Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Mark Emmons

Publication Date

7-3-2012

Abstract

The study assessed the impact the academic library has upon student persistence by analyzing two models: (1) a structural equation model that added a library construct to an existing model of student persistence with constructs for academic performance, academic integration, institutional support, intent to persist, and persistence and (2) a multiple regression model. The measures for the library construct included librarians, expenditures, materials circulated, and instruction. Data from the 2006 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, Academic Libraries Survey, and the National Survey of Student Engagement served as variables for the constructs and yielded a sample of 497 institutions. The structural equation model did not fit and did not explain the nature of the relationship between the academic library and student persistence. The taxonomy of multiple regression models analyzing the relationship between graduation and the independent variables from the structural equation model revealed that an increase in the ratio of librarians to students or an increase in library expenditures per student predict a higher graduation rate. The lack of fit in the structural equation model is likely due to the inadequacy of library input and output measures that indicate size more than quality. The results suggest that librarians need to devise outcome and value measures at their local institutions and that national library organizations need to develop measures and techniques that can be used by administrators to make decisions when allocating resources and by researchers to demonstrate the academic librarys impact upon student success.'

Keywords

Academic libraries -- Administration, Educational attainment, College graduates, Academic libraries -- Use studies, Academic achievement

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Educational Leadership

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy

First Committee Member (Chair)

Allison M. Borden

Second Committee Member

Alicia F. Chávez

Third Committee Member

Eliseo "Cheo" Torres

Fourth Committee Member

Ethelene Whitmire

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