The ACU Library will transform lives by providing information services and resources in environments that are hospitable to learning.
Priority #1. Manage collection to efficiently use consortial resources and library space.
Strategize and coordinate development and deaccession of print serial collections, especially through ALC relationships.
Strategy: Eliminate unnecessary duplication of serials across ALC libraries according to defined standards.
Objective: Use ALC reports and Library Inventory Reports to identify redundancy of serial runs in the collection and deaccession titles and volumes for needed shelf space.
Measures: Track number of discards to estimate potential shelf space savings.
Date: August 2014
Minimize the floor space utilized by library circulating collections, while maintaining onsite access in compact shelving.
Strategy: Move third floor and 1st floor stacks into compact shelving.
Objective: Complete move by August 2015
Measures: Third floor collection is moved to first floor and floor space for circulating collections is located on first floor.
Measure: Student focus group and survey assessing customer satisfaction.
Date: August 2014
Cooperate with other ALC Depository Libraries to deselect and merge holdings for print U.S. government documents that address the growing costs for space and preservation of the collection.
Strategy: Inventory holdings of Print Government Documents to insure accurate cataloging and holdings records for the extant collection.
Objective: Complete inventory of Government Documents collection by August 2015 and make retention decisions on items that are uncataloged or outdated.
Measure: Reports from the inventory provide accurate holdings information about the collection.
Date: March 2015
Strategy: Revise Collection Development Policy for print government documents, especially pre-1978 documents that have been acquired since we became a depository.
Objective : Evaluate collection development policy and decide how we will collect or retain pre-1978 print documents .
Measure : Collection development policy is revised and decisions are made on retention and value of pre-1978 documents.
Date: December 2014
Priority #2. Provide timely access to most important and unique library information resources.
Identify existing cataloging activities and priorities, and align these priorities related to resource description for unique and digitized materials.
Strategy: develop ACU Library resource description priorities;
Objective: convene meeting with library leadership (John, Carisse, Mark) and cataloging department to discuss priorities for FY15.
Measure: implement resource description priorities as related to unique materials
Date: June 2014
b. Strategy: develop account of current cataloging activities and priorities;
Objective: Ensure that we have the right metrics to support decision making and report the metrics to library administration on a regular basis.
Date: August 2014
Continue to catalog hidden, unique collections at ACU
Strategy: Catalog the following collections in FY15: 1) uniquely held unbound periodicals in REST; 2) Digital Collection descriptions, e.g. Electronic Theses and Dissertations ; 3) Pepperdine EEB or Early American Imprint Microforms (?)
Objective: Consult with Digital Scholarship Center and CRS to prioritize collections to be cataloged.
Measure: Cataloged collections will be available in the library or incorporated into digital repositories, as appropriate to their format, and will be discovered by researchers at ACU and beyond.
Date: May 2015
3. Establish shelving and shelf-reading responsibilities for student staff for Stanley and Main Collections
a. Strategy: Create schedule and assign student staff to shelving and shelf-reading responsibilities for Stanley and First Floor Collections
i. Objective: Meet with Library services supervisors to determine assignments and responsibilities
ii. Measure: Schedule and assignments are completed by August 2014
iv. Date: August 2014
Priority #3: Provide excellent Public Services to support faculty and student reading, research, creativity, and scholarly communication.
Goal: Investigate and reorient library reference/research services in the Learning Commons to best meet student needs and best utilize staffing resources.
Strategy: Coordinate reference librarians and circulation staff in exploration of centralized service desk and referral method.
Objective: Develop and schedule reference services at Circulation Desk by August 1, 2014, with robust student/staff training and faculty referral system.
Measure: Number of reference staff hours and referrals at centralized service desk in August 2014.
Date August 2014.
Goal: Develop and implement a new model for coordinated and shared Student Learning Outcomes for Library Instruction.
Strategy: For instructions librarians to identify best practices/preferred outcomes and focus into shared and consistently taught information. (Communicated through website)
Objective: Create and publicize online tutorials that are consistent and provide a common core of information to instruct all students
Measure: At least two online tutorials are created, one for undergraduate core and one for graduate students.
Date: December 2014
Goal: Develop measures for developmental and summative evaluation of student learning and librarian teaching.
Strategy: Creation of online learning analytics, and recording of librarian instruction session # and topics.
i. Objective: Produce two (one for faculty, one for students)
tools for assessing the effectiveness and value of library instruction
sessions, giving feedback to the librarians for modifying their sessions and
providing better service to their students.
ii. Measure: Assessment tools are produced and implemented
iv. Date: December 2014
b. Strategy: Assess individual consultations and research desk
encounters to improve librarian teaching and service.
i. Objective : Develop a survey tool to evaluate individual
learning sessions such as consultations and research
ii. Measure: Survey tool is developed and implemented
during the academic year.
iv. Date: October 2014
Goal: Build mentoring relationships between librarians and students.
Strategy: Seek out mentoring relationships in partnership with Career Services.
Objective : Pilot program for meeting with students for career information assistance.
Measure : Students report that the relationships with librarians are valuable to their career preparation.
Date: August 2014
Strategy: Establish research consultation requirements for classes with significant research requirements
Objective: Partner with teaching faculty and library faculty to set up consultation schedule and meet with students to discuss significant research projects
Measure: Work with two core faculty and two or more library faculty to establish consultation program for students to discuss significant research projects.
Date: November 2014
Strategy: Establish mentoring services for online students to discuss research assignments with library faculty through LMS and online conferencing.
Objective: Establish appointment scheduling in LMS for library faculty consultations
Measure : Appointment scheduling established through LMS
Date: May 2015
Strategy: Professional Development opportunities to learn about mentoring to student workers
Objective: Devote at least one staff meeting to best practices and strategies for mentoring our student workers
Measure : Staff Meeting and follow-up survey to see what the benefits are from the professional development opportunity.
Date: December 2014
Goal: Complete initial launch of library website, with main content pages and integration with library resources.
Strategy : Conduct usability test of the web site with Library faculty, staff, and selected ACU students and faculty.
Objective : Send out test link for feedback that determines ease of use and self-reliance for the library web site.
Measures : Feedback is positive on the ease of use and independence of users to find items on their own.
Date: August 2014
Strategy: Address content or functionality that should be added to the library web site, including social media enhancements.
Objective :Determine enhancements or problematic elements that should be changed and redesign accordingly
Measure: Enhancements and problematic elements are addressed from user feedback and web site task force.
Date: October 2014
Strategy : Integrate web content across different platforms including LibGuides and blogs
Objective: Establish links and develop continuity across the library web site where possible.
Measure: Continuity in look and feel of the web site is apparent with successful usability tests.
Date: September 2014
Priority #4: Optimize Circulation Services and Collection Services to provide recent scholarly and relevant print and electronic resources, and convenient access to them.
Goal: Process and practice for regular review of ILL requests for potential acquisition of most often requested items.
Strategy: Purchase-Based-On-Demand (PBOD) project with criteria and procedures developed by Collection Services and Acquisitions
Objective: Begin discussions to develop criteria and procedures based on best practices, seeking how selectors can have role.
Measure: Program begins implementation
Date: September 2014
Goal: Review and reorientation of librarian liaison/selector responsibilities and procedures to optimize library purchasing decisions.
Strategy: Maintain effective librarian liaison responsibilities and have procedures in place for liaison responsibilities for new or combined departments
Objective: Evaluate current librarian liaison responsibilities to determine if modifications need to be made.
Measure: Librarian Liaison roles are current and new and combined departments are assigned.
Date: May 2014
Strategy : Publicly distribute and have available Librarian Liason responsibilities and librarian liaison purchasing criteria.
Objective: Create and publish document with Librarian Liaison responsibilities and librarian liaison purchasing criteria.
Measure: Document and policy is created and distributed on the library web site.
Date: May 2014
Goal: Process and practice for regular replacement of lost materials
Strategy: Evaluate current procedures for replacement of lost materials.
Objective : Determine policies for replacing materials and determine policies based on cost of the item, condition (discard or send to bindery), and availability in the consortium or via ILL.
Measure: Policies are implemented for lost materials.
Date: March 2015
Goal: Relocation of library media collection for appropriate storage and accessibility.
Strategy: Move Library media collection in consultation with Learning Studio staff and Library Staff to a location that is accessible and appropriately sized.
Objective : Determine location and move the library media collection.
Measure: Library media collection is successfully moved
Date: September 2014
Goal: Coordination and completion of library inventory and shelf-reading processes
Strategy: Establish schedule for when collections will be inventoried
Objective: Collection inventories and shelf-reading schedules will be coordinated with library staff
Measure: Collections are inventoried and reports completed according to the planned schedule
Date: Ongoing, but starting in September 2014
Goal: Policy and Signage for Library Noise-level zoning
Strategy : Designate zones and corresponding signage for noise level in areas of the library, after relocation of shelving over summer 2014.
Objective : Staff will meet and create appropriate signage and enforcement policies for noise levels in the corresponding areas of the library
Measure : Zones are designated with corresponding signage and enforcement policies. Publicized in the Library and on the Library Web Pages.
Date: December 2014