Join ACRL’s Value of Academic Libraries (VAL) Committee from 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Central on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, for the free webinar “If It’s Not in the Data, It’s Not in the Decisions: Learning Analytics for Academic Librarians.”
Academic libraries contribute meaningfully to student success, but if that contribution isn’t captured in institutional data systems, it’s invisible to the people making decisions about resources, programs, and support. Institutions are increasingly relying on learning analytics augmented by artificial intelligence to make exactly those decisions, and libraries that aren’t in the data risk being left out of the solutions. This introductory webinar walks academic librarians at any role level through what learning analytics is, why library data is often missing from institutional systems, and how to engage with campus data conversations to make library contributions visible and valued. Participants will also explore how to connect library work to the outcomes institutions care about, communicate evidence effectively to decision-makers, and understand what AI acceleration means for the stakes of library inclusion.
Speakers:
Dr. Rebecca (Becky) Croxton, Strategic Assessment Librarian at Colorado State University Libraries
Dr. Megan Oakleaf, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor in the Syracuse University iSchool.