The final report has now been published.
Findings from three geographic areas, the United States, United Kingdom and Scandinavia, indicated that there is no systematic evidence of the value of academic libraries for teaching and research staff. Despite this, librarians noted that they receive positive feedback about the support the library provides, but there is a perception that academic staff do not really know how to use all that the library can offer.
Outlined in the report are three key issues identified by librarians as being central to working together with faculty. These are: value measurement and perception; working together with researchers and teachers; and raising awareness about library products and services. The report sets out examples of best practice and makes a series of recommendations for libraries and university management to improve the perceived value of academic libraries with teaching and research staff.
Chief recommendations
The report highlights the need for individual libraries to develop teaching skills: embedded teaching and co-teaching are extremely valued by teaching staff, who can observe the benefits in the quality of the assignments they receive from students. Communication was also viewed as a key. This includes building an increased understanding of marketing skills, as well as greater personal relationships with teaching and research departments. Confidence in librarianship skills and the motivation of library staff to take on these new roles was seen as vital to success.
Library managers can also support these changes, the report advises, by supporting staff in acquiring new teaching skills, and reviewing resource allocation to enable librarians more proactive contact time with research and teaching staff. It also advises the systematic collection of evidence of value, suggesting that this be a specific responsibility for a senior member of library staff.
There are also recommendations for senior university managers. The findings showed that the engagement of the library with teaching and research staff should be multidimensional, or in other words should take place at all levels of the institution, not just between librarians and departmental liaison staff. This is seen as an important means to raise the profile of the library, and demonstrate its value to the wider institution. Where library staff had an equivalent status to teaching and research staff, they found it easier to promote their services, as they were seen by those staff as partners in the teaching and research process. Ensuring such status, they summarise, may be a daunting culture change, but is vital in fostering good personal relationships between the library and teaching and research staff.
libraryvalue 
Further to the comments left by readers on this page, we have updated the link to take you straight to the report – enjoy!
The UX is a bit misleading. Form also has a few too many required fields….
I agree that too much detail was requested. I might have ignored it and moved on but my library was featured as a case study.
Actually, you _can’t_ just “access the report by clicking on the link below:”, as is stated above. Only by _first_ supplying about a dozen pieces of individual and institutional contact information (two of which I’ve supplied below in order to post this comment) will you be provided with a link to the report. Thanks, but no thanks.
Hi Mel,
Sorry to hear that. The report is free to download once the form is completed. We’re obviously keen to see who the report is of interest to, hence the details we have asked for. Your details will not be used for any other purposes.
I agree with Mel DeSart: you ask too much information. Organisation and role should be enough: why do you need street adress etc. People are too busy to fill that kind of forms.
Surely all you need then is a job title and place of employment. I, too, am not willing not supply all that information in return for the report, interesting though it sounds.
Thanks