The Metrics & Assessment Committee has been immersed in moving Phase II of the Metrics Research Project forward. Our focus has been on reviewing and analyzing the CLO (formerly HLLR) statistical survey questions. Part of that work includes surveying CLO Directors to determine their perspectives about what new data should be collected and what questions are no longer relevant. We are also interested in exploring how college libraries might optimize use of survey results. For years, the results of the CLO survey have been available in flat PDF format, making them difficult to query.  

 

A great deal of work goes into the reporting process at each college library, followed by the compilation of results. The responsibility for collecting and reporting the annual survey data has been shared among the colleges, most recently carried out by Centennial. The value of this work can only be enhanced by making the data more interactive. The ability to generate on-demand reports via software such as Excel or some other data dashboard would enable college libraries to better use the data to support local planning and advocacy efforts.

 

Last year, Centennial College Libraries retained the services of a consultant, Infotrova, to carry out the analysis and reporting on the 2016-17 survey results. The final report can be found on the CLO website. Infotrova's work included the creation of an infographic from the 2016-17 data, a retrospective analysis of the previous three years' data and a comparative analysis of key ratios based on variables including college size, geographic location and polytechnic status. Infotrova's report included recommendations for improving the survey and data collection process and a report on data integrity.

Work continues on the Library Eresources Accessibility Project (LEAP), with tool development now under way. The LEAP team issued an RFP in November 2018 and awarded a contract to Ontario web development firm Digital Echidna. Development of the tool's core functionality began in January 2019 and is expected to run until Summer 2019, at which point user testing will be conducted.

 

The committee structure has been established based on the collaborative project structure of the Learning Portal project. The LEAP Advisory Committee will advise on major decisions and provide project support at the CLO level, the Senior Leads Committee will guide the project and lead the working groups, and College Leads at each college will work with the project team to support local implementation. Over the next several months, the LEAP working groups will develop recommendations for system-wide collaboration and local implementation, develop competency building and training, plan for project assessment, and support user testing.

Centennial College recently opened a new campus at Downsview Park in north Toronto. The Aviation & Aerospace programs, formerly located alongside other School of Transportation programs on Ashtonbee Road, now have a purpose-built home in the historic De Havilland building - and with 138,000 square feet, including a hangar large enough to accommodate commercial jets, there is plenty of room to grow.

 

The Libraries and Learning Centres have expanded to meet the changing needs of these programs as well. The small student population did not warrant a standalone library space, so we share a service point with Enrolment Services, embedding library services in one of the busiest parts of the new campus and reaching users who might never approach a traditional reference desk.

 

Two full-time library technicians work at Downsview, and our librarian regularly visits to build relationships and promote library services at the new campus. We maintain a small physical collection, but most new purchases are e-books and other online resources to further our commitment to flexible learning. We look forward to seeing what the future holds as Centennial continues to grow!