DIRECTION

James White Library Strategic Plan - 2002

Cover | Preface | Librairies and Change | Themes | Communities | Environment | Knowledge Resources | Human Resources | Appendix

LIBRARIES AMID CHANGE

Academic libraries at the threshold of the 21st century are being impacted by several trends and developments. Some are economic in nature, while others are spawned by the information technology revolution that is re-shaping American society and ultimately the entire world. The combined impact on James White Library is substantial and almost constantly changing, making it difficult to chart a journey with any degree of certainty. The best we can do is to observe the weather, set a course, and be prepared to make adjustments en route.

The Strategic Planning Committee has identified several trends in the academic world which impact our planning :

  • •Academic libraries are receiving a smaller share of their institutions' financial resources. Andrews University struggles to finance an expanding range of support services, including information technology and instructional technology.


  • •Distance education makes ever-increasing demands on library resources and services. The Standards for Library Services to Distance Education published by the Association of College and Research Libraries in 2000 challenge James White Library to offer a complete range of services to off-campus learners.


  • •Academic libraries are participating in networks and consortia for the purpose of sharing resources. The James White Library participates actively in consortia at the state, regional, and denominational levels.


  • •The serials crisis continues to challenge academic libraries. The James White Library has responded to the crisis by assembling a cluster of strategies that constitute a new plan for periodical resources at Andrews.


  • •Information literacy has become recognized as a critical component of educational programs. As the Internet continues to explode with information resources, students must receive training in finding, evaluating and using a complex array of knowledge resources.


  • •Restructuring of academic libraries, both internally and externally, is occurring more frequently. Internally, libraries are organizing to be more flexible and responsive in the face of change.


  • •Knowledge management impacts the role of libraries in an increasingly digital world. It is apparent that librarians, as custodians and purveyors of knowledge, are destined to play an important role in the way knowledge is packaged and managed.