STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 1999-2000

(A Road Map or Planning Guide for Library Council)

September 15, 1999

 

The following general priorities for 1999-2000 were derived from several documents: the Libraries’ Strategic Plan 1998 (October 27, 1998), the Libraries’ Values, Mission, Vision Statements (5/18/98), and Library Council’s Environmental Factors (September 15, 1999). The general priorities are not in any particular priority order.

This Strategic Priorities document was especially designed to work as a road map for Library Council decisions regarding planning, budget requests, equipment requests, filling vacant positions, etc. Since progress toward these goals could be made in a variety of ways, examples of possible projects or actions are listed under each of them. There may be other ways to accomplish these goals.

 

  1. Enhance user access to collections and information resources
    2.

    Possibilities:

    • Provide seamless (integrated) access to information for all our users
    • Hot link full text titles in Griffin
    • Integrate CRL holdings in Griffin
    • Catalog all of our holdings in Griffin
    • Implement and promote the Washington State Cooperative Library Project
    • Participate in CORC (OCLC research project on cataloging digital resources)
    • Develop websites
    • Seek out and foster consortial arrangements
    • Conduct collections analysis (management information system)

     

  2. Improve access to information resources for distance learners
    3.

    Possibilities:
    • Implement SiteSearch (software for uniform interface to different databases)
    • Increase staffing as distance programs grow
    • Help distance learners become more self-sufficient

     

  3. Increase information literacy and user self-sufficiency
    4.

    Possibilities:
    • Expand User Education to support more courses and differing learning styles
    • Expand unmediated document delivery
    • Introduce "My Library" (example of customized service from NCSU)
    • Implement patron-initiated circulation and interlibrary transactions
    • Expand services to on-campus and off-campus remote users

     

  4. Improve user access to local (i.e., WSU) information sources
    5.

    Possibilities:

    • Organize and provide access to image databases and faculty databases

     

    In addition, Library Council identified 7 specific actions that would contribute to our overall ability to accomplish the above goals most effectively in our current fiscal environment. The examples given with each are intended to help clarify possible ways to accomplish these actions. There may be other ways to accomplish these specific actions as well.

     

    a. Develop an efficient management information system

    Possibilities:

    • Conduct user assessment (focus groups, surveys, usability testing)
    • Use management information efficiently and effectively

    b. Increase Libraries’ advancement activities

    Possibilities:

    • Increase appointment of Library Development Officer position
    • Increase grant requests
    • Promote library services
    • Increase cultivation of major gifts

    c. Increase liaison activities for better service and higher visibility

    Possibilities:
    • Explore effective ways to make new services known and used
    • Target new faculty, researchers, and graduate students
    • Teach classes through the Center for Teaching, Learning & Technology

    d. Improve recruitment and retention of Library Faculty

    Possibilities:
    • Increase library faculty salaries
    • Expand opportunities for career development

    e. Develop a comprehensive personnel training program

    Possibilities:

    • Assess training needs
    • Coordinate training efforts
    • Foster a climate that values training as part of one’s job
    • Cross-train
    • Provide funds for training
    • Provide cultural diversity training
    • Encourage non-supervisory staff to take WSU supervisory training to prepare for promotional opportunities
    • Provide for feedback sessions when employees attend conferences or workshops

    f. Analyze workflows and manage for efficiency and effectiveness

    Possibilities:

    • Examine how best to offer services (e.g., centralize or decentralize as appropriate)
    • Standardize routines, as feasible
    • Eliminate redundancies, as feasible
    • Review the number of service points throughout Libraries

    g. Foster a climate of continuous improvement (services & personnel)

    Possibilities:
    • Highlight and reward good ideas
    • Provide each employee with the resources necessary to do his/her job efficiently
    • Stress goal setting as part of the performance evaluation process
    • Provide opportunity for involvement beyond job description
    • Promote a climate that values training as part of job
    • Explore and develop programs with regional libraries for library staff
    • Encourage staff to attend regional professional meetings
    • Devote time in units to brainstorming