The Engaged Library

High-impact educational practices—as identified by George Kuh and the Association of American Colleges & Universities—are widely recognized as activities that promote student engagement, student retention, and positive student learning outcomes. These practices take different forms depending on institutional context and priorities, as well as the learners themselves, but are all meant to create substantive activities that deepen student learning, engagement, and success.

The Engaged Library provides case studies, examples, and discussion of how academic libraries can create successful partnerships to contribute to the integration of high-impact practices on their campuses, and ways to execute these practices well. Each chapter addresses one of the ten original high-impact practices through the lens of library partnerships, contributions, and opportunities, and provides ideas for and examples of outcomes assessment. A variety of types of institutions are included, and some chapters discuss initiatives that involve a combination of multiple practices. Across all of the chapters and case studies, you will find examples of well-orchestrated and engaging models that rely on instructional teams of faculty, advisers, librarians, and technology professionals to enhance and deepen the practices’ impact on student learning.

The framework for The Engaged Library challenges academic libraries to plan, develop, and execute efforts to incorporate these practices intentionally, systematically, and for greater engagement and impact. It can help foster a shared language around high-impact practices within academic librarianship that will highlight and articulate how libraries have been and can increasingly become integral to the success of these engaged learning practices across academia. As high-impact practices become a leading measure of engaged pedagogy on college campuses, this volume can provide an entry point for academic librarians looking to lead, partner, and contribute to these practices on their campus.

Joan D. Ruelle is Dean of the Carol Grotnes Belk Library at Elon University where she works in a variety of ways to articulate and implement a broad-based strategic vision of the library as a vital and vibrant partner in the life of the institution. She is deeply committed to the teaching role of the academic library and presents frequently with colleagues about the integration of high-impact practices in academic libraries, as well as deep collaboration among campus partners. Joan was previously the University Librarian at Hollins University, which was recognized with the ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award for innovative outreach during her leadership.