Library assessment has as its primary objective the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Library's collections, services, and spaces in meeting the teaching, learning, and research needs of university-affiliated users and outside researchers. The Assessment Librarian can help with:
- External requests for survey responses
- Requests for data for departmental accreditation
- Individual or unit assessment projects
- Analysis of existing library data
- Preparation of reports on assessment projects
- Locating published evidence to support decision making and practice
For help, please contact Giovanna Badia at giovanna.badia [at] mcgill.ca or 514-398-7504.
Assessment initiatives
To inform decisions about library services and spaces, McGill Libraries undertake multiple assessment activities, such as collecting and analyzing usage statistics about our services and spaces, conducting observations, distributing surveys, and collecting feedback from our website and social media. Specific activities include:
- Administration of the user satisfaction survey
- LibQUAL+ 2022 Survey Results notebook (pdf)
- (historical overview)
- Conducting library visitor surveys or census days
Library rankings
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) ranks McGill Library 39 out of 118 member libraries in North America. This is based on the most recent ARL Library Investment Index (2021-2022).
In the , released in October 2023, McGill Library ranked 1st in the 聽in the medical-doctoral category, which includes 15 Canadian universities with medical schools and a wide range of doctoral programs.
Selected facts and figures
- Library collections: 10.2 million items
- Library personnel (excluding casual employees): 165 staff members
- User seating across library branches: circa 4,000 seats
- 8,000 daily average visits to the Library system-wide during weekdays in 2022-2023 (Fall & Winter terms).
- 300+ articles downloaded on average per McGill student or faculty member in 2021 via the Library鈥檚 electronic subscriptions.
- 25K participants attended 770 library in 2021-2022.
- 17 open access journals currently published by the Library (June 2023).
- 51,858 theses & dissertations from McGill University available in the Library鈥檚 institutional repository, (June 2023).
- 179,625 pages from print items in the Library鈥檚 collections were digitized in 2022, of which 54% were digitized to complete on demand requests.
- 2275 BCE clay tablet is the oldest item in the Library鈥檚 collections.
McGill Libraries complete annual statistical surveys for different library associations, e.g., for the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), le Bureau de coop茅ration interuniversitaire (BCI), and the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL). These annual surveys collect statistics about the usage of library services and spaces. McGill Libraries鈥� responses to BCI鈥檚 annual statistical surveys are .
User engagement: We want to hear from you!
We encourage and welcome feedback about the Libraries鈥� services. We have multiple ways to share your feedback. Use the method that works for you.
- On our website: Complete the Feedback/Suggestion form to let us know how we are doing. If you have a specific item you would like us to purchase, please use the Suggest a Purchase form or contact the liaison librarian in your discipline.
- Social media: You can share your thoughts with us on , Instagram, or (formerly Twitter). We monitor these routinely to find comments about the library and its services to inform changes and improvements in the Library.
- About our building project: To provide anonymous input on the Fiat Lux Library Project, use the special Feedback Form.
