Greenlease Library Strategic Plan & Assessment

The overreaching goal for our library assessment plan is to ensure that we are providing the best library services to our patrons via ongoing data driven decision making and identifying stakeholders needs.

Data collection points may include Cost Per Use (CPU) data, library headcount data, information literacy feedback from instructional sessions, user experience feedback of various online resources, interlibrary loan data, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. 

Stakeholders include the faculty and staff of Rockhurst University, the students of Rockhurst University, alumni of Rockhurst University and the Board of Trustees of Rockhurst University.  

Using both data and feedback from our stakeholders, the library will continue to improve and adjust library services to meet the needs of our users. 

Every fall semester, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Rockhurst University convenes the Committee on Rockhurst Assessment (CORA) with the goal to review various assessment initiatives across the campus. This is an interdisciplinary group comprised of administrators, faculty, and staff from various departments on campus. Each year academic and administrative departments must submit a report assessing various established departmental goals that should align with the Mission and Vision of the University and department. This report is normally due on October 1st of every year. CORA will then review the submissions and provide feedback on the report. The report will be returned to all departments by the beginning of the spring semester.

The library submitted their first annual report for CORA in the Fall of 2022. A summary of the report is given here, with the final report attached below. 

The library decided to focus on three major areas for this report Cost Per Use (CPU) data, headcount data, and information literacy feedback. Using the CPU data, the library was able to save money by cutting subscriptions to underutilized databases for the upcoming fiscal year. This was a great cost saving measure for the library and allowed these funds to be used elsewhere. The next area of focus was the newly implemented headcount system at the library. The library had headcount data from July to September to analyze usage of the library space by patrons. Using this data the library will be able to focus on which floors of the library get used the most which allows the library to make adjustments to these spaces. The final aspect of the report analyzed information literacy feedback regarding two instructional sessions with the Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy departments. This data showcases the student's ability to find information and evaluate information in the form of a pre test and post test analysis. Students ultimately felt more confident in their abilities after these instructional sessions. 

Every fall semester, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Rockhurst University convenes the Committee on Rockhurst Assessment (CORA) with the goal to review various assessment initiatives across the campus. This is an interdisciplinary group comprised of administrators, faculty, and staff from various departments on campus. Each year academic and administrative departments must submit a report assessing various established departmental goals that should align with the Mission and Vision of the University and department. This report is normally due on October 1st of every year. CORA will then review the submissions and provide feedback on the report. The report will be returned to all departments by the beginning of the spring semester.

The library submitted their second annual report for CORA in the Fall of 2023. A summary of the report is given here, with the final report attached below. 

The library decided to focus on three major areas for this report headcount data, fulfillment speed of interlibrary loan requests and instruction/consultation requests over the past academic year. The library analyzed a full year of headcount data, which will serve as the baseline for headcount data moving forward. Building usage followed the common academic library trend of peaking in September for the fall semester and February in the spring. The most popular floor was the Mezzanine while the basement and second floor saw near even usage throughout the year. The next area of analysis regarded fulfillment speed of interlibrary loan requests made by our patrons. We turned on automation in March of 2023 and fulfillment speed of digital requests saw drastic improvement. Items were getting to our patrons in less than 24 hours which is a massive improvement over the previous 36 - 48 hour fulfillment speed over the previous months. The last area studied was the usage of instructional requests by faculty and consultation requests by library users. Since hiring a liaison librarian to St. Lukes College of Health Sciences and Nursing, instruction and research consultation requests have increased dramatically. Other popular fields for these types of requests include education and English.