Purpose:
The Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) has developed a framework for describing and assessing the role and functioning of contemporary university libraries. The framework, Principles and Guidelines for Australian Higher Education Libraries (2016), acknowledges the leadership and professional expertise necessary for the delivery of high quality services and resources for research, teaching and learning and presents guidelines for assessing and articulating the contribution of the library in the context of institutional priorities. The Principles and Guidelines framework addresses a range of uses, including internal and external review, accreditation, and focused self-assessment to guide continuous improvement. The framework acknowledges the continuing evolution of university libraries and the unique professional skills and capabilities held within libraries that contribute to institutional and national higher education performance outcomes, and helps to articulate how libraries add value through these skills and capabilities.
Design, methodology or approach:
The methodology used to develop the Principles and Guidelines for Australian Higher Education Libraries (2016) involved three techniques: the gathering and analysis of information to inform the development of a framework; consultation with external stakeholders to further gather information and test proposed options; and review of the options with the users of the Guidelines to determine whether the framework would meet their needs. The development process involved:
- desktop research: a review of existing higher education and library standards and measures;
- extensive consultation with leaders within Australian higher education and libraries, involving thirty one-on-one interviews with a diverse range of University library stakeholders (university librarians, senior university academic and administrative staff, affiliated library and university bodies and peak bodies representing students);
- in-depth consultation with staff in Australian and New Zealand higher education libraries.
A consultant was engaged to undertake the research and interviews to ensure that the principles would be externally focused.
Findings:
The insights from leaders within Australian higher education shaped the development of the Principles and Guidelines, highlighting consistent themes: the importance of libraries’ client-centred approach, their provision of access to information, their ability to optimise the usability of information and to collaborate within the university and beyond the university. It was critical that the Principles and Guidelines aligned with and referenced the Australian Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015, and Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching benchmarking process. While the development of the Principles and Guidelines was acknowledged as important to university libraries, expectations of what would be delivered through this process varied greatly among the university library community. Extensive consultation with CAUL members was undertaken to refine the document to ensure that it would meet the needs of the majority of university libraries, and it was agreed to undertake further work to develop more detailed performance indicators for those libraries who wish to use them. While there has not been universal agreement on all aspects of the Principles and Guidelines, there has been great benefit in having wide-ranging robust discussions about measuring and articulating value and impact. These discussions have highlighted the complexity of demonstrating the value and impact of university libraries and the need for a range of approaches and tools to do so; the Principles and Guidelines are just one tool. The further development of maturity indicators for each Guideline will assist libraries to benchmark their libraries and provide a path for future development.
Conclusions:
The Principles and Guidelines for Australian Higher Education Libraries can enable the proactive assessment of university library performance across a range of priority areas:
- Strengthening learning, teaching and research outcomes
- Fostering the creation and dissemination of new knowledge
- Growing a dynamic, sustainable and accountable organisation
They provide CAUL members with a framework to assist with planning and strategic alignment, and articulating:
- What is a contemporary university library?
- The alignment of library activity with that of the university
- How libraries add value through their professional skills and capability
- How university libraries are distinguished from other services and facilities – their visibility, impact and independence
- How university libraries can influence and support government and university policy development and decision-making.
The framework is a starting point for higher education libraries in measuring their performance; as a community, higher education libraries in Australia and New Zealand will contribute to the further development of the framework through case studies, detailed indicators, and the inclusion of new guidelines which reflect our response to the changing environment of higher education libraries.
Originality and value:
The development of the Principles and Guidelines for Australian Higher Education Libraries is an important first step in having a common approach to measurement which moves beyond input and output measures to quality and impact. The collegiate approach taken to develop the framework, including the input of stakeholders outside libraries, enabled the capture of a wide range of views and provided an important external perspective. While the framework does not solve the issue of articulating the value of academic libraries, it has prompted a more focused consideration of quality and value and provides a starting point for the development and sharing of tools and methodologies among higher education libraries in Australia and New Zealand.
Peasley_Library_Performance_Conference_paper.pdf 