Library Assessment Committee Grant

Library Assessment Committee Grant Guidelines

The Library Assessment Committee (LAC) advises the Library Administration and the Library Assessment Coordinator on the prioritizing, planning and implementation of assessment activities.  Members may assist the Coordinator in identifying assessment opportunities, designing assessment tools, promoting assessment activities, and fostering a culture of assessment within the Library.  The committee shares in accountability for the success of the assessment program and evaluates its effectiveness in supporting the Library’s mission and strategic directions.

How can you get monetary support from the LAC?

1. Individuals or teams working on a project can apply for an assessment grant from LAC by submitting a proposal request via email to the Coordinator for Library Assessment, also the chair of LAC.
2. Proposals are considered on a rolling basis—there is no deadline and monies will be awarded until that year’s funds are depleted.

Funding Priorities

Preference will be given to:

1. New assessment efforts and/or recipients who have not previously received LAC awards
2. Proposed assessment projects that work toward achieving one or more strategic principles or directions as identified in the Library’s Strategic Framework 2019-23. 

Who is eligible to apply?

The grant is available for assessment projects conducted by full-time library employees. Please contact Jen-chien Yu, Chair of the Library Assessment Committee, if you have any questions regarding eligibility.

LAC Grant Application

Proposals must meet the following criteria:

1. Assessment project must address current assessment needs in the Library and not be purely for research purposes (research funding requests should go to RPC).
2. Assessment projects to be considered for LAC funding may focus on library services, resources, collections, physical facilities, or staff as a group, but may not assess individual personnel performance.
3. Assessments may use any appropriate methodology, including, but not limited to, surveys and user studies.
4. The project must follow human subject research protocols where necessary. Surveys or user studies done purely for internal assessment do not require IRB review; however, LAC encourages applicants to seek IRB review where applicable, so that results may be presented and published.
5. Assessment projects that use electronic surveys must follow “Policy Governing Electronic Surveys and Questionnaires Directed to Students, Faculty Members, or Staff of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.”

Those receiving LAC assessment grants must:

1. Complete the funded project within one year of receiving the assessment grant.
2. Submit a brief narrative report to the LAC following the completion of expenditure of LAC grant funds that details the expenditure of funds and results of the project.
3. Share findings from the assessment project in a public Library forum (brown-bag, faculty meeting lightning talk, etc.).
4. Deposit data and documents related to the assessment project in the Library Assessment community in IDEALS. [If project involves human subjects, IRB approval/exemption must be present for data and results to be deposited.]
5. Acknowledge LAC grant(s) in any public presentation or publication of the results of your project.

These guidelines are also available as a PDF file.

 

Past Recipients of the LAC Grant