Faculty Resources

Library staff are enthusiastic about creating positive connections between the library and aspects of student learning and success. The Association of College and Research Libraries Assessment in Action program conducted research about academic library impact on student success, retention, persistence, and student learning. From that research, five areas that explain how librarians and libraries can help are particularly noteworthy: 

1. Students benefit from library instruction in their initial coursework. Information literacy instruction provided to students during their initial coursework helps them perform better in the rest of their courses.
2. Library use increases student success. Students who use the library in some way (checking out materials, participating in a library instruction session, accessing online databases, studying in the library, etc.) achieve higher levels of academic success (GPA, retention, etc.) than students who do not use the library.
3. Library research consultations boost student learning. One-on-one or small group work with a librarian enhances student success as evidenced by student confidence, GPA, and higher grades on course assignments.
4. Information literacy instruction strengthens general education outcomes. Library instruction improves students' achievement of institutional core competencies and general education outcomes such as inquiry-based and problem-solving learning, including effective identification and use of information, critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and civic engagement.

Taken from ACRL's Academic Library Impact on Student Learning and Success - Overview 2017