Organizational Learning for Library Enhancements: A Collaborative, Research-Driven Analysis of Academic Department Needs

Abstract

This article presents a qualitative evaluation methodology of academic departments for library organizational learning and library enhancement planning. This evaluation used campus units’ academic program review reports as a data source and employed collaborative content analysis by library liaisons to extract departmental strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and priorities. We illustrate how a systematic review of internal planning documents facilitates the understanding of programmatic goals, identification of cross-unit synergies, and prioritization of library services. Our evaluation used a mix of technological, methodological, and analytical activities suitable for implementation in other academic library settings.