Hop on Assessment! Maximizing Assessment’s Potential for Outreach Recording

Although the primary objective of a library assessment project is, of course, collecting data about the effectiveness of a service or resource of interest, assessment can present several tangential benefits, including opportunities for outreach and positive public relations. Fleming-May and Mays describe these effects as “often overlooked,” perhaps because structuring assessment to maximize outreach impact can be a delicate operation. [1, p. 10]

Library assessment can generate positive public relations in two primary ways, both of which are fundamental examples of “outreach.” [2, p. 191]. First, merely inquiring about stakeholders’ needs for and satisfaction with resources and services allows a library to “[e]xpress concern for [its] public” generating positive impressions of the library. [3, p. xx–xxi] Second, assuming assessment participants include stakeholders who may be less engaged with a library’s resources and services, asking their opinion about specific resources and services will inform at least some of them about the existence of those resources and services.

During this session, the presenters will elaborate on the concept of assessment-as-outreach and describe effective strategies for maximizing an assessment project’s potential for generating positive public relations. Presenters will share examples of restructured survey questions, survey invitation language, interview and focus group scripts, and usability test protocols that transform “traditional” assessment tools into micro-outreach efforts while maintaining project integrity. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own assessment projects to the session for discussion and suggestions.

1. Fleming-May, Rachel A., and Regina Mays. Fundamentals of Planning and Assessment for Libraries. ALA Fundamentals Series. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2021.
2. Diaz, Stephanie A. “Outreach in Academic Librarianship: A Concept Analysis and Definition.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 45, no. 3 (May 1, 2019): 184–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2019.02.012.
3. Wallace, Danny P., and Connie Van Fleet. Library Evaluation: A Casebook and Can-Do Guide. Libraries Unlimited, 2001.

Although the primary objective of a library assessment project is, of course, collecting data about the effectiveness of a service or resource of interest, assessment can present several tangential benefits, including opportunities for outreach and positive public relations. Fleming-May and Mays describe these effects as “often overlooked,” perhaps because structuring assessment to maximize outreach impact can be a delicate operation. [1, p. 10]

Library assessment can generate positive public relations in two primary ways, both of which are fundamental examples of “outreach.” [2, p. 191]. First, merely inquiring about stakeholders’ needs for and satisfaction with resources and services allows a library to “[e]xpress concern for [its] public” generating positive impressions of the library. [3, p. xx–xxi] Second, assuming assessment participants include stakeholders who may be less engaged with a library’s resources and services, asking their opinion about specific resources and services will inform at least some of them about the existence of those resources and services.

During this session, the presenters will elaborate on the concept of assessment-as-outreach and describe effective strategies for maximizing an assessment project’s potential for generating positive public relations. Presenters will share examples of restructured survey questions, survey invitation language, interview and focus group scripts, and usability test protocols that transform “traditional” assessment tools into micro-outreach efforts while maintaining project integrity. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own assessment projects to the session for discussion and suggestions.

1. Fleming-May, Rachel A., and Regina Mays. Fundamentals of Planning and Assessment for Libraries. ALA Fundamentals Series. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2021.
2. Diaz, Stephanie A. “Outreach in Academic Librarianship: A Concept Analysis and Definition.” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 45, no. 3 (May 1, 2019): 184–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2019.02.012.
3. Wallace, Danny P., and Connie Van Fleet. Library Evaluation: A Casebook and Can-Do Guide. Libraries Unlimited, 2001.