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ARL Awarded IMLS Grant to Support Research Library Impact Framework Initiative

patrons in Grand Reading Room of The Joe and Rika Mansueto Library
image by Jason Smith, courtesy of University of
Chicago Library

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has awarded the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) a $248,670 National Leadership Grant in support of the Research Library Impact Framework initiative. The framework is an agenda for the exploration of library services, operations, impact, and alignment with institutional mission and goals across four areas: Research & Scholarly Life Cycle; Teaching, Learning & Student Success; Collections; and Physical Space. The framework provides the scaffolding for deeper exploration across multiple library service areas and serves as the foundation for the Association’s research agenda.

ARL’s grant project will support the ARL library teams exploring five research topics by investigating the nature of and evidence for the impact of library services and programs through two methods: pilot projects and practice briefs. The outcomes of the pilot projects and practice briefs are intended to help the research library community better understand library impact. The pilot projects and practice briefs will provide evidence demonstrating the value of the research library to its parent organization and to the broader research and learning ecosystem. This initiative will also advance understanding of the public good research libraries provide as cultural heritage institutions. Project teams from ARL libraries will identify a sustainable series of research models that other libraries can use to implement their own investigations in support of their individual institutions.

Grant funds will be used for community building through meetings of the project teams and to secure the services of a data analyst and social scientist to support the project teams with their research activities.

“The Association of Research Libraries is honored to receive this award from the Institute of Museum and Library Services,” said Steven Mandeville-Gamble, university librarian at the University of California, Riverside, and chair of the ARL Research and Analytics Committee. “The Research Library Impact Framework outlines the critical questions research libraries are trying to address in terms of their impact on the success of the academic communities they support and of society as a whole. The results of these pilot projects will help research libraries understand and communicate value to our constituencies through sound approaches, data collection, and analysis. The users of library services, programs, and resources will benefit from more exemplars of quality programs.”

 

About the Association of Research Libraries

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of 124 research libraries in Canada and the US whose mission is to advance research, learning, and scholarly communication. The Association fosters the open exchange of ideas and expertise, promotes equity and diversity, and pursues advocacy and public policy efforts that reflect the values of the library, scholarly, and higher education communities. ARL forges partnerships and catalyzes the collective efforts of research libraries to enable knowledge creation and to achieve enduring and barrier-free access to information. ARL is on the web at ARL.org.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

IMLS logoThe Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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