Category Archives: service assessment

Supporting Online Learning and Research: Assessing our Virtual Reference Activities

Today’s post is contributed by Olivia Given Castello, Tom Ipri, Kristina De Voe and Jackie Sipes. Thank you! The sudden move to all-online learning at Temple University presented a unique challenge to the Libraries and provided a great opportunity to … Continue reading

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A New Day for Assessment Practice?

It is difficult to believe that in early March we convened the Assessment Community of Practice, joining Margery Sly and Matt Shoemaker to talk about changing needs for assessment measures as we develop new library services. The new Charles Library … Continue reading

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When a Marker is More than a Marker 

User experience is all around us. In libraries, we often think the assessment of user experience relates to web interfaces, or building way finding and navigation. We might, ask, “Is the language that we use on the website clear to … Continue reading

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Furniture feedback in Charles Library

When we opened Charles Library in August of 2019, we knew right away that we needed to increase the seating capacity in the building. During the day, a walk through the upper floors of the building gives the impression that … Continue reading

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We Don’t Want to Work with Mummies

At Charles Library we are experiencing a more open office environment. I saw an  extreme version at the Penn Museum this weekend ; the conservator’s workspace is actually in the gallery, on view several hours a day. But the office … Continue reading

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Celebrating 10 Years at Ginsburg: A Time for Review

The Ginsburg Health Sciences Library is celebrating its 10th birthday and used the occasion to conduct an intensive review of current operations and planning for the future. Barbara Kuchan, Director of the Health Sciences Libraries, worked with a team (Patrick … Continue reading

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“why can’t life just be easy !?”

One of our strongest educational partnerships here at Temple Libraries is our collaboration with the First Year Writing Program. Nearly all entering first-year students at Temple take at least one of the courses in this program, so it’s a great … Continue reading

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Cookies, User Research, and an Iterative Design Process

In late February, the Library Website Redesign project turned its focus to incorporating user research into the design process. With the help and support of Cynthia Schwarz, Nancy Turner, David Lacy, the UX group, and others, Rachel Cox and I … Continue reading

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Library Space and Pot Plants: An Unexpected Connection

“Fall in love with your users” – Paul-Jervis Heath When Paul-Jervis Heath told the story of how pot plants improved occupancy rates at the Cambridge University libraries, the non-Brits at last week’s Library Assessment Conference were a bit confused. We would … Continue reading

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Mapping Library Goals to Institutional Priorities: An Assessment Workshop

Last week two dozen library staff members took time out of busy schedules to participate in the Assessment Community of Practice. The session was structured a little differently (always experimenting here!) with small round tables, mixed department seating, and facilitators … Continue reading

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