Librarians are committed to supporting teaching, learning, and research. They are equally committed to supporting student success and retention. Demonstrating the impact that learning management system (LMS) embedded librarians make on student learning has been difficult to correlate, however. Studies that assess this connection, using qualitative…

This article serves as a primer for assessment and evaluation design by describing the range of methods commonly employed in library settings. Quantitative methods, such as counting and benchmarking measures, are useful for investigating the internal operations of an access services department in order to identify workflow inefficiencies or…

An analysis of Quebec academic libraries' direct reciprocal borrowing statistics from 2005 to 2010 reveals that the physical distance separating universities plays an important role in determining the amount of direct reciprocal borrowing activity conducted between institutions. Significant statistical correlations were also seen between the…

Academic libraries, like other university departments, are being asked to demonstrate their value to the institution. This study discusses the impact library usage has on the retention and academic success of first-time, first-year undergraduate students at a large, public research university. Usage statistics were gathered at the University of…

Libraries are operating in a fluid service environment in which people increasingly turn to the Internet to address everyday concerns. They also face competition from large booksellers that offer potential library patrons access to a virtually unlimited selection of books. These developments have understandably provoked questions and concerns…

Digital resources play an increasingly important role in academic libraries, which must demonstrate their value to the institution and their impact on student learning outcomes in new and more compelling ways. This study examines 5 years of vendor-supplied e-resource usage data in conjunction with other library and institution measures. Results…

Describes three methods of sample size determination, each having its use in investigation of social science problems: Attribute method; Continuous Variable method; Galtung's Cell Size method. Statistical generalization, benefits of cell size method (ease of use, trivariate analysis and trichotyomized variables), and choice of method are…

Recent reports on Australia's research infrastructure have highlighted the decline in serial subscriptions in academic and research libraries during the 1990s. They have used the annual CAUL statistics in order to support these claims. This article examines the CAUL statistics for serial subscriptions, indicating their numerous flaws when used for…

Describes the activities of the federal government, state governments, and library associations in generating statistics on U.S. libraries, and discusses the problems that arise from a lack of coordination. Issues discussed include standardized definitions, scope and coverage, data collection and aggregation, data analysis and interpretation,…