Documented Library Contributions to Student Learning and Success: Building Evidence with Team-Based Assessment in Action Campus Projects

A new report issued by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), Documented Library Contributions to Student Learning and Success, provides evidence of library contributions to student learning and success.

The report focuses on outcomes from projects conducted as part of the programAssessment in Action: Academic Libraries and Student Success (AiA). Launched in 2013 by ACRL, in partnership with the Association of Public Land-grant Universities and the Association of Institutional Research, and with funding from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, AiA supports the efforts of over 200 postsecondary institutions examining the library’s impact on student learning and academic success.

Synthesizing more than 60 individual project reports from the AIA work, the report identifies positive contributions of academic libraries to student learning and success in four key areas: 1) students benefit from library instruction in their initial coursework; 2) library use increases student success; 3) collaborative academic programs and services involving the library enhance student learning; and 4) information literacy instruction strengthens general education outcomes.

Currently, ACRL is seeking proposalsfor the design, development, and delivery of a new ACRL “Action-Oriented Research Agenda on Library Contributions to Student Learning and Success.” The deadline to submit a proposal is June 2, 2016.