Print Message

   RE: January Discussion Topic: Advisory Groups
 From: Lori Birrell
 To: ACRL Assessment Discussion Group
 Posted: Jan 22, 2023 08:21 AM
 Message:
Hi Anita,

Great question- back in 2013 when I worked at the University of Rochester, I worked with our Dean to form a student advisory board. The class officers for the senior year class were the core members (a role they agreed to). I worked with them to publicize each of the 3 meetings during the semester. Most of the topics were on space planning but we also talked about their needs during finals and the things like the hours the building was open. We served dinner and would regularly get 10 or more students. 

I found it a valuable way to get student input and to connect with them.

Thanks and good luck!
Lori Birrell
Director of Special Collections and Museums
University of Delaware


-------------------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 1/20/2023 3:09:00 PM
From: Anita Hall
Subject: RE: January Discussion Topic: Advisory Groups

I guess I should actually get things started on the topic :)

  • Does your library use an Advisory Group of any sort? If so, can you share some details about your group? Yes, we have a Student Advisory Board, a Faculty Advisory Board, and an advisory board for our Institutional Repository. I oversee the Student group, which we've recently expanded to include graduate students. We meet 2-3 times per semester and I try to plan a mix of discussion and interactive feedback opportunities.
  • What has worked well / fallen flat? Meetings that are nothing but discussion tend to be more difficult, particularly when we were meeting virtually during the pandemic. The students really respond to being able to see physical spaces in the libraries, or talk about things like furniture and lighting. 
  • What do you see as the main benefits of having an Advisory Group? For me, I really enjoy getting to know & work with the students since otherwise I tend to be in my office looking at data a lot of the time. For the libraries, it gives us more in-depth feedback than we can get from surveys (which seem to always be getting lower response rates) and the opportunity to get non-verbal feedback. 
  • If you do not use an Advisory Group, or have disbanded yours, what other ways do you get feedback from patrons? I am really interested in hearing about this from anyone who doesn't have a group!


------------------------------
Anita Hall
Assessment & Analytics Librarian
University of Louisville
She/Her/Hers
------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: Jan 09, 2023 10:58 AM
From: Anita Hall
Subject: January Discussion Topic: Advisory Groups

Hello! As one of your new co-conveners (along with Megan Hodge and Susanna Cowan), I'd like to welcome you to a new year with the Assessment Discussion Group. Starting this month, we will have a monthly discussion topic to try and keep the group a bit more active. This is not intended to limit conversation to the monthly topic - please continue to post/share any topics that come up organically as well!

For January, our topic will be Advisory Groups.
  • Does your library use an Advisory Group of any sort? If so, can you share some details about your group?
  • What has worked well / fallen flat?
  • What do you see as the main benefits of having an Advisory Group?
  • If you do not use an Advisory Group, or have disbanded yours, what other ways do you get feedback from patrons?


------------------------------
Anita Hall
Assessment & Analytics Librarian
University of Louisville
She/Her/Hers
------------------------------