DISCUSSION:CREATING A NORTHWEST LIBRARY RESEARCH NETWORK

Robin Paynter, Portland State University

Laura Zeigen, Oregon Health & Science Univ.

What?

Start Orbis Cascade Alliance interest group focused on library research

http://www.orbiscascade.org/index/interest-groups “Interest Groups are informal discussion groups

organized around a professional topic of interest to the membership. Interest Groups arise from the membership and consist of a Facilitator and self-indentified participants from at least seven member institutions. Interest Groups are provided with an Alliance email list but receive no consortium support for meetings.”

Why?

“For a profession that spends its time identifying, organizing and retrieving research evidence, librarians are not known for their own utilization of researching findings.” (Booth, 2002)

Crumley E., et al. (2002). Developing evidence-based librarianship: practical steps for implementation. Health Information and Libraries Journal 19: 61-70.

Evidence Based Library and Information Practice https://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/EBLIP/i

ndex

Why?

Assessment Self-advocacy Unique, ever-changing environments Create better quality instruments Capitalize on strengths across institutions Advance needed research quickly Utilize available collaborative networks to

…

How?

Seeking grant support to fund research activities

Examples of cooperative research utilized elsewhere

University Investment in the Library: What's the Return? A Case Study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign http://www.ideals.uiuc.edu/handle/2142/3587

Statewide Serial Collection AssessmentsILLINOIS:

Chrzatowski, T.E., et al. (2007). Feast and famine: A statewide science serial collection assessment in Illinois. College & Research Libraries (November): 517-532.

VIRGINIA:

Metz, P. and Gasser, S. (2006). Analyzing current serials in Virginia: An application of the Ulrich’s Serials Analysis System. Portal: Libraries and the Academy 6: 5-21.

University of Rochester

Hired an anthropologist! Compared to other sites Useful for many reasons Assessment needs both

quantitative AND qualitative data

Qualitative research helps unearth needs, tell stories of library’s use

http://docushare.lib.rochester.edu/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-4436

Benefits

Larger data pool Development of valid/reliable instruments Drawing on people’s expertise in various

domains Potential for consortial purchases Research in rotation

One year focus on collection development research

Next year on user services Next year on web

Benefits (continued)

Different areas/possible applications: Instruction – pre-/post- test instruments Web site design – usability testing metrics Collection Development – Scholarly Stats /

Ulrich’s Serials Analysis System

Developing in-house tools Example: PSU’s Survey Research Lab

(http://www.srl.pdx.edu/) develops high quality instruments for a fee. Consortial division of fee cheaper than each institution creating its own in-house instrument and end product higher quality

When? Next steps

Apply to start an Orbis-Cascade Alliance interest group

Start communicating with each other Start creating a repository (wiki) for

research instruments and tools that may be of use

Resources

To subscribe to the listserv (nwlibresearch@lists.pdx.edu) https://www.lists.pdx.edu/lists/listinfo/

nwlibresearch Until we have an official Orbis Cascade email

list To subscribe to the wiki

https://nwlibresearch.pbwiki.com

Orbis Cascade Alliance resources (if an official research interest group)

Contacts

Robin Paynter, MA-Library ScienceSocial Sciences LibrarianPortland State Universitypaynter@pdx.edu, 503-725-4501 Laura Zeigen, MA, MLISSystems & Web Development LibrarianOregon Health & Science Universityzeigenl@ohsu.edu, 503-494-0505