Documentation of Learning Enhancement for Library Faculty

Evidence of effectiveness of learning enhancement may include self-evaluation and evaluations from the library director, peers, classroom faculty, and students; samples of instructional materials; development and measurement of learning outcomes for information literacy; evidence of collaboration with classroom faculty; innovation in delivery of instruction; documentation of the effectiveness of new and/or improved library services and/or processes, improved methods for organizing and accessing information, efforts toward increasing library use, assessing the needs of library users and application of technology to library services; and/or other evaluation criteria.

Enhancement of Learning: The faculty candidate and peers will reflect on the manner and extent to which the candidate enhances learning by increasing the accessibility, intelligibility, searchability, reliability, and usability of library resources for its patrons.
Classroom/Group Teaching Evaluations: The library director will comment on the candidate’s teaching performance in her/his recommendation, which accompanies the portfolio. In addition, the faculty candidate is expected to include a summary of evaluations received from both the classroom faculty for whose classes instruction sessions were conducted and from the students in those classes. When possible, evaluations from recipients of specialized group instruction, such as workshops, should also be provided. Qualitative (written) statements from faculty or students, provided via the evaluation form or other instruments, may be included.
One-on-one Teaching Evaluations: Evidence of effective instruction at the reference desk, via e-mail or other electronic delivery of reference service, or in research consultations should be provided. This may include individual student or faculty feedback or may take the form of other types of reference service quality assessments (e.g., user satisfaction survey, observation, etc.).
Learning Outcomes Assessment: The faculty candidate will provide evidence of their involvement in establishing information literacy learning outcomes for individual courses and/or programs or in assessing student achievement of these outcomes. Samples of assessment instruments may be submitted. The candidate should demonstrate that assessment results have been used to improve their teaching.
Instructional Materials: Samples of guides, bibliographies, exercises, assignments, and other materials (print or electronic) used in instruction sessions may be submitted. Guides to information resources (e.g., bibliographies, research guides, etc.), whether print or electronic, designed to help library users find information independently may also be submitted. The candidate may highlight specific ways in which instructional materials have been updated and improved, based on student/faculty/director evaluations, continued learning, new library resources, new technology, etc.
Collaboration with Classroom Faculty: Provide evidence of how the library faculty candidate has worked with classroom faculty to develop or improve information literacy instruction.
Innovation in Instruction Delivery: Provide evidence of creating new approaches to information literacy instruction. Examples may include: distance learning, online tutorials, workshops, team-teaching, participating in credit-bearing courses, residence hall-based instruction, etc.
Effectiveness of New/Improved Library Services and Processes: Faculty candidate will provide evidence of the effectiveness of new and/or improved library services or processes. Documentation may include a narrative description of the problem or need that the new service/process was designed to address; internal documents demonstrating how the service/process was developed/changed; documents designed to publicize and/or implement the new service/process; and evaluative data on or assessment of the service/process from library users and/or staff.
Methods for Organizing and Accessing Information: Faculty candidate will provide examples of how changes in the way information is organized has improved access to the library collection or to information resources beyond MSMC library holdings. Documentation may include revised catalog records, catalog search screens, revised web pages or web sites, each highlighting changes made, rationale for changes, and result of changes. Improvements to organizing and accessing information may also include physical changes within the library building, creating access to special collections or archives, improvements in the delivery of non-owned materials through interlibrary loan or other resource-sharing initiatives, etc.
Increasing Library Use: Faculty candidate will provide examples of programming, outreach to student and faculty groups, marketing of library resources and services, and other activities designed to raise awareness of library services and increase their use.
Documentation may include narrative description of perceived underutilization of services or quantitative evidence of same; internal documents demonstrating how the activity or event was developed; documents designed to publicize and/or implement the activity or event; feedback on or assessment of the activity or event from library users; and quantitative evidence of increased library use, if available.
Assessing Library Users’ Needs and Library Effectiveness: Faculty candidate will provide examples of utilizing various assessment techniques to solicit feedback from library users about what they expect from the library and how they rate library services and resources, as well as examples of how this feedback was used to improve library service. Documentation may include assessment instruments developed and utilized, findings, actions taken in response to findings. Substantial work undertaken for and reports written for program review may be submitted.
Application of Technology to Library Services: Faculty candidate will provide examples of researching and applying new technologies to the provision of library services. Documentation may include narrative description of research undertaken to evaluate a service/product/approach; description of problem or need that the new technology would address; internal documents demonstrating how the new technology was implemented; internal documents designed to train staff in the use of the new technology; documents designed to publicize the new technology to the campus; and feedback on or assessment of the new technology from library users and/or staff.
External Support: Solicited letters/written comments of support from former students, alumni, and academic colleagues outside the College. These letters should contain definitive statements of the faculty candidate’s ability to enhance learning In addition, unsolicited letters/written comments from former students, parents, alumni, and academic colleagues may be submitted.