MISSION, VALUES, VISION AND STRATEGIC PLAN
OF THE LOYOLA/NOTRE DAME LIBRARY
(Click on links at left)
The Library fulfills its mission by:
- Selecting and acquiring resources in a variety of formats of sufficient
quality, size and diversity to support the educational programs of the colleges
- Providing access to resources located both in the library and from locations
outside the library
- Educating the college communities in the effective utilization and evaluation
of information resources through reference and information literacy instruction,
providing a foundation for life long learning
- Providing a comfortable and inviting physical environment that is conducive
to individual and collaborative learning, study, research, and social interaction
- Attracting, developing, and supporting a capable and diverse staff to
effectively provide and manage the Library’ s resources, services,
and programs
- Evaluating and monitoring Library services, resources, and facilities
to ensure that they respond to the changing needs and demands of students
and faculty
- Fostering and maintaining cooperative relationships with the faculty,
administration, and students of the colleges and with the broader community
served by the Library
- Cooperating and sharing resources with other libraries, both regionally
and nationally
The staff of the Loyola/Notre
Dame Library shares the following organizational values that underpin the
strategic plan:
The Loyola/Notre Dame Library is dedicated to providing
the highest quality of library services to assist users in fulfilling their
diverse information needs. The Library implements policies and procedures
that encourage full use of its resources and services, and maintains hours
and staffing designed to match the usage patterns of its users.
The Loyola/Notre Dame Library recognizes its role as
a teaching library and works in partnership with faculty to help students
master information competency skills that are critical to independent intellectual
inquiry and life long learning. The Library supports the research objectives
of faculty and students by providing access to materials appropriate to their
interests.
The Loyola/Notre Dame Library recognizes the right of
the academic community to pursue uncensored research on a wide variety of
topics. The Library will support academic research with appropriate resources,
regardless of their controversial or unpopular nature. The Library respects
the confidentiality of all transactions with its users and will not provide
information regarding such transactions except as required by law.
The Loyola/Notre Dame Library anticipates and identifies
users’ needs and changes in the academic and information environments
and responds creatively by improving traditional services or offering new
ones.
The Loyola/Notre Dame Library is committed to the conscientious
utilization of its material and human resources for the benefit of the communities
it serves. The Library deals in an open and candid manner with all of its
users and staff members.
The Loyola/Notre Dame Library provides services and
resources on an equal basis to the Loyola and Notre Dame college communities.
The Library defines varying levels of service for faculty/staff, students,
alumni, and nonaffiliated users, and all users within each group are treated
equally. The Library establishes and maintains human resource policies and
practices that result in the fair and equitable treatment of its staff members.
The Loyola/Notre Dame Library recognizes that successes
result from the combined efforts of individuals working together as a team
in an atmosphere of collaboration and cooperation.
The Loyola/Notre Dame Library supports and promotes
diversity at all levels of Library function—staff, users, collections,
policies, and programs. The Library believes that each person contributes
unique talents, life experiences, heritage, and ethnicity that enrich an open
and inclusive learning environment and help the Library deliver optimum service
to its users. This belief in diversity ensures that all Library staff and
are treated with courtesy, respect, and dignity by managers and fellow workers;
establishes education and training programs that foster communication with
others and respect for their unique values and contributions; includes individuals
of diverse backgrounds in policymaking; implements employment practices that
give a fair chance to all; and builds a rich and diverse Library collection.
The Loyola/Notre Dame Library:
- Will be the primary physical and virtual resource for the information
needs and information literacy education of both colleges
- Will make available state-of-the-art information technologies that enable
campus users to both conduct research and create work products
- Will have collections and services that can be considered excellent for
libraries serving comprehensive-level institutions
- Will be a focal point for collaborative learning and a center of intellectual
and cultural activity in cooperation with both campuses
- Will take a leading role in the development and integration
of innovative library technologies that enhance study, teaching, and research
Strategy 1: Develop a coherent, workable plan
for continued operations in building while construction takes place.
Who: Director, Associate Director and Building Manager
When: June 2005 through September 2005
Strategy 2: Inform user community and staff
of plans in a timely manner.
Who: Director
When: June 2005 through March 2008
Strategy 1: Keep user community and staff informed
of plans, conditions, progress and changes in operations and relevant construction
matters.
Who: Director
When: June 2005 through February 2008
Strategy 2: Maintain all essential building
systems, such as electricity, cooling, heating, elevators and telecommunications
during construction.
Who: Building Manager
When: July 2005 through February 2008
Strategy 3: Maintain cleanliness of building
areas to which public and staff has access, minimizing dust, noise and other
distractions.
Who: Building Manager
When: July 2005 through February 2008
Strategy 4: Hire evening housekeeper to handle
increased workload.
Who: Building Manager
When: July 2005
Strategy 1: Store collections affected by construction
at convenient offsite facility with daily courier service.
Who: Access Services Librarian
When: July 2005 through February 2008
Strategy 2: Maintain updated holdings records
for items stored offsite so that users can easily determine location and order
for delivery.
Who: Head of Technical Services
When: June 2005 through February 2008
Strategy 3: Keep users informed of process and
changes in access through library website and other media.
Who: Director
When: June 2005 through March 2008
Strategy 1: Develop appropriate specifications
and targets for building systems to operate at peak efficiency and lowest
cost.
Who: Building Manager
When: June 2005 through December 2005
Strategy 2: Monitor systems usage, occupant
comfort levels and costs for systems operation to achieve targets.
Who: Director and Building Manager
When: March 2008 through June 2010
Strategy 3: Utilize safety systems for maximum
protection of users when in the building
Who: Director and Building Manager
When: March 2008 through June 2010
Strategy 1: Plan, develop programs and stage
events for faculty and students that highlight building features and services
that will better enable academic work and cultural interests.
Who: Library Administrators and Managers
When: January 2006 through September 2009
Strategy 2: Survey library users for their comments
on experiences and satisfaction with new features and services and adopt new
methods if necessary.
Who: Associate Director and Public Services Staff
When: March 2006 through June 2010
Strategy 3: Utilize marketing methods and publicity
vehicles to inform user community of features and resources available in newly
renovated facility.
Who: Director and Public Relations Staff
When: July 2005 through June 2010
Strategy 1: Work with college finance and accounting
office to meet payroll, pay bills, write checks and report on budget expenditures.
Who: Director
When: July 2004 through June 2006
Strategy 1: Continue to refine ENCompass so
that all available subject-specific databases, general databases, and the
OPAC can be searched simultaneously in a reasonable period of time for all
subject disciplines.
Who: Reference/Information and Technology Support librarians
When: By FY 2008
Strategy 2: Promote self-sufficiency among users
by providing unmediated online access services that automatically selects
the most appropriate source, advises users if material is locally owned, and
arranges delivery of materials to the most appropriate location.
Who: Access Services Manager and Staff with Technology Support staff
When: By FY 2010
Strategy 3: Provide circulation, reserves,
interlibrary loan, and media services at a centralized service desk on Level
1 of the renovated library building.
Who: Director, Associate Director, Circulation, Interlibrary Loan, and Media
Services staff
When: By FY 2006
Strategy 1: Identify all user services data
that are currently available from building attendants, circulation, interlibrary
loan, media services, and reference, and develop a means for the integrated
reporting and periodic review of this information.
Who: Director, Associate Director, Public Services staff, Systems and Technology
Support staff
When: By FY 2007
Strategy 2: Identify significant user services
data that are not currently available and design a means for collecting and
reporting this information.
Who: Director, Associate Director, Public Services staff, Systems and Technology
When: By FY 2008
Strategy 3: Design and systematically review
a user feedback form that is prominently displayed at public service desks
and conspicuously linked to the library website
Who: Director, Associate Director, Reference librarians, Circulation Librarian,
Technology Support staff
When: By FY 2006
Strategy 4: Design an online user survey form
to be frequently distributed to students, faculty, and staff through “push”
technology; devise the means for tabulating and evaluating the results of
such surveys.
Who: Director, Associate Director, Public Services staff, Technology Support
staff
When: By FY 2009
Strategy 5: Implement changes suggested by
survey results.
Who: Director, Associate Director and Departmental Managers
When: 2009 and 2010
Strategy 1: Review and ensure that the renovated
library building plans and the completed building are in compliance with the
ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (ADAAG)
Who: Director, Building Manager, Disability Coordinator
When: FY 2006 – FY 2009, as project phasing progresses
Strategy 2: Identify, survey, and meet individually
with students, faculty, and staff with disabilities to ascertain their needs
Who: Disability Coordinator
When: By FY 2006 and ongoing
Strategy 3: Monitor the library building during
the construction/renovation project to ensure that reasonable access and accommodation
remain available for users who have disabilities.
Who: Disability Coordinator, Building Manager
When: FY 2006 – FY 2009
Strategy 4: Provide library staff with training
in ADA guidelines and the provision of assistive technology and services that
accommodate the needs of library users who have disabilities.
Who: Disability Coordinator (possibly with outside presenter)
When: FY 2006 and periodically thereafter
Strategy 1: Temporarily reallocate resources
from print to electronic formats; limit purchasing of materials already available
within the MIC Consortium.
Who: Reference librarians, Acquisitions librarian and staff
When: FY 2005-FY 2007
Strategy 2: Project book budget for FY 2007
and later
Phase in increases in book budget to compensate for reduced spending due to
e-resource expenditures and renovation project
[Assumption: book budget for FY 2006 will be approximately the same as FY
2005 ($203,000)
Historical data: dollar amounts for book purchases out of the materials budget
were as follows for the past five fiscal years
FY 2000 $481,838
FY 2001 $399,559
FY 2002 $467,898
FY 2003 $342,864
FY 2004 $255,323
Technical Services Department should be relocated to the Lower Level during
the first half of FY 2007. By beginning of FY 2008 Level 2 renovation should
be complete based on current plan; additional funds could be used for subject
areas housed on that level (e.g. education, literature, etc.) while Level
3 is being renovated. Additional ordering would commence during the Spring
2007 semester, so that by the time books arrive and are processed Level 2
would be near completion.
Book budget recommendations:
FY 2007 $250,000
FY 2008 $325,000
FY 2009 $500,000
FY 2010 $600,000 ]
Who: Director, Associate Director, Head of Technical Services, Acquisitions
Librarian
When: Beginning FY 2006 for approval by library Board of Trustees
Strategy 1: Evaluate the current collection
by developing various reports to measure the collection by classification
counts and circulation statistics.
Who: Associate Director, Head of Technical Services, Head of Circulation and
circulation staff, Acquisitions Librarian
When: Report development: FY 2005-FY 2006; Continuously thereafter
Strategy 2: Develop the means to measure the
media collection by classification counts
Who: Technical Services staff
When: FY 2005-FY 2007
Strategy 1: Develop an overall collection development
policy that accounts for all formats, various levels of collecting, and covers
all programs
Who: Associate Director, Head of Technical Services, Acquisitions Librarian,
Media Services Librarian
When: FY 2006-FY 2007
Strategy 2: Continue to develop library liaison
program to encourage faculty and liaison input
Who: Library liaisons
When: Continuously
Strategy 3: Monitor developments in new courses,
new majors (such as global studies and African-American Studies) and programs,
activities on the campuses involving speakers, as opportunities to enhance
collections and respond to user interests.
Who: Director, Associate Director, Head of Technical Services, Acquisitions
Librarian, library liaisons
When: Continuously
Strategy 4: Identify and strengthen current
and potential collection areas of excellence that support the curricula at
the two colleges
Who: Library Director, Associate Director, Head of Technical Services, Acquisitions
Librarian
When: Identification, FY 2005-FY 2006; Strengthening, FY 2008 and thereafter
[Note: There are substantial media holdings in all
the subject areas that support the curricula of both colleges. The strongest
holdings are in History, Psychology and English, followed closely by Sociology,
Education, Political Science, and Religious Studies. The third cluster of
deep holdings would include Biology, Music, and Management.
Note: Journal holdings/electronic access are strongest in the fields of education,
psychology, business/economics, and speech pathology/audiology.
Note: Some measureable strengths in the book collection are education, psychology,
business/economics, speech pathology/audiology, the American Civil War, Gerard
Manley Hopkins, and Flannery O’Connor.
Note: Some potential areas of distinction are pastoral counseling, aging,
women’s studies, medieval studies, and instructional leadership for
changing populations.]
Strategy 5: Establish and maintain a comprehensive
collection of faculty publications and alumni/ae publications.
Who: Library liaisons, Acquisitions librarian and staff
When: Continuously
Strategy 6: Further develop and utilize consortial
arrangements in acquiring and providing collection resources
Who: Director, Head of Reference, Head of Technical Services, Acquisitions
Librarian
When: Continuously
Strategy 7: Pursue digitization projects, both
in-house and collaboratively
Example: Library and College archival materials; back issues of journals like
Olifant
Who: Director, Digital Librarian and staff, Head of Technical Services and
staff, Archivist?
When: Continuously as time and resources permit
Strategy 8: Promote the library’s collections
through exhibits, subject resource guides, new book lists, and browsing areas.
Note: The renovation of the Library’s first floor will allow for
multiple, concurrent displays, larger displays, and the ability to provide
more textual and visual information to enhance displays.
Who: Students and faculty from both colleges as well as all library staff
to suggest display topics, related titles, etc.; Technical Services staff
for setup and takedown; Library liaisons to develop and improve resource guides
When: FY 2007 and continuously thereafter
Strategy 1: Develop collections that relate
to all aspects of Catholicism.
Who: Theology Dept. liaison, Acquisitions Librarian, library liaisons
When: Continuously
Strategy 2: Intensively collect materials that
relate to the Jesuit and the School Sisters of Notre Dame orders
Who: Religious Studies/Theology liaison, Acquisitions Librarian
When: Continuously
Strategy 1: Identify sources to be checked regularly
for materials in all formats related to the various aspects of diversity
Who: Library liaisons, Acquisitions Librarian
When: Continuously
Strategy 2: Meet with and seek input from faculty
and staff in areas of interest, to determine instructional direction to guide
our development
Who: Library liaisons and appropriate professors
When: 2 times per year
Strategy 1: Organize and make decisions regarding
the Library’s Rare Book Room collections
Who: Director, Associate Director, Acquisitions Librarian
When: FY 2006-FY2009
Strategy 2: Identify material currently in the
stacks and in Technical Services areas that should be housed in special collections
Who: Associate Director, Acquisitions Librarian
When: FY 2007-FY 2010
Strategy 3: Collect materials in all formats
relating to the history and development of the two colleges and the Library.
Who: Associate Director, Acquisitions Librarian, all Library staff
When: Continuously
Strategy 4: Develop and implement a plan for
the preservation of archival and special collections
Who: Archivist/Preservationist
When: FY 2009; continuously thereafter
Resources: New librarian position or consultant; Expertise lacking in-house
Strategy 5: Identify special collections and
archival resources for potential digitization projects
Who: Director, Archivist/preservationist (if available), Digital Librarian
When: FY 2009; continuously thereafter
Strategy 6: Promote the use of archival and
special collections through the library website, exhibits, and lectures
Who: Archivist/preservationist (if available), library liaisons, Digital staff
When: FY 2010; continuously thereafter
Strategy 7: Determine the costs for adequately
staffing and equipping the special collections/archives facility.
Who: Director, Associate Director, Architects, Building Manager
When: Physical renovation specifications, FY 2005; Furniture, cabinets, etc,
FY 2006-FY 2007; Staffing, FY 2006 for FY 2007
Strategy 1: Plan for new staff workflow patterns
utilizing integrative online system features and emerging new technologies.
Who: Director
When: July 2005 through June 2007
Strategy 2: Identify key strategic areas in
departments for early adaptation.
Who: Library Managers
When: January 2006 through January 2008
Strategy 3: Integrate legacy library online
systems with productive, evolving digital technologies for maximum effectiveness
and efficiency.
Who: Digital Librarian, Media Librarian and Library Managers
When: Continuously
Strategy 4: Train staff in new tasks, cross-train
in existing tasks and integrate work interdepartmentally.
Who: Associate Director and Library Managers
When: Continuously
Strategy 1: Develop, maintain and improve a
multi-media web interface that allows all user learning styles to access and
share information effectively.
Who: Digital Librarian and Selected Staff
When: July 2005 through June 2010
Strategy 2: Survey developing technologies for
adoption by users of new equipment that can effectively receive and display
library-provided content.
Who: Media Librarian
When: Continuously
Strategy 3: Train faculty and students in new
technologies through online tutorials.
Who: Reference Librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 1: Survey users for services that are
most needed in an online environment, supporting library digital collections
and other types of resources.
Who: Digital Librarian and Head of Reference
When: July 2005 through June 2006
Strategy 2: Plan services based on campus course
technologies utilized by faculty and students.
Who: Digital Librarian, Media Librarian and Head of Reference
When: January 2006 through December 2006
Strategy 3: Implement synchronous and asynchronous
communication modes, such as instant messenger, to more effectively communicate
with online users.
Who: Digital Librarian, Media Librarian and Selected Public Services Staff
When: July 2005 through December 2006
Strategy 1: Integrate key public service and
technical service positions with technology staff positions in a matrix team
structure.
Who: Director and Associate Director
When: January 2006 through June 2010
Strategy 1: Continue to give presentations on
information competence and related topics at faculty orientations, programs,
and departmental meetings; promote the value of information competence to
students
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 2: Encourage faculty to co-present
with librarians on successful information literacy programs in their departments.
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 3: Provide research guides and other
tools in multiple formats to promote information competencies, self-sufficiency,
and life-long learning skills
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 4: Ensure instruction and assistance
to off-campus programs
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 1: Increase collaboration with faculty
to develop methods to include information competencies in their courses and
to establish a sequence of skills dictated by departmental needs.
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 2: Establish an entry-level component
for information competency instruction in at least one undergraduate class,
preferably taken by first or second year students, in the core curriculum
at both colleges; also establish a major-based component integrated with research
courses in that major.
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 3: Hire another instructional librarian
to manage increased workload.
Who: Head of Reference
When: July 2006
Strategy 4: Increase opportunities for students
to develop information skills by exploring, with faculty, alternatives to
in-class instruction, alternative assignments, and unobtrusive ways of integrating
information competencies into coursework
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 5: Investigate and develop online components
to support and complement in-class instruction in information competency.
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 6: Develop partnerships with college
initiatives established to support student scholarship and achievement.
Example: Writing across the Curriculum, CND Chrysallis Project, Loyola’s
Freshman and Sophomore Initiatives
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 1: Create assessment methods for the
information competency program.
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: FY 2006
Strategy 2: Continue to design lessons that
promote critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills.
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 1: Evaluate instructional staff effectiveness
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 2: Encourage staff to attend workshops
and conferences in library and instruction topics.
Who: User Education Librarian and reference librarians
When: Continuously
Strategy 1: Utilize staff online and group training
opportunities at Loyola and Notre Dame
Who: Associate Director, department heads
When: FY 2006 and ongoing
Strategy 2: Identify and support attendance at appropriate training
workshops at OCLC/CAPCON and PALINET
Who: Associate Director, department heads
When: FY 2006 and ongoing
Strategy 3: Provide in-house training to better
enable staff to troubleshoot problems at their own workstations and to assist
library users with functional software and Internet questions
Who: Technology Support staff
When: FY 2006 and ongoing
Strategy 1: Provide funding for staff attendance
at state, regional, and national workshops and conferences
Who: Director, Associate Director
When: FY 2006 and ongoing
Strategy 2: Provide for appropriate reporting
back to library staff after attendance at workshops or conferences
Who Director, Associate Director, staff who attend workshops/conferences
When: FY 2006 and ongoing
Strategy 3: Provide funding for tuition remission
for staff attending graduate programs in library science, appropriate information
technology or specific subject disciplines supportive of curricula
Who: Director, Associate Director
When: FY 2006 and ongoing
Strategy 4: Encourage library staff to participate
as presenters, on committees, or in leadership positions with appropriate
library associations and consortia
Who: Director, Associate Director, department heads
When: 2006 and ongoing
Strategy 1: Survey peer institutions salary
ranges for appropriate categories of staff.
Who: Director
When: July 2005 through January 2006 and then every three years.
Strategy 2: Develop salary benchmarks appropriate
to two colleges support.
Who: Director
When: February through April 2006 and then every three years.
Strategy 3: Develop staff classifications and
equitable salary ranges based on complexity of work and years of experience.
Who: Director, Associate Director
When: April and May 2006 and then every three years
Strategy 1: Develop evaluation instrument appropriate
to staff classifications that enables thorough review of performance in relation
to strategic plan goals and objectives.
Who: Director, Associate Director and Department Heads
When: July 2005 through February 2006
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