Posts by Craig Smith

Many employees in the University Library at the University of Michigan are enthusiastic about using data to inform their work, and have used assessment methods to gather and analyze data. The library has an assessment strategy that is designed to guide this type of distributed assessment activity, so that people feel supported and successful in gathering, analyzing, and making sense of data. One critical piece of the assessment strategy is the Assessment Special Interest Group (SIG). The Assessment SIG provides the library’s assessment practitioners with regular opportunities to gather -- in person and online -- to share assessment projects in all phases, and to get peer support and feedback on assessment work. This blog piece provides more information about the role of the Assessment SIG in supporting solid, connected assessment in the library.

This blog post presents how the use of multiple streams of data benefited two recent U-M Library studies. For example, one recent study merged survey data, U-M human resources data, and Library document delivery data to provide a very rich picture of how diverse groups on campus use and experience the Library’s document delivery service. Some advantages of joining multiple data sources in assessment projects are discussed in the context of the two example studies.

Craig Smith, the Library's Assessment Specialist, talks about working with the Design Lab to design and print a replacement battery cover for his vintage Sony Walkman cassette player.

When planning an assessment project in the Library, one important step is to consider whether your project should be vetted by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at U-M, a committee that ensures studies with human subjects are ethical, that subjects are protected from unnecessary psychological or physical risks, and that subjects are participating in a fully informed, voluntary manner. This post details when your data collection may be subject to a full IRB application and review process.