DIRECTION

James White Library Strategic Plan - 2002

Definition and Vision

The metamorphosis that is taking place within academic libraries is clearly evident in the changing nature of the James White Library clientele. As recently as the early 1990's the library served a campus population of students and faculty, plus a smattering of community users and occasional distant users through interlibrary loan. Today the library's clientele is complex and diverse. It extends from the traditional campus and community users to a growing number of off-campus students enrolled in globally distributed education programs, to students and faculty at international affiliated campuses, to institutional members of the ALICE consortium, and beyond those to an amorphous, unknown and un-numbered body of people worldwide who use the library's website as a gateway to Internet resources.

On the Andrews campus itself there is increasing diversity. Representing a variety of cultures and academic backgrounds, Andrews students have differing needs for library instruction and support.

The James White Library plan calls for the re-design of its services to meet the unique needs of its diverse and multi-cultural communities. Nothing presents a greater challenge to the future James White Library than meeting the informational and research needs of these populations.

Faith Focus

Library service at every level will be characterized by an attitude of helpfulness and Christian concern for each library user.

Assessment Focus

The particular needs of the library's user populations will be determined in a variety of ways -- formal surveys, focus groups, interviews with students and faculty, and program evaluations.

GOALS

The library will match its services to the information needs of students. This may necessitate the re-design of some services and the introduction of new ones.

Action Steps:

• -Market aggressively the library's collections and services to the campus
• -Promote information literacy for all students

• -Explore and implement new directions for reference services, including digital reference
• -Explore and design individualized services for students, such as personalized notification of new materials of subject interest
• -Modify library hours as necessary to meet needs of students
• -Work with ITS to create more effective use of information technology in student learning
• -Give attention to the library needs of students for whom English is a second language, such as a multilingual virtual library tour

The library will provide a complete range of services for off-campus students and their teachers and work collaboratively within the Adventist Distance Education Consortium.

Action Steps:

• -Continue development of services to off-campus students
• -Maximize digital resources which meet off-campus needs
• -Further develop the library's web pages for off-campus users
• -Provide participation and leadership as appropriate within the Adventist Distance Education Consortium and similar organizations

Library services for faculty will include personalized services such as current awareness, self-service document delivery, and provision of research carrels in James White Library.

Action Steps:

• -Become more responsive to the information needs of faculty, including their use of Web resources
• -Develop good communication links with faculty, including workshops for new faculty
• -Extend current awareness and document delivery services to all faculty
• -Design electronic portals for faculty in specific disciplines
• -Provide some faculty research carrels in the future renovated James White Library

James White Library will continue to explore and implement ways to work with and assist Adventist higher education institutions globally in developing and sharing library resources.

Action Steps:

• -Evaluate the SAIL program and re-design as necessary
• -Continue to provide appropriate levels of library support to worldwide institutions with which Andrews University has affiliation or similar agreements
• -Explore needs and opportunities for global sharing of knowledge resources with the General Conference Education Department
• -Participate with ALICE and ASDAL in linking and assisting Seventh-day Adventist libraries globally
• -Continue developing a web site which is user-friendly to global users

The Library will continue to provide some information services for the Michiana community and beyond, with special attention to alumni of the university.

• -Provide appropriate levels of library support to the southwest Michigan community. This includes participation in the Berrien Library Consortium and other local organizations
• -Design library services for alumni based on their expressed needs