Goal 4: Develop and strengthen the University Libraries as an innovative organization that reflects the excellence of the University and is responsive to the needs of its users.
Objective 1: Engage in evaluation and assessment activities to increase the effectiveness of the Libraries in knowing and meeting the diverse needs of users.
Performance Activities:
- Library administration will review the organizational structure in the context of new developments and changing resources and needs and revise as needed.
- Faculty and staff will enhance internal and external communication and sharing of information about library collections and services with users.
- Faculty and staff will learn more about assessment and begin to establish standards and apply assessment techniques to library services.
- Faculty and staff will incorporate the results of the April 2003 LibQUAL+ assessment survey into divisional and departmental services and recommend changes in services and collections to respond to users’ needs.
- Faculty and staff will compile and analyze collection and service use statistics and use this information in decision-making.
- Bibliographers will develop and carry out plans to improve communications with faculty and students in their assigned departments.
- Bibliographers will develop plans to create research tools and/or services that will reflect the needs of their departments.
- Bibliographers will review statistics and other data available to them to identify trends and patterns important to their assigned academic departments.
- Bibliographers will revise their selection criteria and practices based on the information they collect.
Performance Indicators:
- Faculty and staff use data that is currently available within the Libraries and the University for the assessment of library services and collections and take follow-up actions to gather more specific information about users’ needs.
- Faculty and staff exhibit curiosity about problems and a willingness to experiment to find solutions to better meet users’ needs.
- Users have convenient, seamless, and user friendly access to resources and services and increased satisfaction with these collections and services.
- Library services and facilities are available to users when they want and need them.
- Bibliographers communicate frequently and effectively with faculty in assigned departments.
- Bibliographers and User Services Librarians are well informed about student and faculty needs and are viewed as valued experts and colleagues.
Methods of Assessment:
- Review of data that is currently available within the Libraries and the University
- Surveys to assess satisfaction levels
- Analysis of input from staff and users
- Future LibQUAL+ findings
- Bibliographer activity reports
- Survey hardware and software currency
Use of Findings:
- Improve existing collections and services
- Initiate new services and new ways of doing things
- Revise policies and procedures
Objective 2: Library faculty will increase their awareness of, and responsiveness to, graduate student collection and service needs and assist them to acquire needed research skills.
Performance Activities:
- A bibliographers’ and User Services’ taskforce will plan a series of focus groups to identify graduate students needs and make recommendations for implementation.
- Bibliographers will use graduate student listservs where possible in their assigned departments to promote awareness of library collections and services and share information on needs with the taskforce.
- Librarians will conduct outreach to new graduate students through orientation programs.
- Librarians will disseminate information about computer searching service and individual reference consulting to faculty and graduate students.
- Librarians will seek opportunities to teach upper division and graduate course-integrated instruction sessions.
- MMPR staff will develop an electronic publishing center within the IMC to provide for students preparing electronic thesis and dissertations. They will provide an array of services including access to software, hardware, consultation and education.
Performance Indicators:
- Graduate students have convenient, seamless, and user friendly access to resources and services.
- Library services and facilities are available to graduate students when they want or need them.
- Bibliographers communicate frequently and effectively with graduate students in their disciplines.
- Bibliographers are viewed as experts and excellent “knowledge navigators” by graduate students.
- Bibliographers and User Services Librarians are well informed about graduate student needs.
- Graduate students will have the skills to conduct in-depth research in their fields.
- Graduate students will express greater satisfaction with their access to needed research materials at Albany.
- Graduate students will be aware of the array of library services available to meet their needs.
Methods of Assessment:
- Recommendations approved and implemented by June 30, 2005
- Bibliographer activity reports
- Future LibQUAL+ findings
- Librarians will compile and evaluate reference consulting statistics.
- Focus groups
- Reference consulting and computer search statistics
- User education statistics
Use of Findings:
- Revise policies and procedures
- Improve existing collections and services
- Initiate new services and new ways of doing things.
Objective 3: Market library services, collections and staff expertise within the University community to increase visibility and user awareness of them.
Performance Activities:
- Library staff will participate in University recruiting affairs and provide information about library services and resources.
- Librarians will communicate with the University community through a variety of means, both print and electronic.
- Librarians will increase the visibility of library resources and services through their work on university-wide committees, such as faculty senate councils and committees.
- The Libraries will sponsor a variety of special events addressing broad, interdisciplinary interests.
Performance Indicators:
- University constituencies are more aware of our services, collections and expertise.
- Increased dialog between the Libraries and the University community.
- The Libraries’ perspectives are represented on all pertinent issues of University endeavor.
Means of Assessment:
- Use data
- Membership on key committees/groups
- Increased attendance at Library-sponsored events
- Increased financial support
Use of Findings:
- Develop strategies for maximizing the Libraries’ influence within the University community
- Plan for and direct change
Objective 4: Hire, retain and develop a talented and diverse faculty and staff and help them develop a sense of community based on shared mission, vision and values.
Performance Activities:
- Library administrators will create an organizational culture that reflects our mission, vision and values and regularly communicate to all employees the Libraries’ mission, vision, values, goals and objectives.
- Library administrators will foster staff participation, cohesion and efficiency through regular, well planned and productive staff meetings and programs.
- The Library will use every hiring opportunity to increase the quality of the staff.
- The Library will fund and provide staff training and professional development opportunities tailored to the changing needs of faculty and staff.
- Library supervisors will prepare well-developed performance programs and job descriptions and keep them current.
- Library supervisors will monitor workloads to ensure equitability and recognize excellent staff performance.
- Library supervisors will explore new methods to develop the talent and commitment of College Work Study students working in the Libraries.
Performance Indicators:
- Library faculty and staff are well informed, engaged in their work and generate and test new ideas.
- Job satisfaction and morale is high.
- Faculty and staff exhibit proficiency with new technologies and systems.
- Faculty and staff are satisfied that training and professional development opportunities are sufficient to their needs.
- Faculty and staff work together well to accomplish common goals.
Methods of Assessment:
- Performance programs and evaluations
- Surveys to assess satisfaction levels
- Exit interviews
Use of Findings:
- Improve staff training and supervision
- Improve library services and practices
- Revise policies and procedures
- Initiate new ideas and programs.
Objective 5: Obtain financial resources to support and enhance Library collections, services and facilities.
Performance Activities:
- Library administrators will identify budgetary needs, prepare plans and requests and be strong advocates for the Libraries with the University administration.
- Library administrators will work with staff to identify priorities and needs and allocate funding to meet these needs within funding parameters.
- Library administration will pursue a vigorous program of fundraising to increase the Library’s financial base and lessen dependence on state funding, including:
increasing the Library’s endowment base;
increasing the number of major donors to the Libraries;
increasing the number of annual fund donors at the President’s Club level.
Performance Indicators:
- Funding is available to maintain staffing and a high level of service.
- The 2005-06 Library acquisitions budget request of $400,000 is funded.
- Adequate funding is available to cover continuing salary and contractual obligations, temporary services, staff training and development, needed equipment, renovation projects and digital library development.
- At least one new endowment for the Dewey Library established or in process; one endowment to support library preservation activities established or in process; joint Library/SISP fundraising project to raise money for assistantships launched.
- Continued progress toward fundraising goals for established endowments.
- All members of the Library Development Committee are actively involved in donor cultivation and gift solicitation on behalf of the Libraries.
- New prospects are aware of the array of library endowments and their potential interest in establishing an endowment is determined.
- Fifty library donors give $1,000+ to the Library Development Fund.
- Five new Campaign gifts of $10,000 and above are secured.
Methods of Assessment:
- Review of financial reports from University Advancement
- Communication with members of the Library Development Committee and Friends of the Libraries Board
- Feedback from donors
- Feedback from University Advancement staff
- Self-assessment
- Analysis of input from staff and users
Use of Findings:
- Reports and budget requests
- nalysis of operations and allocations of resources
- Improve fundraising programs and performance
- Initiate new services and new ways to doing things.
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Strategic Goals
> Strategic Goal 4
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