Community colleges are a cornerstone of higher education and serve the unique needs of the communities in which they reside. In 2019, community colleges accounted for 41 percent of all undergraduate students in the United States.
 
Community college librarians are engaged in meaningful work designing and delivering library programs and services that meet the needs of their diverse populations and support student learning. The Community College Library series is meant to lift the voices of community college librarians and highlight their creativity, tenacity, and commitment to students.
 
The Community College Library: Assessment explores the research, comprehensive plans, and new approaches to assessment being created by community college librarians around the U.S. Chapters include sample activities and materials and cover topics including assessing student learning while shifting from Standards to Framework; investigating and communicating library instruction’s relationship to student retention; and building librarian assessment confidence through communities of research practice.
 
This book demonstrates the innovative and replicable ways community college librarians are measuring, evaluating, and reflecting on the services they provide, and how to use these assessments to demonstrate the value and impact of library services and advocate for resources.
 

Community colleges are a cornerstone of higher education and serve the unique needs of the communities in which they reside. Collections and technical services librarians at these institutions need expertise in their area of library work, but also a deep understanding of the community they serve to curate and make discoverable the resources their users need.
 
The Community College Library: Collections and Technical Services highlights the various approaches to collection development and the technical services work being done by community college librarians around the U.S. You’ll find strategies for developing equity-centered collections, data-driven acquisitions, cataloging, systems migrations, zero textbook cost degrees, and more. These programs can serve as a model, providing new and innovative ways to approach this work at your own institutions.
 
Community college librarians are engaged in meaningful work designing and delivering library programs and services that meet the needs of their diverse populations and support student learning. ACRL’s “The Community College Library” series is meant to lift the voices of community college librarians and highlight their creativity, tenacity, and commitment to students.
 

Community colleges are a cornerstone of higher education and serve the unique needs of the communities in which they reside. In 2019, community colleges accounted for 41 percent of all undergraduate students in the United States.

Community college librarians are engaged in meaningful work designing and delivering library programs and services that meet the needs of their diverse populations and support student learning. The Community College Library series is meant to lift the voices of community college librarians and highlight their creativity, tenacity, and commitment to students.

The Community College Library: Reference and Instruction collects research, programs, and new approaches to reference and instruction implemented by community college librarians around the U.S. Chapters include sample activities and materials and cover topics including using race-centered and trauma-informed practices in the reference interview; incorporating online workshops into an existing information literacy program; and using student-driven pedagogy to navigate the early stages of research.

This book demonstrates the innovative and replicable ways community college librarians are meeting the information and research needs of their college population both in person and remotely, all while providing a safe, inclusive space for students to explore and learn.


 

Sharing the work of our community college libraries—our efforts, stories, and how we’re advancing the institution—and advocating to our peers and administration can boost the libraries’ role on our unique campuses.
 
Valuing the Community College Library: Impactful Practices for Institutional Success provides a holistic approach to exhibiting community college library value through historical context, practical applications, and future thinking. Through case studies, editorials from administrators, and practical approaches, it addresses why community college libraries exist and should exist, and the nuanced approaches to how library workers situate themselves at their institutions.
 
Community college libraries need to provide access to content, people, space, and technology and offer instruction, but can also serve as an outreach arm in advancing the mission of open enrollment and affordable access to higher education. Valuing the Community College Library can help you be an advocate for your library on campus and in your community.