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
| FY23 | FY22 | FY21 | FY20* | FY19 | FY18 | FY17 | FY16 | FY 15 | FY14 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Volumes Held | 15,154,101 | 15,098,512 | 14,895,957 | 14,720,438 | 14,591,146 | 14,379,667 | 14,147,939 | 13,928,450 | 13,699,413 | 13,436,690 | |||
| Visitors (Gate Count) | 3,205,463 | 1,781,544 | 30,250 | 2,588,140 | 4,723,863 | 4,956,313 | 4,724,900 | 6,181,838 | 4,949,288 | 4,621,888 | |||
| Books Digitized and Available from Google Books, Internet Archive, and HathiTrust | 930,771 | 902,784 | 871,700 | 869,434 | 810,751 | 759,524 | NA | NA | NA | NA | |||
| Database Searches | 13,021,804 | 9,858,261 | 17,815,590 | 20,544,449 | 21,665,801 | 22,027,261 | 30,374,508 | 35,197,897 | 44,934,581 | 48,206,156 | |||
| Items Loaned to Other Libraries via Interlibrary Loan | 27,143 | 32,897 | 12,537 | 40,877 | 56,091 | 70,058 | 71,604 | 79,479 | 82,869 | 86,226 | |||
| Loanable Technology Requests Fulfilled through the Undergraduate Library | 3,552 | 3,659 | 1,533** | 15,463 | 37,518 | 33,568 | 32,862 | 34,311 | 38,464 | 40,301 | |||
| Items Circulated | 138,967 | 133,675 | 33,581 | 217,249 | 322,962 | 316,273 | 348,701 | 384,934 | 411,977 | 446,722 | |||
| Reference Questions Answered | 42,728 | 40,053 | 24,107 | 47,680 | 58,158 | 61,305 | 69,165 | 77,648 | 106,598 | 105,644 | |||
| eBooks | 2,039,742 | 1,929,530 | 1,828,306 | 1,734,063 | 1,588,130 | 1,426,033 | 1,302,402 | 1,229,958 | 982,635 | NA | |||
| Electronic Downloads | 8,235,151 | 7,960,247 | 7,913,393 | 9,215,841 | 7,169,009 | 7,947,179 | 9,355,250 | 8,655,109 | 7,851,225 | 7,558,502 | |||
| New Items Added | 192,248 | 202,555 | 175,519 | 150,946 | 217,658 | 222,728 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
*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.