Determining the best methods of assessment for a library instruction program in a large research university can be a challenging task. Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University Library has pilot tested three methods of formative and summative assessment for its library instruction programattitudinal, outcomes-based, and gap-measure-and determined not only key areas of improvement for the program, but also the benefits and drawbacks of each method of assessment. Attitudinal assessment has guided program improvement in areas of marketing and user satisfaction but does not provide the measurement of learning that outcomes-based assessment covers. The latter can be difficult to achieve in single-session, short-term instruction, while gap-measure assessment can provide a more nuanced view of both patron and instructor attitudes toward learning outcomes, if not actual data on achievement on the objectives themselves. The authors have determined that a combination of these three different types of assessment can address the shortcomings of a single method alone and provide a better measure of the program as a whole.Keywords: information literacy, assessment, evaluation, college and university libraries Assessment of library instruction is a growing topic of concern for library instructors as evidenced by the 246 articles found in Library Literature on evaluation of bibliographic instruction (more in the last two years than in the previous six combined). A number of assessment models are available for library instruction; however, with the wide range of methods and their varying utility depending on the format and type of instruction being assessed, choosing and implementing models can be difficult. It is our contention that to present a well-rounded picture of an instruction program, more than one method of assessment is necessary. Over the last two years, the staff at Albert R. Mann Library at Cornell University Library (CUL) has pilot-tested a three-pronged approach to assessment. The first assessment was an evaluation of the entire CUL instruction program using focus groups and a Web-based statistical survey; the second outcomes-based assessment, focused on a single courserelated instruction session at Mann Library, consisted of a pre-test survey and examination of the results of a post-instruction tutorial assignment; and a third assessment featured a gap-measure analysis of instructors' and students' perceptions of the importance of the learning objectives in Mann Library's open workshop series. Below we present our findings and their effect on our instruction program, address the benefits and limitations of these various types of assessment, and show that a multi-method model of assessment, both formative and summative, is key to a clear picture of the various aspects of our instruction program.

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and Columbia University partnered with the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) on a library liaison institute to bring together a group of 50 liaison librarians. The goal of the institute was to explore the future of liaison work and discuss how to measure its impact. The ARL Library Liaison Institute, held at Cornell University, was a day-and-a-half program to facilitate conversations and group exercises. At the Institute we collected information about what liaisons value in their work, and how they see their jobs changing as a result of new research practices. The data shed light on liaisons' anxiety about perceived skill gaps in view of new expectations. ARL released a full report of the Institute in December 2015. 1 This column will focus on some of the needs for training and reskilling that both participants and organizers identified during the Institute, drawing attention to the increasing need to support scholarly communication and liaisons' level of engagement with this topic.

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to outline a fast track process Cornell used to develop a user-focused vision and recommendations on how Cornell University Library should present itself and the information landscape to its users. Design/methodology/approach -A consultant was hired to conduct local interviews probing audience work habits and needs and to synthesize them into composite personas segmented on the basis of "like" behavior. These "imaginary friends" helped validate and supplement user studies done elsewhere and existing quantitative data from Cornell, thus influencing all the decisions and recommendations that the team produced. Findings -The personas can also serve as a way to effectively communicate about and develop empathy for user needs throughout planning and implementation. Practical implications -Understanding and assessing the information seeking and managing needs, habits, and expectations of a library's audience are crucial for creating a digital library environment that is relevant to users. While anthropological studies are most meaningful, can you be sure that results produced at other institutions are complete and relevant for your own environment and purpose? The use of personas provides an effective tool that validates such comparisons. Originality/value -Personas have been mostly used in industry, but in our process they proved a useful and relevant benchmark for the academic library environment.

Ithaka S+R is a strategic consulting and research service provided by ITHAKA, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping the academic community use digital technologies to preserve the scholarly record and to advance research and teaching in sustainable ways. Ithaka S+R focuses on the transformation of scholarship and teaching in an online environment, with the goal of identifying the critical issues facing our community and acting as a catalyst for change. JSTOR, a research and learning platform, and Portico, a digital preservation service, are also part of ITHAKA.