Building the Foundation: Redesigning Patron Interaction Forms to Support an Assessment Infrastructure

In today’s academic environment, library assessment is increasingly vital for demonstrating value to the university. However, determining what to assess, how to assess it, and how to interpret the data can be overwhelming. Not all metrics meaningfully capture the library’s contribution to the university’s academic mission. Learning from past library assessment practices is key to shaping a future-focused assessment infrastructure that captures meaningful data for libraries to demonstrate their impact. At the foundation of an effective library assessment program is a robust infrastructure: the structures and systems enabling the consistent and effective collection of meaningful data. One essential structure of a library’s assessment infrastructure is simple and streamlined process for recording patron interaction data. This chapter explores how a librarian at a large public university took the first step in developing an assessment infrastructure by rebuilding the patron interaction form. This process started with the evaluation of current practices by examining the tools used and how library staff used these tools. This review uncovered many challenges to effectively collecting patron interaction data: outdated forms, multiple platforms for logging similar data, and an inconsistent practice of recording patron interactions. Overhauling the patron interaction form included examining forms, creating a new form better aligned with the ACRL Benchmark requirements, and communicating how to access and use it. This process did not happen in isolation but included ongoing dialogue with library staff intended to build a sense of ownership of the new form.