funding agencies. The library provided consultation to individuals who were in contact with the library about their data management plans.
3) Library will provide support for 2-3 projects to curate/archive research assets that are determined to be of value to the university.
In ’13-'14, the library incubated and began developing the following projects: Stories of the San Joaquin; UCANR archives; Costume Designs by Dunya Ramicova; and UC systemwide collaborative digitization initiatives (Strategic Action Group 3 Collaborative Collection Development through Digitization Task Force).
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