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CUWL User Services Coordinating Committee

Progress Report Draft
April 21, 2008

The User Services Coordinating Committee (USCC) has been meeting monthly via teleconference. To accomplish our charge and complete our action items, four working groups have been formed: Information Literacy Assessment, MetaLib Assessment, New Reference Models, and Web 2.0 Tools.  Recently, the Distance Library Services standing committee was also created. 

Information Literacy Assessment Working Group:
Co-Chairs: Ella Cross (UW-Superior) and Dave Dettman (UW-Green Bay)
Members: Kathie Mason (UW-Barron County), Molly Mathias (UW-Milwaukee), Sarah McDaniel (UW-Madison), Cristine Prucha (UW-La Crosse), and Ann Vogl (UW-Baraboo/Sauk County)

The Information Literacy Assessment group is charged with exploring information literacy/library instruction assessment tools and making a recommendation.  After reviewing the literature, we have narrowed our focus of assessment tools to the following three:

• iSkills, formerly ICT Literacy Assessment from the Educational Testing Service (ETS)
• Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (Project Sails) developed and maintained at Kent State University in Ohio
• Information Literacy Test (ILT) developed collaboratively by the James Madison Center for Assessment and Research Studies and JMU libraries.
  

We will also examine best practices throughout the various phases of the assessment cycle including establishing assessment goals, gathering data, analyzing and interpreting data, and marketing data.

Finally, a survey has been completed and will be sent to librarians in charge of information literacy assessment at all state institutions and private colleges. The survey will gauge how the three instruments have been used state wide and will also encourage survey takers to document what other types of formal assessment are being carried out. The gathered data will be shared at the June conference.

MetaLib Assessment Working Group:
Co-Chairs: Steve Frye (UW-Madison) and Valerie Malzacher (UW-River Falls)
Members: Ronna Hoeper (UW-Whitewater), Scott Silet, (UW-Waukesha), Terri Muraski, (UW-Stevens Point), Maureen Olle-LaJoie (UW-River Falls), and Joia O’Brien (UW-Madison)

The MetaLib Assessment Working group is charged with assessing user response to MetaLib as a useful search tool. To date, we have conducted a literature review and compiled a bibliography posted on the CUWL wiki. We are in the process of gathering quantitative assessment data. We are also in the process of creating a protocol for a qualitative user assessment of MetaLib – specifically the comparison of MetaLib Quicksearch with individual databases. We will present our findings to date at the June conference. 

New Reference Models Working Group:
Co-Chairs: Renee Buker (UW-Oshkosh) and Jill Markgraf (UW-Eau Claire)
Members: Kimberly Bartosz (UW-Parkside), Patti Becker (UW-Stevens Point), Nancy McClements (UW-Madison), Albert Quattrucci (UW-Madison), and Jana Reeg~Steidinger (UW-Stout)

The New Reference Models group is charged with providing an environmental scan of current models of reference service and staffing in the UW System and reporting on emerging trends and innovations in reference services. 

The group is currently focusing on the following areas of interest:

• Use or decline of the traditional reference desk and alternative methods of reference service
• Roles of professionals, paraprofessionals, and students in providing reference services
• Prioritizing methods of providing reference service.

In conducting an environmental scan in these areas, the group is taking a two-pronged approach. The group has drafted a survey for UW System reference staff, to discover current reference models in use. The survey will be conducted via SurveyMonkey, with a target distribution date of early May. It will be sent to reference heads or coordinators at each UW campus, with the request that it also be forwarded to all reference staff for input. The group is also conducting a literature review to discover reference models and trends beyond the UW System.  Group members are contributing to a collaborative bibliography via CiteULike.  A complete list, with annotations, will be posted in early June.

Web 2.0 Tools Working Group:
Co-Chairs: Barb Bren (UW-Whitewater) and Nick Weber (UW-Parkside)
Members: Patricia Fragola (UW-Whitewater), Leah Ujda, (UW-Madison)

The working group has surveyed all UW campus libraries about their use of Web 2.0 tools. Results have been posted on the CUWL wiki, except for Milwaukee and Superior, which should be forthcoming shortly. Many campuses have incorporated blogs as a communication tool with library users. Most UW Library blogs have been started within the last two years.

Several campus Libraries, especially larger ones, have also started using instant messaging/chat software, such as Meebo. Wikis appear to be less common and tend to be used primarily for internal purposes. Other tools that were mentioned by fewer libraries include: photo sharing (flickr), video sharing (YouTube), social networking (facebook), social bookmarking (del.ici.ous) and various other Web applications (gadgets/ widgets).

Some libraries have incorporated interactive elements into their web site, e.g., UW-Madison’s College Library provides users the opportunity to submit their College Library photos or a poll for the home page. Very little assessment of Web 2.0 tools has been done by the libraries using them. While most have not begun to asses these tools, they agree that this is the next necessary step.

At this time the group has started working on a literature review.  Each member of the working group will post citations on the CUWL wiki and the most useful ones will be discussed at a future meeting. 

Distance Library Services Standing Committee:
Co-Chairs: Leigh Dorsey (UW-Milwaukee) and Heather Weltin (UW-Madison
Members: Renee Sikma (UW-Colleges),  Jill Markgraf (UW-Eau Claire), Anne Kasubosa (UW-Green Bay), Stefan Smith (UW-LaCrosse), Renee Buker (UW-Oshkosh), Rick Krause (UW-Parkside),  John Leonard Berg (UW-Platteville), Brad Gee (UW-River Falls), Aaron Nichols (UW-Stevens Point), Jana Reeg~Steidinger (UW-Stout), Ella Cross (UW-Superior), Kyle Naff (UW-Whitewater)

The members of this recently created committee include the designated distance service CUWL liaison from each UW campus.  We’ve met once via teleconference. Co-chairs have been selected and a meeting time – a teleconference every other month – has been chosen.

Submitted by Steven Frye, USCC Chair
USCC Members: Barbara Bren (UW-Whitewater), Renee Buker (UW-Oshkosh), Ella Cross (UW-Superior), Dave Dettman (UW-Green Bay), Leigh Dorsey (UW-Milwaukee), Jill Markgraf (UW-Eau Claire), Jana Reeg-Steidinger (UW-Stout), Nicholas Weber (UW-Parkside), Valerie Malzacher (CUWL), Lisa Jewell (UWSA)