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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

FY2000 was a year of significant change and challenge for the Hilton C. Buley Library, as the ambitious plans developed during the first four months of the new library administration were implemented. Early in FY2000, the library staff formulated five broad goals for library collections, services, personnel, facilities, and communication as a framework for short- and long-term planning:

• Develop and maintain a quality collection of library materials reflecting the needs of the academic community.

• Provide services designed to support the University’s mission, to facilitate the use of library resources, and to promote information literacy.

• Staff, organize, and develop human resources to encourage optimal performance and to enhance effective communication.

• Maintain facilities and equipment to provide an efficient, comfortable, accessible, and safe environment.

• Promote effective library communications throughout the university community.

With a focus on building the infrastructure to support each of these goals, a phased reorganization plan was developed.  Phase I created three library divisions:

• Access Services – circulation, reserves, and interlibrary loan

• Information Services – reference, instruction and electronic resources

• Technical Services – acquisitions, cataloging, and serials

Newly created division head positions were filled internally – Cindy Schofield-Bodt, Head of Technical Services; Susan Miller, Head of Information Services; and Shirley Cavanagh, Head of Access Services.  Phase II created functional specialties in special collections, library instruction, and electronic resources. These positions were also filled through internal searches – Paul Holmer, Special Collections Librarian; Clara Ogbaa, Instruction Coordinator; and Susan Clerc, Electronic Resources Coordinator.   Phase III moved to a subject-specialist model to better meet the reference, instruction, and collection development needs of the academic community – business, education, health science/sciences, and social sciences.  Diane Tomasko accepted the position of Business Reference Librarian; external searches for the other three subject specialist positions were initiated in spring 2000.  The restructuring plan is not intended to be static – it should and will change as the information environment, the University, and the Library evolves.

Collections

A significant increase in library materials funding covered price inflation as well as adjustments to departmental allocations to reflect basic, ongoing needs.  The funding enabled the Library to begin responding to curricular changes and interdisciplinary needs and to target critical collection weaknesses.  The investment in electronic resources focused on taking advantage of consortial pricing opportunities, responding to the shift from print to electronic resources in many disciplines, and expanding the scope of resources available from remote locations.  In FY 2001, the Library will continue to build the core book collection and to expand the array of electronic resources.  A journal use study, with data collected for nearly three years, will form the basis of a comprehensive assessment of the periodicals collections.  Based on this assessment, the Library will make significant adjustments to the periodical title holdings to more closely align with the curriculum.  Recognizing the growing importance of nonprint media in many disciplines, the Library will also devote considerable resources to building core collections of media.

Services

Consistent coverage of service points was identified as the most critical service need in FY2000.  Immediate solutions were to hire student assistants to cover evening and weekend hours at the circulation desk and to establish a periodicals information desk on the lower level to provide assistance in locating and using journals and microform services.  A Library Technical Assistant was appointed in April to provide basic coverage of the circulation desk and supervision of all student assistants during evening hours.  A reference team was formed to evaluate, maintain, and enhance reference desk services.  An instruction team provided instructional support ranging from library tours and orientations, to general and subject-specific instruction to classes, to upper-division research assistance.

Personnel

A major focus for FY2000 was to shift staff resources to more accurately reflect the level of knowledge and training required for particular duties.  Responsibility for hiring and supervising student assistants was decentralized to individual library departments, and the use of student assistants to provide basic services and to maintain collections was increased considerably.  Two Library Technical Assistants were hired to provide paraprofessional support, releasing library faculty to focus on professional-level responsibilities.  Regular general staff meetings provided opportunities to share information among various departments, to report on staff development activities, and to promote participation in short- and long-term planning efforts.  An in-house program on communications skills was held on November 29, 1999, and several staff were supported in targeted staff development activities in direct support of the Library’s goals and objectives.

Facilities

Considerable efforts were focused on short- and long-term facilities improvements in FY2000.  In summer 1999, an ADA-compliant theft detection system was installed at the main entrance and a plan to enhance security by staffing the exit gate with university assistants was implemented in cooperation with University Police.  The interlibrary loan function, formerly located in three different offices, was consolidated in one location.  The Technical Services area was reorganized and refurbished to accommodate the merger of acquisitions staff into technical services operations.  The public address system was repaired for use in emergencies and to facilitate closing procedures.  Microform reader/printer equipment was upgraded.  Program planning for the library addition began in earnest in summer 1999, but was later suspended pending selection of the architectural design firm.  Late in 1999, a proposal for refurbishing the library’s public areas was funded.  Furniture selection and bid processing were completed in the early spring, and installation is scheduled for summer 2000. 

Communication

The University Library Committee provided invaluable faculty input and support of library initiatives.  Presentations to the Faculty Senate and to the Graduate Council were well-received, and many faculty have individually provided constructive suggestions for improvements in library services and resources.  Communication with librarians and other faculty members regarding recent acquisitions was greatly improved with weekly and monthly notices.  Preliminary results of a brief faculty survey distributed in May supports the directions taken by the Library, and full analysis of the survey will form the basis of enhanced communication with faculty.  The Library’s web pages have served as its primary communication tool, and increasingly serves as an important access point.  The pages were upgraded and expanded in summer 1999, several web subject guides were added, and the links to major information resources have grown considerably.

The Library’s many accomplishments in the past year are the result of the hard work of a very dedicated staff, and the support of many members of the academic community.  The library staff have demonstrated their commitment to the University through a willingness to assume new responsibilities, to participate in new initiatives, and to adapt to major organizational and cultural changes.  Their efforts in FY2000 have created a solid infrastructure: the goal for FY2001 will be to reinforce that foundation to strengthen library resources and services.