University of Maryland Libraries Strategic Plan
INITIATIVES AND GOAL STATEMENTS
The University Libraries support the University’s goals to provide the highest scholarly information resources to its community of undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff. Initiatives II and I are both fundamental to the Libraries’ mission and goals, which are to serve the needs of the students and faculty and staff communities. The Libraries serve an educational continuum that considers the changes in undergraduate and graduate education. In order to support a continuum of services, a comprehensive research collection must meet the needs of the undergraduates, graduates and faculty. To support this research collection the Libraries need to acquire electronic and print resources, as well as materials in other formats. The Libraries must also provide the physical facilities for optimum research. The UM Libraries have consolidated general information and research services for all levels of students. Therefore, for the purposes of this plan, Initiatives I and II of the University’s plan are shown together. I/II Goal 1. Responding to the CQI [continuous quality improvement] team’s recommendation, the Libraries will continue to refine access to information services to respond to changes in information delivery and the instructional and research needs of graduate and undergraduate students, the faculty and the university community. I/II Goal 1.1. Continue staff training and development activities to deliver the reorganized services resulting from changes instituted from the "CQI Report on Undergraduate Services in the 21st Century." I/II Goal 1.2. Continue to integrate the goals of the Square One Project Center into the Libraries’ services.
I/II Goal 1.3.1. Enhance resources for bibliographic instruction and develop proactive programs to inform faculty of the library staff’s teaching expertise. I/II Goal 2.1. Continue working with USM [University System of Maryland] libraries on the development of MdUSA [Maryland University System Access] to provide a single Web interface for the Libraries’ online catalog and electronic resources. I/II Goal 2.2. Investigate and develop full-text networked capability of electronic reserves. As quickly as feasible, class reserve services will be accessible to students over the Internet. Instructor-supplied material will be mounted immediately. Copyrighted material will be mounted as soon as issues of intellectual property rights are resolved. I/II Goal 2.3. Investigate and develop the electronic capability for providing networked access to collections through improved processing, digitization of collections and cooperative ventures. I/II Goal 3. Ensure that the Libraries have and cultivate the human resources essential to a research library of the first rank. I/II Goal 3.1. Develop an ongoing review cycle to assure that staff is provided with adequate preparation to meet the demands of their positions and of the campus community. I/II Goal 3.2. Provide staff the opportunity to take advantage of formal and informal training both on and off campus.
I/II Goal 3.4. Provide ongoing training for staff at all levels. I/II Goal 5.1. Build better access to the increasingly rich resources of special collections through a concentrated cataloging effort and the provision of additional resources for the processing of special materials. In addition, find ways to accelerate processing and cataloging materials received by gift or block purchases. I/II Goal 6.1. Enhance discipline-based support for information/research services, selection of resources, cataloging, etc. – through added or re-defined positions for selectors, instructors, bibliographers, subject specialists and catalogers and through a strengthened team-based environment. I/II Goal 6.2. Implement the USM Regents’-mandated 1996 pay plan for librarians’ promotion in place to improve recruitment, retention and development of librarians. I/II Goal 6.3. Strengthen and expand the Libraries’ graduate assistantship program. I/II Goal 7.1. Develop a schedule for periodic assessment of all goals, both quantitative and qualitative.
_______________ The University has an extremely large investment in the Libraries’ collection of over two million volumes. A ballpark replacement value is in the vicinity of a quarter of a billion dollars. There are problems in the condition of the collection which threaten its survival. UM Libraries have established a preservation department responsible for addressing the collection’s condition and for protecting this valuable resource. I/II Goal 9. Establish, maintain or strengthen initiatives such as deacidification to provide a permanent infrastructure for the maintenance of standard collections. I/II Goal 11. Improve and expand the Libraries’ physical facilities. The Libraries must continue to explore new options for providing an optimum research environment for library users. They must devise new plans for use of existing floor space and must garner support for the construction of new library buildings on campus. I/II Goal 11.1. Seek full funding and continue the implementation of the multi-year renovation of McKeldin and Hornbake libraries. I/II Goal 11.2. Move the Performing Arts Library [PAL] to its new 23,000 square-foot facility in the Maryland Center for the Performing Arts by the end of calendar year 2000. I/II Goal 11.3. Evaluate the facility needs of the libraries supporting campus engineering and science programs (McKeldin Library, Engineering and Physical Science Library and the White Memorial Library). Develop plans to merge or improve science and technology resources in these libraries to provide first-class service to the engineering and scientific research community on campus.
I/II Goal 11.5. Continue to assess the need for off-site storage.
_______________ III Goal 2. Strengthen the resources and increase the use and visibility of the Performing Arts Library as the University Libraries’ branch in the Maryland Center for the Performing Arts. _______________ III Goal 3. Build better bibliographic, electronic and physical access to unique special collections through preservation and digital library projects. _______________ III Goal 4. Promote and recognize contributions by Libraries’ staff to University service, professional organizations, scholarly disciplines and to society generally. ________________
IV Goal 1. Explore and develop digital library efforts in various arenas and in partnership with campus units (e.g., College of Library and Information Services, Academic Information technology Services, College of Computer, Mathematical and Physical Sciences).
V Goal 1. Strengthen the Libraries’ staff resources to improve support of all basic services by stabilizing the staff funding and creating a funding base that will minimize the frequent turnover of staff positions. V Goal 1.1. Eliminate large-scale dependence for permanent support utilizing contract positions by converting contract positions to line positions. V Goal 1.2. Build an adequate budget to recruit, reward and retain student assistants. Evaluate the present assignments of students, including graduate assistants. Re-assign slots and/or dollar amounts as indicated by the evaluation. V Goal 2.1. Strengthen the training capacity within the Libraries, to include standard or required training, plus one-time, occasional or optional training on other topics. Identify, encourage and financially support opportunities outside the Libraries for staff training and development. V Goal 2.2. Provide staff with effective, continuous training in information technology and continuous improvement so that they can respond better to users’ needs.
UM Libraries Home | Publications | Strategic Plan | Search UM Libraries © 1999 University of Maryland Libraries
|
