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G2S Project Code: 2020-AR-84790
State: Arkansas
Fiscal Year: 2020
Grantee
Arkansas State Library

Project Director
Director Name: Katie Walton
Director Phone: 501-682-2266
Director Email: katie.walton@ade.arkansas.gov
General Information
Title: CARES Act: Learning Express
State Project Code:
Start Date: 04/21/2020
End Date: 09/30/2021
Abstract: The continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic forced many people out of the job market and added a strain to remote classroom instruction. As a response, the Arkansas State Library used CARES Act Grant Funds to add EBSCO’s LearningExpress Library to the Traveler Statewide Digital Resources- a collection of subscription digital resources for all Arkansas residents. The addition of LearningExpress supported professionals and students alike with job search resources, career certification prep, academic skill-building, and standardized test prep.
Access to LearningExpress was available to all Arkansas residents from the Arkansas State Library's website using geolocation authentication. All public, school and academic libraries in the state could also register their IP addresses with the Arkansas State Library to enable institutional access, which allowed individual libraries the ability to seamlessly integrate LearningExpress with their own digital collections.
 
The Arkansas State Library provided training and assistance for both technical and end users through webinars, workshops, and instructional materials. 

State Goal: Enhance Access to Information for Lifelong Learning
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$186,000.00
$0.00
$0.00
$186,000.00
Intent(s)
Improve users' ability to use resources and apply information for employment support.
General (select only for electronic databases or other data sources)
Activities
Activity Details
Title: Consultation
Narrative:

State Library staff provided phone and email consultation to any library that needed assistance with LearningExpress Library’s resources. Several webinars and video tutorials were added to the State Library’s website to support asynchronous training on the resources. Remote work and learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic continued the demand for consultation- especially concerning off-site access. The State Library’s website provided an email address and phone number for any questions related to the digital resources, and librarians were welcomed to contact staff with their questions. This included general questions, authentication questions, reference questions, best practices, troubleshooting, and training. As some schools returned to in-person instruction, the request for in-person and virtual training opportunities also increased. Library staff presented at several virtual workshops and statewide conferences.



Intent: Improve users' ability to use resources and apply information for employment support.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Consultation/drop-in/referral
Format: Virtual


Quantity
Total number of consultation/reference transactions: 216
Average number of consultation/reference transactions per month: 18


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 229
Academic Libraries: 55
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 36
School Libraries: 1054
Other: 0
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
LearningExpress Library was primarily added to promote workforce development in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it also provided many resources for students and the general population. LearningExpress had been part of Traveler in the past, but it was not renewed during the 2018 selection process due to budget cuts. The new subscription had modules we were not able to afford before including the Job and Careers Accelerator for job seekers, computer skills enhancement, and PrepStep for high school and academic libraries. LearningExpress’s resources benefited Arkansas workers who were suddenly unemployed, interested in improving workplace skills, or considering a career change. The Job Skills and Career Accelerator provided career match guidance, information on occupations, resume builders, a job search portal, and tutorials on topics such as interviewing, networking and writing cover letters. It also included exam preparation materials on a variety of career fields.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
After receiving statements of support from both primary and secondary educators in the state, the Arkansas Department of Education decided to use their own funds to continue the LearningExpress Library subscription. Increased usage and interest in LearningExpress proved that it was vital to the success of Arkansas residents with a variety of learning and informational needs. We challenged ourselves to find creative ways to promote the resources to new users- especially in the face of the ongoing pandemic. We will continue to create training guides and online tutorials to educate Arkansas citizens about LearningExpress.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
Promoting the use and visibility of LearningExpress Library through the State Library’s website along with its seamless access, instructional resources, and wide appeal was paramount to the success of the project. LearningExpress Library resources appealed to a wide variety of users and educational needs, so directed promotion of its materials to these various audiences was vital. When providing training or outreach, it was important to have a thorough understanding of the diverse and changing needs of the community to insure the most appropriate resources were highlighted to that given audience.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
Yes
Explain:
The first year of this project was especially time intensive because adding a new statewide resource required a lot of work on the front end. Onboarding LearningExpress included negotiating the terms of the service agreement, implementing the new resource, updating the website and current informational guides, creating marketing materials, and providing training opportunities. Managing the program should take less effort next year as we will primarily be maintaining the resources, troubleshooting technical issues as needed, evaluating needed changes to the subscription, and providing training and outreach opportunities.
Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:
Exemplary: Yes
Exemplary NarrativeLearningExpress Library provided access to reputable digital resources for every Arkansas resident, which enabled them to meet their personal, educational, and professional goals from anywhere in the state. LearningExpress was an invaluable supplement to library resources for the citizens of Arkansas. The Arkansas State Library is the only agency providing exceptional online digital resources for K-12 students, academic, public, or special libraries. Neither libraries nor schools had the resources to purchase this subscription independently, but this addition gave them the ability to provide workforce development and exam prep resources to their users.
Project Tags: digital resources; digital reference