Quantifying the Library’s Value: Aligning Library, Institutional, and Student Success Data

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) offers grants of up to $3,000 each for librarians to carry out new research in areas suggested by ACRL’s 2017 report Academic Library Impact: Improving Practice and Essential Areas to Research (prepared for ACRL by OCLC Research and available for download or purchase). This program is one of several developed by ACRL’s Value of Academic Libraries (VAL) Committee to support librarians in their efforts to demonstrate the impact of their work to a wider audience.

ACRL invites applications from librarians and information professionals seeking to conduct research that will demonstrate library contributions to student learning and success. The proposed project should aim to build on the foundations of the Academic Library Impact report and fill gaps in existing literature. The committee invites applicants to propose using any investigative methods appropriate to their research questions. These include but are not limited to standard quantitative and qualitative approaches, as well as critical evaluations, case studies, reflective essays, and (auto)ethnography. Proposals that involve collaboration between librarians and other higher education stakeholders, such as institutional researchers, faculty, administration, students, or community partners are also welcome.

More information is available on the ACRL website: http://www.ala.org/acrl/awards/researchawards/impactgrants