September 8, 2021 Meeting of Library Assessment Committee

• Review committee website, membership, and charge
• LAC 2021-2022 Box folder

2. Community Agreement (5 min.)

• Listen Actively: Try to understand others before being understood.
• Step In, Step Back: Step up and use your voice or Step Back and make space for others.
• Speak from Your Own Lived Experience: Use “I” statements and refrain from telling other people’s stories.
• Invest In Yourself and Invest in Each Other: Honor our shared space and keep time in mind.
• Think Beyond Binaries: Hold multiple perspectives at once.
• Stories Stay, Lessons Go: Confidentiality and personal privacy.
• Repair Harm: Seek space to repair harm when we mess up.

• What’s something you look forward to doing post-pandemic? OR What’s something you’re excited about this school year?

• The October LAC Meeting will be a full brainstorming meeting for projects. Here are some questions to guide brainstorming:
  • What do you wish you knew? (Keep assessment in mind. Also, aim for projects that can be completed within the 2021-2022 year.)
  • What metrics you want to measure for success? (Also, which success: student success, staff, faculty, library collections, services?)
  • How would you like to communicate ideas with us? Where’s a good spot to keep our community brainstorm going? [Jamboard, padlet, Box notes, Google doc, etc.?]
    

• Jennifer Nelson’s study wishes to observe a LAC meeting (decision needed)
  • Study exemption in our LAC Box: https://uofi.box.com/s/usqpj62xe8002ka9cyertzh13hdbbq9j
• Please suggest any feedback on new assessment WordPress draft page put together by Lindsay: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/assessment/about-assessment/
  • Especially looking for more input on the Why Assess? section
• Meeting Schedule and Community of Practice (CoP) Meetings:  https://uofi.box.com/s/1hk37136di9f91hoj9j5lc1w1l58rhyq (Tentative, subject to change)
  • Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 9:00 am
  • Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 9:00 am
  • Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 9:00 am
  • Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at 9:00 am
  • Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 9:00 am
  • Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at 9:00 am
  • Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 9:00 am
  • Wednesday, May 11, 2022 at 9:00 am

Jen-chien Yu, Erin Kerby, Rebecca Smith, Yali Feng, Shuyong Jiang, Belinda Bolivar, Alex Deeke, Mary Ton, Amy Fry, John Laskowski, Lindsay Taylor

1. Introductions & Community Agreement

• Jen highlighted location of committee information and agenda on WordPress: https://www.library.illinois.edu/staff/committee/library-assessment-committee/
• Community agreement read over and discussion of creating an inclusive environment
  • Emphasized confidentiality and personal privacy of Stories Stay, Lessons Go

2. Group icebreaker

• Importance of creating a sense of connection, especially after Beth Hoag’s Student Experience Survey presentation last week
• Becky shared Mintel’s Timeline for Success for recently acquired Mintel modules as something she’s excited about in assessment

3. Preliminary Response to Brainstorming Questions

Brainstorming Questions (from agenda):

1. What do you wish you knew?
   
2. What metrics you want to measure for success? What type of success?
   
3. How would you like to communicate ideas among committee members?

Immediate responses:

• Learning & pedagogy assessments are crucial in this moment of pivoting between in-person and virtual instruction, especially responding to students’ desire for in-person instruction.
• Similar need to assess library services: which services should be virtual vs. in-person? What is wanted from the physical space vs. the virtual space of the library?
  • How do we create a  new virtual space of the library that meets student needs/expectations? How does the website reflect this; what could be changed?
• How do we ensure the new construction’s spaces are inclusive for all students?

Brainstorming will continue in October LAC Meeting.

4. Action Items

• Vote on whether members feel comfortable with Jennifer Nelson’s observation study (exempt form in LAC Box)
  • Some members give verbal consent or type consent in chat
  • Email Jen if there are any private concerns
  • Jen will reach out to members who were unable to attend today’s meeting to obtain consent
  • Interest expressed in seeing study results later
• Look at new assessment page and give feedback via email to Jen & Lindsay
• Jen reviewed LAC tentative meeting schedule, including new Community of Practice (CoP) meetings to learn about assessment techniques and tools or work on projects
  • CoP meetings are optional for those who are not interested in the meeting topic (topics tba)
• Continue to reflect on brainstorm questions to bring ideas to October LAC meeting