[2] Out-of-the-box thinking around in-library use data collection: the case of Spanish University Libraries
Creators: name: Sant-Geronikolou, Stavroula
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: data collection, Spain, universities, libraries, innovation

description: The purpose of this presentation is to share research findings on factors potentially affecting in-library use data integration into campus Learning Analytics initiatives within Spanish public university ecosystem. About seven years since the Bologna Process 2009 Stocktaking Report on Higher Education environment improvement challenges, academic librarians across the continent are just starting to see Learning Analytics (LA) as a way to break Higher Education barriers to intra-institutional effective communication and collaboration for the benefit of student success and retention. Drawing from North American counterparts’ experience, they are already envisioning data contribution to campus-wide Learning Analytics interventions as the next phase of the library evolution continuum. As Spanish Academic Libraries, within this changing development context, continue to enhance products and services in order to stay relevant with new pedagogical and technological paradigms, it was felt that it was time for a study exploring Spanish public university libraries landscape and their potential to successful library integration in LA projects by initially addressing questions related to (1) current in-library use data collection processes, (2) library participation rates in LA conversations, (3) the adequacy of Library and Information Science (LIS) curricula to preparing librarians to meet the challenges associated with library involvement in Learning Analytics initiatives and (4) the existence of correlations between library use data collection practices, Learning Analytics conversations and library transformation. Adding to the little reference made so far to library role in Spanish campus Learning Analytics, our poster displays preliminary context-specific findings as part of a wider interdisciplinary Ph.D. research, offering visitors a brief overview of current trends, gaps and issues to Spanish academic library data collection practices and LIS undergraduate program relevance to LA critical skills. Through univariate and bivariate analysis of a 48% response rate total population mini-survey and academic library services website documentation review, it brings to light a series of negative correlations between in-library use data collection, library use data reporting, different library/LRRC types, and Learning Analytics conversations, potentially useful to advancing our understanding of challenges and opportunities involved in the development of a library culture supportive to Learning Analytics initiatives. Furthermore, Spanish Librarianship Bachelor’s program review reveals non-uniform limited adjustment of current LIS undergraduate programs to Academic librarianship changing paradigms especially under the Learning Analytics scope, which may suggest the need for rethinking LIS curricular content with a progressive mindset towards equipping future library leaders with what is described by Arnold et al. (2014) as Competencies for Systemic Learning Analytics Initiatives. <strong>Bio:</strong> Stavroula Sant-Geronikolou is a second-year Ph.D. student in Library Science at the University of Carlos III of Madrid (UC3M, Spain). Prior to arriving at UC3M where she was awarded a Master’s Degree in Libraries and Digital Information Services in 2014, she had received her B.A. in French Literature from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece). She also holds post-graduate qualifications in Educational Technologies. Her thesis focuses on factors potentially impacting library involvement in Learning Analytics initiatives within Spanish and Greek Higher Education contexts. Her academic interests also include Information Literacy, Learning Commons and High Impact Practices.