The Wayne State University Libraries were recently selected by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) to take part in the "Assessment in Action (AiA)" program, an initiative that aims to further academic libraries' efforts to participate in higher education discussions of accountability by teaching librarians how to demonstrate their roles in student learning and success.

Over a three-year period, 300 institutions selected to participate in an AiA learning community will develop and implement an action-learning project that assesses the impact of various aspects of libraries on student learning. Projects are led by team leaders, which consist of a librarian and campus team members. Wayne State's campus team includes: Librarian Judith Arnold, Associate Provost and Associate Vice-President for Undergraduate Affairs, Joseph Rankin, and School of Library and Information Science Assistant Professor, Deborah Charbonneau, who will be focusing their project on the connection between the use of librarian consultations and academic success.

"This project will help us fine tune our research services for students and give us data from which we can define and enhance success strategies," said Sandra Yee, dean of Wayne State University Libraries.

Librarians who participate in the AiA program, supported by a blended learning environment and a peer-to-peer network, will lead their campus teams in the development and implementation of an action-learning project examining the impact of the library on student success and contributing to assessment activities on their campus. For more information on the Assessment in Action program, visit http://www.ala.org/acrl/aboutacrl.

The Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, is a professional association of academic librarians and other interested individuals. It is dedicated to enhancing the ability of academic library and information professionals to serve the information needs of the higher education community and to improve learning, teaching, and research.

The Wayne State University Library System consists of the university's six libraries: The David Adamany Undergraduate Library, the Purdy/Kresge Library, the Shiffman Medical Library, the Arthur Neef Law Library, the Science and Engineering Library, and the Reuther Library and the School of Library and Information Science.

Wayne State University is a premier institution offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 28,000 students.