Importance of Academic Library

This report of the summits was initiated in response to the 2010 ACRL publication The Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report. As one of its recommendations, the report called on the association to create a professional development program to build librarians’ capacity to document, demonstrate, and communicate library value in advancing the mission and goals of their colleges and universities.

Five overarching recommendations for the library profession emerged from the discussions, presentations, and facilitated small group work at the summits:

-       Increase librarians’ understanding of library value and impact in relation to various dimensions of student learning and success.

-       Articulate and promote the importance of assessment competencies necessary for documenting and communicating library impact on student learning and success.

-       Create professional development opportunities for librarians to learn how to initiate and design assessment that demonstrates the library’s contributions to advancing institutional mission and strategic goals.

-       Expand partnerships for assessment activities with higher education constituent groups and related stakeholders.

-       Integrate the use of existing ACRL resources with library value initiatives.

Brown, K., & Malenfant, K. J. (2012). Connect, collaborate, and communicate: A report from the value of academic libraries summits. Chicago, IL: Association of College & Research Libraries. http://www.ala.org/acrl/sites/ala.org.acrl/files/content/issues/value/val_summit.pdf