UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

KAMPUS PUNCAK PERDANA, CAWANGAN SELANGOR

IML 656
PLANNING AND DESIGN OF LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION CENTERS

ASSIGNMENT OF:
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT: CRITICAL REVIEW

NAME:
NUR SOLEHAH BINTI ABD HAMID
2018298794

PREPARED FOR:
NOR ZAINA ZAHARA BINTI MOHAMAD ARIFF

GROUP:
IM2446A
Smith, G.A., Tryon, H.D. and Snyder, L.B. (2015), "Developing an academic library
assessment plan: a case study", Performance Measurement and Metrics, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp.
48-61. https://doi-org.ezaccess.library.uitm.edu.my/10.1108/PMM-12-2014-0045

INTRODUCTION

Library assessment is very important especially in academic libraries to maintain the

quality of services, to identify the users needs, promote the collection of materials in libraries
and so on (Lakos A., 2002). The information provided by users through this assessment will
provide information to the library management to plan and take appropriate action. This
makes the library management aware of the importance of planning library assessment. Most
libraries are recommended to share information about library assessment planning so that it
can be used as a reference source by other libraries.

SUMMARY

Gregory Arnold Smith, Howard Dale Tryon and Lori Beth Snyder (2015) conducted a
case study on assessment plan in academic library at Jerry Falwell Library, Liberty
University. This research aimed to analyse the process of academic library assessment plan
and does it relate to the development of culture of assessment. The method approach in this
study was qualitative method and analyse some of document or other references which the
authors used various source to get the evidence. The study reveals the stages of planning
assessment process and the list of several characteristics that are related to the development
of a culture of assessment. The results from the survey show there is external and internal
factors of planning assessment and the author stated there several evidence that related to
development of a culture of assessment. For the future research, result of this study provide
the process of library assessment plan for the other academic library to implement the process
in planning the assessment. However, the limitations must be considered in interpreting the
study findings.

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ANALYSIS

This study has used a qualitative approach in this study. The research instrument used
is in the form of anonymous survey consisting of five open-ended questions. The research
questions and survey question was clearly stated and related to the purpose of this study. The
author's decided to used anonymous survey probably to protect the personal information of
the respondents. However, the research question and question on the survey was not taken
from any reliable sources and the author does not cite any previous studies. In this study, the
authors did not specify the total of participants were needed to answer the survey. Ideally, the
author should specify how many participants were involved in the study. This study stated
that a total of 17 participants have answered the survey and this response can be used in the
study.

The findings presented in numerical data and the author give detail elaboration on it.
All the results of the survey were supported with the answers that given by the participants.
However, it not supported with other previous studies to proof the findings. Usually, if the
author not given any evidences from other studies, the result seem was not reliable. For
example, six participants had response on library needs as a valid rationale for assessment.
This finding was only supported by a comment of participant in the survey.

Also, the limitation study highlight this study cannot dependent on the findings in the
single case study. A single case study cannot be used as a reference for all issues related to
library assessment planning. In my opinion, it should be followed up with other studies to
identify other aspects or new problems that may exist.

The strength of this study, all 17 participant provided excellent cooperation to assist
the library assessment planning process. The findings of the study indicate that most
participants had shared their opinions on the issues questioned in the survey. This has helped
the authors to obtain data and conduct studies for future use. It shows the employees at the
Jerry Falwell Library, Liberty University have a culture assessment that makes library
assessment plan success. It is because a good culture of assessment will lead to the successful
library assessment. This article provides a brief summary or abstract on the first page of the
article. It makes reader to have an overview on this article by reading the first page.

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CONCLUSION

In summary, it has to be admitted that this study need a continuous research as the
library was been push to do an assessment especially academic library. Further studies must
be undertaken, supported with more evidence from new research studies or previous studies,
determine more aspect of library assessment plan and identify and solve the problem in this
study areas. Despite some lack in this study but it can develop more knowledge in library
assessment planning, to extent this research the author can do another research that similar to
this study or relate it with the limitation to solve it. In future, other research could get more
references to do a research on library assessment plan.

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 REFERENCES

Lakos, A. (2002). Culture of assessment as a catalyst for organizational culture change in

libraries. In J. Stein, M. Kyrillidou, & D. Davis (Eds.), Proceedings of the Fourth
Northumbria International Conference on Performance Measurement in Libraries and
Information Services: Meaningful Measures for Emerging Realities, (pp. 311-319).
Washington, DC: Association of Research Libraries.

Murdoch, M., Simon, A. B., Polusny, M. A., Bangerter, A. K., Grill, J. P., Noorbaloochi, S.,
& Partin, M. R. (2014). Impact of different privacy conditions and incentives on
survey response rate, participant representativeness, and disclosure of sensitive
information: a randomized controlled trial. BMC medical research methodology, 14,
90. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-14-90

Smith, G.A., Tryon, H.D. and Snyder, L.B. (2015), "Developing an academic library
assessment plan: a case study", Performance Measurement and Metrics, Vol. 16 No.
1, pp. 48-61. https://doi-org.ezaccess.library.uitm.edu.my/10.1108/PMM-12-2014-
0045