Continuous Assessment Using the ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education

The public speaking session may have been too basic for me, but this one was over my head. I'm pretty sure there are people in my library serving on the Assessment Task Force who have the background to understand all of this. Fortunately, the handouts are marvelous, so I have something to take back to them.

I may not understand this, but it seems to me that the heart of assessment is setting goals and checking to make sure that you have met them. Goal-setting is an endlessly fascinating process to me. I don't understand why it so often gets wrapped up into things that seem dry and lifeless.

Setting goals is a spiritual act. It's divination--I'm predicting the future and summoning all the powers at hand to aid in producing that future. Why suck the fun out of something that can have all the delicious thrill of crossing an old woman's palm with silver for a reading of the cards? Assessment tools and processes can help us predict the future with more accuracy than a crystal ball, but they don't have to do it at a cost of stripping the soul out of planning.

I've seen a couple of talks on assessment now and read several articles, but I'm waiting for a true assessment evangelist. Someone who can tell us not just that we must do this but that it can be a process that affirms our lives as librarians and infuses our libraries with the kinds of services that make meaningful connections for people. Because if goal setting is at the heart of this, I think that's possible.

Labels: assessment, conferences

June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007