Overview of University Libraries’ Major Performance Goals for 2010-2011
Arthur W. Hafner, Ph.D., Dean of University Libraries
The University Libraries have completed a performance summary against goals that span the first nine months of the current fiscal year, July 1, 2010 through March 2011.
In reviewing our key accomplishments, we have met or exceeded our strategic objectives, including providing a sophisticated range of library and information services to our students, faculty, and other community members in a welcoming and customer-friendly environment.
During this period, personnel in the University Libraries have acquired and processed new books and journals and other informational materials for circulation. Through our outreach services, we have taught a large number of library instruction classes and workshops and have hosted conferences and seminars. We have produced a wide array of new digital object content for Web access that benefits our students and faculty for various types of educative outcomes, including research, classroom enhancement, and academic achievement.
The University Libraries have also met our benchmarks in developing an infrastructure and collections that continue to transform the University Libraries to a predominately digital environment. Part of the Libraries’ objective is to create widespread awareness among students, faculty, administrators, and others that the University Libraries are the University’s digital front door for information resources.
Some noteworthy numbers for this nine-month period are the following:
- The turnstiles recorded 1,215,912 visits for the 264 days we were open, an increase of 5.8% in visits over the same previous period.
- Over 90% of Ball State’s sophomores and juniors used at least one of the Libraries’ services during Fall Semester 2010
A listing of the University Libraries’ key accomplishments in six goal areas can be seen at this URL: http://tinyurl.com/LibrariesMajorAccomplishments.
Doing More with What We Have
In higher education’s challenging funding environment that includes reduced resources for collections, no new staff positions, hiring slow-downs, and no new space for expansion, our Libraries continue to pursue a forward-oriented growth agenda that we characterize as doing more with the same amount. This requires our professional and paraprofessional personnel to follow carefully our strategic plan, rank priorities to maximize our opportunities, and find value that has not been brought to full fruition in our programs and services for the benefit of our students and faculty.
Some of the significant and notable value-added services we offered this past nine months, and continue to offer, are the following:
- Utilizing social networking Web 2.0 technologies for presenting and communicating about a variety of sophisticated library programs and services to students and faculty
- Equipping the Libraries’ public workstations with all the common course-relevant software applications that are used on campus to facilitate research and learning
- Use of library facilities to offer international language broadcasts and media
- Initiating and presenting culturally and racially diverse exhibits to stimulate student awareness and engagement
- Leveraging and enhancing our programs, services, and collections through successful grant funding
- Transforming and utilizing the University Libraries’ space to foster individual and group study and facilitating for student’s ability to reserve study rooms for their use
- Outfitting several library instructional spaces with advanced technology for research and learning
- Offering students, faculty, and global researchers singular and unique Digital Media Repository resources
- Tailoring library research instruction for students in academic partnership with classroom faculty and extending this instruction into various learning communities on campus
- Providing various librarian reference services to help students and faculty with their research projects
- Coaching students and faculty in intellectual property rights management
The University Libraries continue to strive for excellence in providing the best possible services for our students and faculty. With the dedicated and creative personnel in the Libraries, we anticipate that any challenges encountered in the next fiscal year will be met with our personnel’s usual alacrity, commitment, diligence, and enthusiasm. ◙