2010 Objectives & Strategic Initiatives

Each of the library goals is supported by an implementation pathway – consisting of objectives, strategic initiatives, and projects.  The implementation of the three goals are supported by a set of general strategic initiatives.

General (supporting all strategic goals)

Strategic Initiatives:

• Planning  – undertake regular analysis and review of service, staffing, and technology structure
• Facility – advance the implementation of the Library Master Plan
• Communication – enhance both internal and external communication
• Assessment – review existing measurements and insure alignment with revised goals
• Financial Plan – using the strategic plan – develop long term budget needs and objectives

Goal 1 – Knowledge – Advance Access to and Enable the Development of Knowledge.

Objective 1 – The Knowledge Base – Insure that the faculty and students have access to a comprehensive, seamless and ubiquitous knowledge base, available through an advanced electronic access, retrieval, and discovery system.

Strategic Initiatives:

• Analytics – continue to develop and refine the tools for assessing user needs and documentation of use patterns of scholarly information
• Availability – accelerate exploration, testing and deployment of services that expand the depth and scope of scholarly resources
• Discovery – continue to enhance knowledge discovery – with emphasis on three elements – cross searching of content silos, integration of catalog and database searching, portability of discovery tools to a variety of e-platforms
• Cost Management – continue to aggressively deal with the costs of scholarly information
• Faculty Engagement – enhance faculty awareness and utilization of knowledge resources; improve integration of knowledge resources into instructional pedagogies and practice

Objective 2 – Content Creation and Preservation – Provide the means for creation, storage, and dissemination of knowledge that is unique to Drake; insure that Drake’s heritage is preserved through appropriate archival methods.

Strategic Initiatives:

• Assessment – conduct an inventory and assessment of the state of preservation and retention of archival material
• Engagement – develop the means to better enable the end-user to add scholarly content to the library repository
• Discovery – integrate access to unique Drake content through the new discovery tools
• Teaching – enhance the presence of knowledge creation – through course-based projects and activities

Goal 2 – Learning – Advance the Development of Information Literacy as a Skill for Life-Long Learning.

Objective 1 – The Learning Commons – Provide a physical and virtual learning environment that promotes both the social and scholarly development of information fluency skills; support this environment with appropriate technology and staffing expertise.

Strategic Initiatives:

• Planning – assess the long term direction of the “information commons” approach to a physical service area and its relationship to overall curriculum needs
• Physical Enhancements – using the Library Master Plan – undertake incremental enhancements to the library physical plant based on the results of further planning on the nature of the learning commons
• Technology – examine our commitment to the provision of on-site technology, and develop a potential model for portable and cloud-based services

Objective 2 – Instruction – Advance information fluency as a life skill through course integration, and other appropriate credit, and co-curricular means.

Strategic Initiatives:

• Program Alignment – Drake Curriculum – insure alignment of the instructional program with the Drake Curriculum
• Professional Schools – enhance support for delivery of specialized information literacy needs – building on the Pharmacy model
• Online – develop a stronger on-line instructional presence
• Faculty Development – strengthen the partnership with the Director of the Drake curriculum, and advance curriculum integration of library services and resources

Goal 3 – Sustain and Nurture a Community of Learners through Support of Positive Discourse.

Objective 1 – The Intellectual Center – Promote the use of the library facility as a venue for internal groups, sponsored programs and events.

Objective 2 – A Program for Discourse – Develop and deliver programs and activities that engage both the internal and external community in dialog and discourse.

Strategic Initiatives:

• Promotion – continue to promote and encourage use of the library facility as venue for activities that support discourse, collaboration, and other learning activities.
• Collaboration – continue to foster partnerships with appropriate campus and community groups to develop activities and exhibits
• Curriculum Integration – target and focus on programs that directly support and engage elements of the Drake curriculum and mission
• Financial Support – strengthen financial support for programs of