Author Archives: Nancy Turner

ACRL Conference Points the Way: Reports from the Field

Last week many of us headed down to Baltimore (along with 3400 other librarians) to attend the ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries) biennial conference. By all reports, it was great learning experience, plus it’s always fun to catch … Continue reading

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Grounded or Toppling Over? The Three-Legged Stool of Assessment Culture within the Organization

Today marks my third year at Temple University Libraries – a good time for reflection on how the organization has developed a culture of assessment. One thing I have learned. An assessment librarian does not a culture of assessment make. … Continue reading

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From Assessment to Leading Change in Windy, Wet Atlanta

Coke is king here in Atlanta, so I was surprised to see comedian Paula Poundstone with a Pepsi for refreshment during her hysterical stand-up routine in front of 500+ librarians at the American Library Association’s midwinter meeting. She made much … Continue reading

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Assessment Reflections 2016

January is a time of reflection – this post is just that, some ideas that sparked my interest last year, with hopes of delving into them more deeply in 2017. Sunday morning’s radio listening was doubly-rewarding, as I heard two … Continue reading

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When Numbers Fail Us

The recent election demonstrated in a powerful way the limits of data, in this case a multitude of polling numbers, towards understanding, or planning, for our  future. As an assessment librarian who counts on numbers to tell a story, I … Continue reading

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Lighting the Path with Assessment

Every two years librarians engaged with assessment gather together to share stories, methods, and research findings. We inspire one another as we work toward creating a culture of assessment at our institutions. This year 600+ of us met in Crystal … Continue reading

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Finding the Sweet Spot for Library Instruction

This month’s issue of The Journal of Academic Librarianship features the research findings of Barbara Junisbai, M. Sara Lowe and our own Natalie Tagge, Education Services Librarian at the Ginsburg Health Sciences Library.  Natalie and I talked about her compelling … Continue reading

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Assessment Anytime, Anywhere

Yesterday’s staff carnival was a fun affair – lots of opportunity to meet new colleagues and learn about all the different areas of the libraries and press. Thank you Continuing Education Committee! The Library’s Assessment Committee hosted a table, nicely … Continue reading

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Speaking of Scholarly Communication: Interviews with Faculty

Last week staff from Reference & Instruction, Access Services, the Press, Digital Scholarship Center, Special Collections,  Digital Library Initiatives, and Library Administration gathered for a conversation to share findings from a series of interviews we librarians had this past spring. … Continue reading

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Reports from the Field: Assessment Discussion Group at ALA

The ACRL Assessment Discussion Group meeting is always a bright spot at the ALA conference.  The group, with a discussion list of over 400+,  suggests topics of interest: this year we talked about  assessment of space in libraries and how … Continue reading

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