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Re: Measuring the teaching effectiveness of non-public services academic librarians - an informal survey Patricia Breno 11 Apr 2005 13:25 UTC

While I completely understand your viewpoint (my previous position involved
staff training, not teaching), the way I took the survey was that it meant
positions like mine, serials librarian, who are expected to teach
bibliographic instruction.  Of the four librarians at Owens CC, only two are
"public service" librarians--the acquisitions and serials librarians are
expected to teach BI classes, as well as equal time on the Information Desk.
I'm guessing that more 2 year college librarians have to multi-task than those
at 4 year (larger) colleges/universities.

I agree training staff and teaching BI/info lit are definitely not the same.
Speaking from 10 years of staff training in library systems and 5 years of
BI/info lit, training staff was more difficult that teaching 30 18 year olds
to use a database.  Basically, a personnel issue, not a teaching issue...  You
face the staff you trained everyday, but new students rotate in/out.

Just my opinion, from my experience,

Pat Breno
Serials Librarian

>===== Original Message From "SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum"
<SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU> =====
>While all librarians may be rated for teaching effectiveness, if a person
doesn't teach, how can one be rated on their teaching?  However, some
non-teaching librarians - like webmasters & other technical experts - may give
classes to employees on how to use teaching materials, webpage creation, book
repair, etc - in this case, they are in fact teaching.
>
>Training staff, one on one, is not the same as whole class instruction.
>
>You can't evaluate people on what they aren't able to do.
>
>
>BTW - librarians visiting other libraries to look at instruction and other
services, is a big help as regards professional development, getting ideas,
and relating to other professionals in different institutions.
>
>Garry Church
>Librarian - Reference, Instruction, Circulation
>Laredo Community College
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Duhon, Lucy C
>Sent: Friday, April 08, 2005 8:50 AM
>To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
>Subject: [SERIALST] Measuring the teaching effectiveness of non-public
services academic librarians - an informal survey
>
>[Please pass this along to anyone you think might be able to respond to
>this survey.]
>
>Hello,
>Our library faculty is in the process of prescribing a method to measure
>the teaching effectiveness of librarians in non-public services
>positions.
>While there are concrete and commonplace instruments used to measure the
>teaching effectiveness of public services librarians through evaluation
>of reference service, instruction, and other student-based interactions,
>the teaching effectiveness of librarians in technical services areas
>(acquisitions, cataloging, serials, database and systems management,
>etc.) remains difficult to evaluate.
>Would you be willing to share with me the criteria and instruments (if
>any) used in your institution to measure the teaching effectiveness of
>non-public services librarians? There is no need to respond to the
>discussion list.
>Any and all comments are welcome -- thank you very much!
>
>
>Lucy Duhon
>Serials Librarian
>Carlson Library/Serials Dept.
>University of Toledo
>Toledo, OH  43606
>
>(Mail Stop # 509)
>
>(419) 530-2838
>(419) 530-2726 [fax]
>lucy.duhon@utoledo.edu