Strategic Plan, 2020 - 2025
JAMES WHITE LIBRARY
ANDREWS UNIVERSITY
“Every person, organization, and even society reaches a point at which they owe it to themselves to Hit Refresh -- to reenergize, renew, reframe, and rethink their purpose…When it's done right, when people and culture re-create and refresh, a renaissance can be the result”.
(Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft in his book Hit Refresh, 2017, p. 15).
This is the goal of this strategic plan—to rethink our purpose in the advancement of research, teaching, student success and lifelong learning; to refresh the practices that serve our various constituencies; to renew our commitment to face-to-face and virtual user-centered library services for today’s diverse population; to reframe outreach and conversations about structure and personnel; and to refresh our spaces and re-energize our learning communities.
The James White Library and its branches must hit refresh in order to thrive due to pressing external and internal factors. External factors include global pandemics, rapid and ongoing technological advances, changes in demographics, the social landscape, and user expectations (Bell, 2019); economic environment, changes in higher education funding, resulting in reduced or flat budgets (Khan & Kamal, 2015; McGuigan, 2012); enhanced access to resources but diminished control (McGuigan, 2012) and increasing subscription models and escalating prices. Internal factors include introduction of new products and services, relationships between library departments and personnel, aging personnel, vacancies due to hiring freeze, leadership change, traditional structure (Khan & Kamal, 2015), and the need for continuous learning.
A challenge for us is to define how best to engage the learning community when there are so many alternatives and how to communicate the value of the library to students, faculty, administrators and other stakeholders.
This strategic plan aligns with The Next Chapter and provides a guide for achieving library goals that are consistent with the mission of Andrews University. It is informed by Standards for Libraries in Higher Education , (ACRL, 2018) the Higher Learning Commission Criteria for Accreditation (2020), involvement of library personnel, and feedback from students and faculty.
Mission Statement
The James White Library at Andrews University transforms its users by facilitating discovery and knowledge creation in order to enrich the world and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Vision Statement
Shape the future by developing globally engaged scholars.
Tagline
Globally engaged scholars made here
Values
| Collaboration |
| Compassion |
| Competency |
| Hospitality |
| Humility |
| Innovation |
| Integrity |
| Justice |
| Trust |
| Wellbeing |
Andrews University Themes:
1. Live Wholly: Nurture your body, mind and spirit
2. Explore intentionally: Discover your future
3. Learn Deeply: Create and Research
4. Engage Globally: Understand Our World
EDUCATION - LEARN DEEPLY (Teaching & Learning)
Librarian faculty partner with classroom faculty in the educational mission of the institution to develop and support information-literate learners who can discover, access, and use information effectively for research, knowledge creation, academic success, and lifelong learning.
AU Goal # 3 – Position the University as a leader in teaching and learning.
AU Goal # 4 - Increase the quality and depth of the student learning experience.
1. EDUCATION
Goal 1.1: James White Library serves as the center for information literacy.
Objectives:
1. Empower faculty and students in the reflective discovery of information
2. Promote understanding in how information is produced and valued
3. Facilitate the efforts of faculty and students in their discovery and use of information to
a) Create new knowledge
b) Participate ethically in communities of learning
Strategies:
1. Increase the number of information literacy classes offered by 10% each year.
2. Promote individual consultations by
a) featuring the service on the library website
b) supporting liaisons in their areas of responsibility
c) using marketing platforms
3. Promote use of Credo information literacy and critical thinking modules in general education instruction
4. Promote the Dissertation and Thesis Support service.
5. Present one forum per year on various information literacy issues/topics (i.e. predatory publishing, fake news, misinformation, propaganda, social media manipulation, etc.)
6. Offer workshops each semester on EndNote, AU Standards, citation styles.
7. Promoting information literacy at the Lunch & Learn Forum, Faculty Institute, Meetings.
8. Teach one class per College for the 2020/2021 academic year.
9. Liaise with faculty to embed elements of information literacy in their instructional design.
10. Use the library’s marketing platform to promote information literacy.
Goal 1.2: James White Library fosters a library culture that supports a quality and in-depth learning experience.
Objectives:
1. Engage students and faculty in a community of learning
2. Engage library employees in quality service practices and inter-cultural competency.
3. Foster a culture of innovation and improvement to enhance the user experience in both the physical and online platforms.
4. Expand the role of the library in student success initiatives.
Strategies:
1. Organize outreach programs that connect faculty with students to engage in scholarly conversations for enriched learning experiences, such as:
a. Conversations with AU Authors
b. Science Café
2. Hold annual events, such as library Open House, Undergraduate and Graduate Orientations for faculty and students to increase their knowledge of library services and motivate them to use library resources .
3. Promote the services of liaison librarians via faculty and students’ forums to ensure that students and faculty have access to the expertise of professional librarians.
4. Provide innovative reference services that meet the needs of the 21 st century information user.
5. Provide service and multicultural literacy skills training to all employees.
EDUCATION - ENGAGE GLOBALLY (Research /Scholarship)
Goal 1.3 : James White Library fosters excellence in scholarly publishing for a global readership.
Objectives
1. Provide effective consultations to support scholarly publishing
2. Maintain a digital publishing platform for AU research output
3. Increase access to AU’s scholarship through Digital Commons@Andrews University and other open access publishing venues
4. Become more visible in sponsoring and showcasing university scholarship and creative endeavors.
Strategies:
1. Host one workshop on scholarly publishing for faculty each year
2. Collect, curate and preserve AU research output in Digital Commons
3. Document and showcase student scholarship in the Digital Commons @ Andrews University. Track global impact through altmetrics
4. Frame the library as “Knowledge Creation Laboratory” that connects student learning to participation in the global knowledge economy.
5. Promote Digital Commons to increase access, reduce cost, and improve dissemination of AU intellectual output
6. Organize a science café for students and faculty to exchange ideas about research and publishing.
7. Provide expertise in recognizing predatory publishing
8. Provide resources on copyright and ethical communication issues
9. Sponsor university scholarly and creative conferences and publications
10. Participate in planning university scholarly conferences
Goal 1.4: James White Library advocates for Open Education Resources and other affordable learning solutions
Objectives:
1. Work with faculty to develop learning materials and content from their scholarly articles and instructional resources as open education materials for AU students.
2. Liaise with faculty for the adoption of e-textbooks with multi-user license to expand access to relevant resources at a cheaper cost to students.
Strategies:
1. Present a workshop on affordable learning solutions at the Lunch and Learn Seminar
2. Provide links to open educational resources to improve access to scholarly materials
3. Provide professional development and a toolbox for the library liaisons as they advocate for OER.
4. Foster and support the creation of OERs that support global Adventist education.
2. COLLECTIONS
Libraries provide access to resources sufficient in quality, depth, diversity, format, and currency to support the teaching and research mission of the university.
Goal 2.1: The James White Library provides core resources, in all formats, to support the broad undergraduate and graduate level curriculum.
Strategies
1. Identify resources that compose the current core undergraduate and graduate level curriculum. To do so, appoint a Collections Development Librarian.
2. Engage subject area faculty in identifying core resources for their discipline.
3. Recognize the special architecture and music collections and continue to provide necessary resources to build these to meet, and where needed, to exceed the core curricular needs.
4. Track Inter-Library Loan and MeLCat requests for monographs as indicators of curriculum needs. When an ILL request is received, JWL will move to acquire the resource as soon as possible.
5. Focus more on digital resources accessible remotely while not ignoring print resources.
6. Work with e-book and similar kinds of vendors to ensure flexible access to e-resources. This includes increasing number of simultaneous accesses to digital resources, and that the resource is not confined to one user for longer than needed to allow more to access the resource.
7. Recognize some disciplines rely largely on serials and work to meet these needs by subscribing or providing digital access to core scholarly titles.
8. Acquire library materials and renew electronic resources in a timely manner.
Goal 2.2: The James White Library provides advanced level resources in the following specialty subject areas offering doctoral programs: Theology, Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Education, and in the cognate area of Seventh-day Adventists. The Library will acquire specialty resources to support the deep curriculum needs in these areas.
Strategies
1. Recognize the in-depth nature of specialty collections and allocate necessary resources to ensure the growth and development of these collections.
2. Subject area specialists [Theology, Seventh-day Adventist] work actively to build the specialty area collections in line with the curriculum needs of the University, and in line with the approved stated goals of the collecting area.
3. Specialty areas lacking an area specialist [Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Education] will have a library liaison to consult with faculty in subject disciplines, review class requirements (syllabi), subject specific literature, perusal of core collection bibliographies for disciplines as available, review accreditation standards/expectations/guidelines for disciplines and programs that undergo accreditation, and monitor Choice.
4. Track Inter-Library Loan and MelCat requests for monographs as indicators of curriculum and research needs. When an ILL request is received, JWL will move to acquire the resource as soon as possible.
5. Focus more on digital resources accessible remotely while not ignoring print resources. In the special collection areas, print may necessarily predominate in at least some of the subject areas.
6. Work with e-book and similar kinds of vendors to ensure flexible access to resources. This includes increasing number of simultaneous accesses to digital resources, and that the resource is not confined to one user for longer than needed to allow more to access the resource.
7. Recognize some disciplines rely largely on serials and work to meet these needs by subscribing or providing digital access to core scholarly titles.
8. Ensure that all resources acquired, especially digital, are available in a timely manner. Some resources may require additional time due to their more unusual nature.
9. Core resources in these specialty areas are included in the core resource identification and acquisition program of James White Library as identified in Collection Goal #1.
Goal 2.3: James White Library evaluates its physical holdings against curricular needs and increase collection of digital resources.
Strategies:
1. Utilize Green Glass and other such services to deaccession out of date and unnecessary resources thus freeing shelf space for new resources.
2. Emphasize scholarly serials over popular titles.
3. Seek digital resources and access over physical items.
3. DISCOVERY
Libraries enable users to discover information in all formats through effective use of technology and organization of knowledge.
Goal 3.1: James White Library provides a robust online presence in a logical and easy to use presentation, giving our learning and scholarly community access to a wide range of digital resources as well as access to the conventional print and audio-visual holdings.
Strategies:
1. Continue and enhance the development and expansion of Digital Commons @ Andrews University.
2. Explore improved discoverability and access to library collections via “one search”/Google-like interface in order to strengthen users’ ability to find and use relevant information.
3. Implement quickly all new developments and products from our various library vendors such as Innovative, EBSCO, etc. recognizing they are on the cutting edge of the library world’s means to accessing knowledge in all its forms.
4. Expand the amount of digital resources accessible as a means to giving our community easier and wider access to knowledge when they need it.
5. Streamline the Library catalog to only show what is currently available physically in the library. Other resources will be clearly delineated as not local.
6. Delete records from the library catalog database no longer physically or digitally held by the library as an aid to the library staff.
7. Remove extra databases from the Library catalog but allow “Discovery” access to them upon a user’s decision.
8. Review technology infrastructure (Springshare suite-chat reference, Libwizard); explore EDS, new ILS).
4. SPACES
Libraries are the intellectual and collaborative commons where users interact with ideas in both physical and virtual environments to expand learning, socialize, and to facilitate the creation of new knowledge.
AU GOAL #5: Engage in campus renewal and development to meet expectations of a campus for 2025.
Goal 4.1: The Library contains its holdings within the existing spaces and repurpose spaces as needed.
Strategies
1. Analyze the use of the print Reference Collection to understand if its resources may be significantly reduced. Assuming great reduction in size, relocate most of what is left to the various subject areas of the stacks. Maintain a small core Reference Collection in a new location and as a holding library within the Library catalog.
2. Work to remove general (popular) serial titles and out dated scholarly titles while retaining only core and existing supplemental scholarly print resources.
3. Consider remote storage of little used serial titles, and evaluate the use of the microform collection for possible disposal or placement in remote storage.
4. Reconfigure shelf space in the Library recognizing declining space needs in some areas and growing needs in other areas based on the needs of these collections
Goal 4.2: James White Library provides attractive and flexible physical spaces that stimulate collaboration and support knowledge construction and AU teaching and research endeavors.
Objectives:
1. Define library spaces into zones that meet the needs of users (active learning/peer-to-peer learning zones; quiet zones for individual learning or contemplation/ neutral spaces
2. House a centralized computer lab available to meet the needs of all Colleges
3. House the Writing Center in collaboration with all Colleges and all programs from undergraduate to post graduate, on campus and off campus
Strategies
1. Assess the present space use and student need to design a plan for a more relevant use.
2. Reconfigure underutilized spaces, including Rooms 350-351, for active campus use.
3. Repurpose reference collection area for alternative use
4. Continue administrative conversations with ITS and Dean’s Council on locating the campus-wide computer lab in James White Library
5. Continue administrative conversations with the Graduate Dean on locating and staffing the Research Commons (Writing Center, digital humanities center, and a maker space).
Goal 4.3: James White Library provides quiet and comfortable spaces for individual study
Objectives:
1. Maintain and improve tables and comfortable seating in designated quiet zones on all three floors
2. Maintain both open and private carrels for graduate students
Strategies
1. Review carrel policies and procedures routinely and refine as warranted.
2. Review signage for quiet zones, and enhance as needed.
3. Train building supervisors to pleasantly encourage compliance in the quiet zones
LIVE WHOLLY – SPACES
Goal 4.4: James White Library provides an environment conducive for social gatherings and activities.
Objective:
1.The James White Library is a “go-to” place on campus for academic and social activities.
2. Expand library spaces to embed innovation, campus engagement and wellness.
Strategies
1. Create spaces that are attractive, functional, flexible and safe.
2. Create a meeting area for student access on the main floor where the Reference Department is currently located. Relocate a pared down Reference print collection.
3. Upgrade the electrical power grid to support 21st century power needs.
4. Upgrade the campus Internet network, including expansion of Wi-Fi coverage within the Library building and in the branch libraries.
5. Upgrade/replace heating, cooling, and ventilation systems to maintain necessary interior environment year around.
6. Replace carpet throughout the building.
7. Upgrade furniture to provide a unified look and appearance throughout the building.
8. Repurpose spaces to accommodate changes in collection development emphasis and to provide additional student spaces as well as group study areas with “Smart” technology readily available throughout.
9. Work with Dining Services, or some other vendor, to provide some level of food and drink for students in the Library.
10. Expand wellness initiatives – Department wellness certification, Tai Chi, therapy dogs
11. Explore space for a prayer room.
12. Explore ways for student access area to be available after midnight for study purposes.
5.0 PARTNERSHIPS (EXTERNAL RELATIONS)
Goal 5.1: James White Library partners with the Andrews University community and the library’s stakeholders to advocate, educate, and promote library values, services and programs.
Objectives:
1. Bring awareness about new and existing services and collections to boost student success and the university’s academic advancement.
2. Develop external relations plans/outreach strategies that provide a focus for library marketing and community relations.
3. Support library services at AU extension sites.
Strategies
1. Identify an appropriate contact person in each school or department; communicate with them on a regular basis about ideas and plans for the library.
2. Develop strong relationships throughout campus to become more aware of the needs and expectations of the campus community.
3. Establish personal contacts and create a listserv for extension site librarians.
4. Publish a quarterly newsletter for AU extensions sites that highlights resources and services they have access to from JWL.
5. Grant full library access privileges for at least one librarian at each extension site to support AU students
6. Organize and host interdepartmental events that bring the campus academic community together. Examples could include: book signing, science café, conversations with AU authors.
7. Promote library events and activities in social media.
8. Create promotional information literature.
9. Increase awareness of the academic and research potential of library collections through exhibitions both virtual and physical.
10. Collaborate with Berrien Springs Public Library for mutual benefits.
11. Expand library footprint beyond Berrien Springs through collaboration with church, community, and higher education institutions.
12. Library engages in the community
13. Tap into the skills and expertise of other individuals and stakeholders to advance the needs of the library
14. Partner with Development to fundraise for strategic initiatives
15. Explore grant opportunities for library innovations
6. LEADERSHIP/ PERSONNEL
Goal 6.1: The James White Library maximizes individual competence and organizational effectiveness to implement strategic initiatives and assess its impact.
Objective: Monitor and coordinate the implementation of the library’s strategic plan
Strategies:
1. Promote effective organizational culture through shared beliefs, values and best practices.
2. Develop an annual prioritization plan of strategies to meet the goals and objectives.
3. Implement assessments and make recommendations for ongoing improvement.
4. Allocate human and financial resources effectively and efficiently to accomplish the library’s mission.
Goal 6.2: The James White Library maintains a culture of meaningful assessment and data-informed decision making.
Objectives:
1. Define and establish baseline measures of the quality and impact of library services, teaching, and collections and how they impact student success and faculty excellence.
2. Make and document data-informed decisions to improve user experience
Strategies:
Form assessment team.
1. Conduct needs assessment to evaluate the expectations and needs of the Andrews University community.
2. Assess library involvement in the undergraduate and graduate curricula to improve library support and participation in teaching.
3. Identify and measure outcomes that contribute to library effectiveness.
4. Conduct library user-satisfaction/impact survey by Colleges/Schools. (Annually determine set of activities/functions to assess plus collection and collection use)
5. Standardize data points especially in the area of library holdings.
6. Develop outcomes related to information literacy instruction.
7. Analyze collection use in support of inter-disciplinary/curriculum-based collecting.
8. Participate in campus-wide assessment activities and reporting (Accreditation reports; course evaluations, program reviews, and Student Satisfaction Inventory)
9. Employ IT infrastructure to collect and analyze data (Sierra, ENCORE, Google Analytics, LibAnalytics)
10. Develop and maintain evidence-based data to support decision making/improvements.
11. Apply data to advocate for and to allocate library budget.
12. Communicate with stakeholders to highlight the value of the library to university mission.
13. Share results with stories in convincing ways. Celebrate milestones.
Goal 6.3: James White Library personnel is sufficient in number and quality to ensure excellence and to function in an environment of continuous change.
Objective: Support ongoing professional development of Library faculty, staff and student workers through training programs and mentoring .
Initiatives:
1. Foster an equitable and inclusive culture for library personnel through hiring, retention and training.
2. Library personnel demonstrate inter-cultural competency*
3. Mentor faculty, staff and student employees in their library roles, research, and career goals.
4. Provide leave and funding support for library faculty and staff to participate in professional development, continuing education and networking opportunities.
5. Facilitate the sharing of expertise, research, conference and workshop takeaways, and other experiences of faculty and staff.
6. Encourage library faculty and staff to engage with collaborative tools and emerging technologies.
7. Sustain an environment where personnel are proficient in virtual communication literacy.
8. Cultivate a team of professionals who are knowledgeable about the higher education landscape.
9. Develop a succession plan.
10. Create a workflow for on boarding new hires.
Goal 6.4: The James White Library personnel is flexible and changes roles to meet the needs of an evolving organization and environment.
Objective: Expand the culture of teamwork and collaboration.
Strategies:
1. Fosters an organizational structure that promotes team work, collaboration and a clear mission focus.
2. Organize work flow and internal collaborations around goals and projects.
3. Institute collaborations and cross-training across library units and ensure that we are aware of how each unit functions.
4. Improve internal communications to encourage transparency and open dialogue
References
Bell, S. (2019). Becoming a change-ready academic library leader: Leading from the library. Retrieved February 16, 2020 from https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=Becoming-a-Change-Ready-Academic-Library-Leader-Leading-from-the-Library .
HLC Policy: Criteria for Accreditation. (2020). Retrieved February 11, 2020 from https://www.hlcommission.org/Policies/criteria-and-core-components.html
Khan, M & Kamal, M. (2015). Change management in academic libraries: An experience. Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies. 3(5), 175-179.
McGuigan, G.S. (2012). Addressing change in academic libraries: A review of classical organizational theory and implications for academic libraries. Library Philosophy and Practice(e-journal). 755. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/755 . Retrieved February 15, 2020.
Nadella, S. (2017). Hit Refresh! Harper Collins
Standards for libraries in higher education. (2018) Retrieved February 11, 2020 from http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/standardslibraries
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