Editorial: Assessment in an Era of Accountability

The July issue of the Journal of Academic Librarianship will focus on assessment. Ronald F. Dow, Dean of Libraries at the University of Rochester, will lead with an article outlining theory and detailing applications in a university environment. A set of articles reporting specific assessment exercises undertaken at a variety of different colleges and universities will follow. As an international authority on forms of assessment, Editor-in-Chief Peter Hernon will comment on the best practices. This editorial discusses why academic librarians should be interested in understanding assessment and practicing it with precision.