Fairbanks, image by Rasmuson Library
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has awarded the 2020 LibQUAL+ In-Kind Grant to the Elmer E. Rasmuson Library at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Each year since 2006 ARL has offered grants for participation in the LibQUAL+ survey. Grants are awarded to institutions that demonstrate their ability to improve overall services and contribute to the quality of service provided to students and faculty at their institutions, as well as demonstrate their financial need. The In-Kind Grant program’s goal is to offer one grant for every 50 registered libraries. More information on the In-Kind Grant program is on the LibQUAL+ website.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Rasmuson Library was the first academic library in the state of Alaska, with UAF founded in 1917. The library continues to be the information hub of the research-intensive, state university and a valuable community asset on the edge of the frontier. UAF is located at 64° north latitude, just under 200 miles from the Arctic Circle, which allows for many unique research opportunities in the subjects of climate change, cold climate adaptations of humans and other organisms, Alaskan wildlife and biology, and Indigenous Alaskan health and cultural research; the Rasmuson Library serves them all. UAF serves more than 8,000 students (4,800 FTE), many of whom are nontraditional, older, working students. Between 15 and 20% of UAF students are Alaska Natives. Connecting with and serving the Alaska Native population, through education and research, is a critical priority for the campus and library.
About LibQUAL+®
LibQUAL+ is a tool that libraries use to solicit, track, understand, and act upon users’ opinions of service quality. The protocol is a rigorously tested web survey that helps libraries assess and improve services, change organizational culture, and market the library. Since 2000, more than 1,300 libraries in 35 countries have participated in LibQUAL+, including college and university, community college, health sciences, and academic law libraries. This growing community of participants and its extensive data set of more than 2.9 million respondents are rich resources for improving library services. LibQUAL+ is on the web at libqual.org.
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.
