Library Assessment

Academic libraries are in a state of transition as we balance the needs of our vast print collections and physical facilities with the needs of our users for flexible learning and study environments and digital access to collections and services. In order to transition well, we engage in an ongoing process of self assessment through surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews. The Library Assessment Committee assists the Library Assessment Coordinator in identifying assessment opportunities, designing assessment tools, promoting assessment activities, and fostering a culture of assessment within the Library. One way that the Library Assessment Committee fosters a culture of assessment is by offering the Library Assessment Committee Grant to library employees who need monetary support to accomplish an assessment project that aligns with the Library’s Strategic Framework 2019-23.

Library by the Numbers through the years

FY23FY22FY21FY20*FY19FY18FY17FY16FY 15FY14
Total Volumes Held15,154,10115,098,51214,895,95714,720,438 14,591,14614,379,667
14,147,93913,928,45013,699,41313,436,690
Visitors (Gate Count)3,205,4631,781,54430,2502,588,140
4,723,8634,956,3134,724,9006,181,8384,949,2884,621,888
Books Digitized and Available from Google Books, Internet Archive, and HathiTrust930,771902,784871,700869,434 810,751759,524NANANANA
Database Searches13,021,8049,858,26117,815,59020,544,449 21,665,80122,027,26130,374,50835,197,89744,934,58148,206,156
Items Loaned to Other Libraries via Interlibrary Loan 27,14332,89712,53740,87756,09170,05871,60479,47982,86986,226
Loanable Technology Requests Fulfilled through the Undergraduate Library3,5523,6591,533**15,46337,51833,56832,86234,31138,46440,301
Items Circulated138,967133,67533,581217,249322,962316,273348,701384,934411,977446,722
Reference Questions Answered42,72840,05324,10747,68058,15861,30569,16577,648106,598105,644
eBooks2,039,7421,929,5301,828,3061,734,063 1,588,1301,426,0331,302,4021,229,958982,635NA
Electronic Downloads8,235,1517,960,2477,913,3939,215,841 7,169,0097,947,1799,355,2508,655,1097,851,2257,558,502
New Items Added192,248202,555175,519150,946 217,658222,728NANANANA
Library Statistics FY 14-23
*Some FY20 service usage were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
**Several policy changes (from the COVID-19 pandemic) effected loanable tech circulation in FY21. In-library use technology was not circulated. Additionally, the loan period was extended from 10 days to 28 days, so popular items did not circulate as often as they might have otherwise. Lastly, walk-up bookings were not permitted (asked for 24 hours advance notice). Over the actual school year (not including summer/winter breaks), 1,357 loanable technologies were circulated.