1. Bolstering the Bridge to
Instructional Improvement
The Sherman Minton Bridge,
New Albany, IN
Librarian Self-Assessment and Strategic Planning for
Information Literacy Program Development
Maria T. Accardi
Assistant Librarian, Coordinator of Instruction
Indiana University Southeast
maccardi@gmail.com

2. Critical Library Instruction:
Theories and Methods

3. Learning Outcomes:
Attendees will…
•Learn about the ACRL
Standards for Proficiencies for
Instruction Librarians and
Coordinators in order to
understand how they can be
used for program assessment.
•Learn a method of developing a
librarian self-assessment
Clark Memorial Bridge in Louisville Kentucky. By
merfam at instrument in order to identify
http://flickr.com/photos/merfam/140812567/
areas for program development
and improvement in their own
libraries.
•Understand SWOT analysis in order to plan concrete steps for
instructional improvement.
•Learn how smaller libraries with limited resources can creatively
leverage those resources in order to assess information literacy
initiatives.

4. Envisioning the Bridge
 What inspired my thoughts about
instructional improvement and program
assessment?
◦ Courtney Mack’s presentation at LOEX 2009,
“Training the Conductor”
◦ ACRL Instruction Section Discussion Forum on
the ACRL Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians
and Coordinators
◦ ALA Emerging Leaders Program, Class of 2009

5. Indiana
University
Southeas
t
 IUS is a regional campus in Indiana University system,
located in New Albany, Indiana, across the Ohio River from
Louisville, Kentucky
 Fall 2009 enrollment: Undergraduate: 5,943; Graduate: 897
 65% of students are full-time
 65% are between the ages of 18-24

6. IUS Library
•New building opened in 2005
•Librarians have faculty status and are tenure
track
•Staffed by 8 librarians and 10 staff members

7. IUS Library Instruction Program
We provide
instruction in our
own dedicated
library classroom.
Of our 8 librarians,
6of them teach.
Number of instruction sessions taught:
127in Fall 2009; 71 in Spring 2010

8. IUS Library Instruction Program
 Most of the instruction we provide is
for the First Year Seminar (FYS)
program.
◦ 60FYS sessions in Fall 2009 (47.24 % of
all classes taught)
◦ 21FYS sessions in Spring 2010 (29.57 %
of all classes taught)

9. How to Build the Bridge?
 Question: How can we build a culture of
assessment? How can we develop an
improvement program appropriate for our
particular circumstances? How can we align
ourselves with the best practices of the
profession?
Answer: A bridge
to instructional
improvement
anchored at each
end with SWOT
analysis and a
John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge,
Louisville, KY librarian self-
assessment tool.

10. Structural Support, Part 1:
What is a SWOT Analysis?
 Strengths
◦ What do we do well?
What advantages do
we have?
 Weaknesses
◦ What could we
improve? What are
our shortcomings?
 Opportunities
◦ What possibilities and
trends are we aware
of?
 Threats
◦ What obstacles do we
face? What is our
competition doing?

11. SWOT or SOAR?
 Appreciative Inquiry
◦ Strengths
◦ Opportunities
◦ Aspirations
◦ Resources

12. SWOT Analysis of the IUS
Library Instruction Program
 Strengths include:
◦ Dedicated instructional space.
◦ Formalized instruction agreement with the
IU Southeast First Year Seminar (FYS)
program

13. SWOT Analysis of the IUS
Library Instruction Program
 Weaknesses include:
◦ Low staffing
◦ Tendency to rely upon only one model of
instructional delivery

14. SWOT Analysis of the IUS
Library Instruction Program
 Opportunities include:
◦ Using technologies in innovative ways
◦ Developing collaborative relationships
with teaching faculty

15. SWOT Analysis of the IUS
Library Instruction Program
 Threats include:
◦ Impending retirement of one of our
veteran librarians
◦ Faculty mindsets about the presence and
role of technology in the research process

16. Structural Support, Part 2: ACRL
Proficiencies for Instruction
Librarians and Coordinators
 “This document is intended to
help instruction librarians
define and gain the skills
needed to be excellent
teachers in library instruction
programs and to foster
collaborations necessary to
create and improve
information literacy
programs.” (Website)

17. ACRL Proficiencies for
Instruction Librarians and
Coordinators
 “The Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians
Task Force identified broad categories and
then specific proficiencies that comprise an
instruction librarian’s areas of
responsibility. While some institutions
have designated instruction librarians, the
task force defined the proficiencies to be
appropriate for any librarian with
instruction responsibilities. Since the size
of institution may affect the scope of
librarians’ instruction responsibilities,
proficiencies are included that are
applicable to librarians in all types of
academic environments.” (Website)

18. Developing a self-assessment
questionnaire
 Alter the verb tense of each
Proficiency into a first person
statement.
◦ Proficiency 1.2. “Works well in a team
environment and provides team with
knowledge, skill, and time to improve
instructional services.”
◦ “I work well in a team environment and
provide team with knowledge, skill, and time
to improve instructional services.”
 For each statement, librarians responded with
“never,” “seldom,” “about half the time,” “usually,”
and “frequently.”

19. Developing a self-assessment
questionnaire
 Survey question
format based on
leadership inventory
at ALA Emerging
Leaders workshop
in 2009.

20. Developing a self-assessment
questionnaire
See the whole survey online at: http://bit.ly/librarianassessmentsurvey

21. Self-assessment results
 I selected the statements that scored
“never,” “seldom,” or “about half of the
time,” as in “I never/seldom/about half
the time do X, Y, or Z.”
 Of those, I chose the ones that
seemed the most relevant to our
particular program.

22. Self-assessment results
 Selected for further examination:
 Administrative skills: 1.1., 1.3.
 Communication: 3.4.
 Assessment and evaluation: 2.1.
 Instructional design: 6.1., 6.2., 6.3.,
6.6., 6.7.
 Planning skills: 8.1.
 Presentation skills: 9.1., 9.2., 9.3, 9.5.
 Teaching skills: 12.1., 12.2., 12.3., 12.6.,
12.7.

23. Self-assessment results
 I shared this information with the
librarians and asked them to choose
Proficiency categories that they
personally would like to strengthen in
their own practice, and, as a result,
help strengthen the program as a
whole.

24. Self-assessment results
 We ultimately selected two broad areas,
communication and presentation
skills,from this list as starting points for
developing professional development goals.
Sherman Minton Bridge, New Albany,
IN
 These areas corresponded with the
weaknesses identified in the SWOT
analysis.

25. Building Goals
 The goal-building worksheet was also based on
a tool from Emerging Leaders.
 The worksheet can be found online at
http://bit.ly/librariangoals.

26. Communication Goal
 Beginning this semester,
we’ll have monthly brown
bag lunches where we’ll
talk about teaching.
◦ Relates to Proficiency 3.4:
“Requests feedback from
peers on instruction-related
communication skills and
uses it for self improvement.”

27. Presentation Skills Goal
 Explore diverse instruction delivery
methods.
◦ Relates to Proficiency 9.2: “Presents
instructional content in diverse ways
(written, oral, visual, online, or using
presentation software) and selects
appropriate delivery methods according to
class needs.”

28. Testing the Bridge: Will it take us
there?
 Our bridge-building efforts are
showing promise:
◦ Brown-bag lunches have proven to be a
safe forum for candid discussion about
teaching.
 Downside: It’s hard to accomplish a lot in an
hour-long period.
 As a result, we may have longer, retreat-style
meetings less frequently than monthly, shorter
meetings.

29. Testing the Bridge: Will it take us
there?
 Our bridge-building efforts are
showing promise:
◦ Exploration of diverse instruction methods
reveal exciting possibilities.
 Downside: It takes time to develop new
delivery methods.

30. Testing the Bridge: Will it take us
there?
 Who has time these days?
 Administrative and librarian buy-in

31. Footbridge or Suspension
Bridge?
 Engineering for specific
needs, no matter what
size library
◦ SWOT analysis can help
identify areas for growth
and development
◦ Librarian self-assessment
via the ACRL
Proficiencies can provide
a snapshot of what your
program is doing well,
and what your program
can do better

32. Acknowledgments
 I owe a debt of gratitude to:
◦ My partner Constance Merritt for listening
to me talk about this stuff for months on
end.
◦ The IUS Library faculty for participating in
this bridge-building adventure.
◦ The Indiana University Southeast
Research and Grants Committee for
financial support to attend this
conference.
◦ LOEX for putting on such a great

33. Questions?