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The purpose of this paper is to assess student perceptions of their learning during reference transactions and to evaluate a note-taking strategy developed to improve the quality of learning during reference encounters.

Students were surveyed following a reference interaction and were asked, “What did you learn today?”. Based on the authors results, librarians developed a Reference Notes form encouraging librarians and students to take notes during reference transactions, highlighting terms, concepts and strategies. The forms were assessed with a modified version of the initial student survey to determine their effectiveness. Student survey results were analyzed, and librarians also provided feedback via surveys and discussions.

Initial results indicated that students retained concrete concepts like the names of previously unknown databases. With the implementation of Reference Notes, students were more likely to report learning broad-based concepts like narrowing a search, brainstorming keywords and search mechanics. Librarians and students felt the form was an effective reference tool.

This is an indirect method of assessing student learning, relying on students’ self-reports. Without the opportunity to pre-define learning objectives for a reference transaction, the authors were unable to assess student learning directly.

Many librarians write down some information during reference transactions. A more systematic approach to taking notes may improve the learning potential of the reference encounter.

This project demonstrates that student learning assessment is an important tool for evaluating reference services. Through student learning assessment, librarians can develop strategies, such as the authors Reference Notes forms, to increase the quality of learning during reference transactions.

The purpose of this study was to determine what skills students already possessed as entering first‐year students, in order to define appropriate goals and objectives for library instruction sessions occurring in the first‐year writing and critical thinking course.

A pre‐test was administered during the first two weeks of the fall 2008 semester. After one‐shot library instruction, students took a post‐test during the final exam period of the fall 2008 semester. Librarians worked collaboratively to evaluate the results of the assessment and determine the implications for the session goals and objectives.

The original goals and objectives for the library instruction sessions were out of sync with student skills. Assessment also revealed that the original goals and objectives were out of sync with librarian priorities. The results of the assessment were used to refine the goals and objectives through a collaborative process.

Instruction librarians need to evaluate their course goals and objectives as one part of the assessment cycle. Assessment can be a useful tool for aligning librarian priorities and pre‐existing student skills.

This study explains how the results of assessment can be used to close the assessment loop, concentrating on parts of the assessment cycle seldom discussed in the literature.