The Library of the Future at Virginia Commonwealth University

The purpose of this document is to set forth the means by which the staff of University Library Services will meet the future. It describes goals for several key areas and gives examples of some strategies for beginning to meet those goals. It describes the environment which will shape the way we deliver resources and services.

This document focuses on six strategic areas:

the collections (which contain knowledge)
how we organize knowledge to gain access to the collections
services to the university community
funding
the worker of the future
leadership and organizational change.

A challenge for the short term will be to help members of the university community to navigate widely varying systems of communication for scholarly knowledge. These systems encompass priceless artifacts of early technologies of knowledge such as manuscripts, drawings, photographs, and print, as well as interactive multimedia, and digital information residing locally or beyond the library's walls. The library will continue to acquire information and serve as a conduit to information in all its forms to meet the needs of the university community. Librarians will be challenged to provide systems which will support convenient and coherent access to an increasingly diverse collection of resources and services. As change accelerates, the overarching goal will be to create an environment which offers a seamless interface to materials in all disciplines. The library of the future will require the traditional evaluative skills of librarians in addition to new technological sophistication. Increasingly crucial is the library's role in teaching the novice researcher to be analytical and discriminating in his use of information.

ULS Futures Document Committee: Diane S. Hollyfield (Chair), Jan Lewis, Susanna Bartmann Pathak, Lynne Turman

1. Knowledge Resources Environment: Collections are paramount to achieving the mission of future libraries. ULS will be responsible for selecting, acquiring, organizing, managing , and ensuring continued access to the materials and resources it offers to support the teaching and research activities of our users. Collections of depth and breadth will be developed and managed by a team of professionals possessing subject expertise, technological expertise, and an understanding of changing patterns of scholarly communication in the disciplines. Rapidly changing technologies and multiple formats and access modes make the process of developing collections more complex. Thus, building and managing future collections will continue to be a staff-intensive process placing greater demands on ULS's human resources and budget.

Print based collections will be dominant in many disciplines for at least a decade, but the increasing availability and the costs of digital materials may account for half or more of the total acquisitions budget in the next five years. As costs increase, the development and management of relevant collections are even more dependent on network access and the quality of navigational tools. The gap between what is published and what universities can acquire will continue to grow. To meet needs for expanded access to information resources in a timely, convenient and cost effective manner, ULS will pursue multiple, consortia-based relationships. The costs of publishing and acquiring scholarly journals remain high; thus, the provision of article- length materials will pose the greatest challenge to collection management in the immediate future.

Goals:

Aggressively pursue the acquisition of relevant digital materials in all disciplines;
Develop preservation strategies, including consortia-based planning, which will ensure future access to recorded information;
Plan for the coordinated expansion and strengthening of ULS's collections by participation in consortia-based relationships including the Virtual Library of Virginia, the Richmond Area Library Cooperative, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and others;
Redefine librarians' roles based on the challenges and opportunities presented by selecting and servicing networked information resources;
Respond to the University's changing information needs in a balanced way, within the context of ULS's mission, goals, collection development policies, and other planning documents;
Develop budgeting processes which give the library sufficient flexibility and adequate support to meet the changing needs and expectations of users.

Strategies:

The success of consortia-based relationships will be dependent on our ability to promote higher levels of collaboration and cooperation to achieve effective resource sharing arrangements;
Libraries should collaborate and share expertise with publishers and producers of scholarly information to develop alternative models of delivering articles and other materials which demand rapid dissemination and which are dependent on fees for use rather than ownership and subscription;
Alternatives to owning journals include expedited interlibrary loan arrangements, interlibrary loan subsidies, and document delivery options;
Alternatives to owning print (full text) materials include: access to full text collections; GPO access; VCU's digital library, and cooperative collection development initiatives which ensure access to core collections as well as research materials that are important but less frequently used;
Develop policies and organizational structures that sustain an environment in which the benchmark of quality will be network access to a growing volume and diversity of scholarly information in all its forms;
Develop strategies for sharing responsibility for developing collections and evaluating collection -related services with additional members of the university community.

2. Organization of Knowledge

Environment: One of the Library's primary roles is to organize collected items into a system of knowledge, applying standard and coordinated retrieval points that make collections accessible and useful. This has traditionally been done through print and computer-based catalogs, locally produced and commercially acquired indexes, and other finding aids. Providing such tools is essential to exploiting the collection fully. Applying international cataloging standards and employing bibliographic utilities (such as OCLC),. Have allowed for the growth and development of shared and cooperative cataloging arrangements among institutions, further increasing access to information.

With digital formats proliferating, the library will need to devise new methods for organizing and retrieving full-text, non-text, multimedia, and other electronic resources. At the same time, the library must continue to provide access to traditionally formatted materials. The dynamic nature of electronic resources challenges accepted cataloging standards and practices. While current MARC-based cataloging standards will persist for many years, it is likely they will evolve in response to the special demands of digitized materials. Along with the adaptation of current standards, it is probable that a distinct system to organize and retrieve digital information will emerge.

Goals:

Continue to develop the catalog as the preeminent resource for providing access to the collections;
Integrate retrieval tools into a comprehensive system for exploiting collections;
Develop consistent user interfaces for disparate databases;
Increase the scope and depth of objects under bibliographic control;
Develop technologies for managing digital collections.

Strategies:

Integrate the catalog and the Web as an umbrella technology to control and provide access to collections;
Promote the Z39.50 protocol as the common bond for searching all databases, even as native proprietary interfaces also coexist within the library;
Investigate and implement technologies that enhance access to the collections;
Focus on organizing resources that may be outside the library's physical control, but which are accessible through networks;
Orient staff resources for bibliographic control toward the management of large sets of cataloging records rather than he creation and maintenance of individual records;
Cooperate with other institutions to develop methods that increase the volume and depth of cataloging.

3. Service to the University Community

Environment: ULS faces the challenge of continuing to provide services to the University community within the four walls of the library, while providing both parallel and new services to users outside the library building. A number of factors are driving the demand for additional services, including the globalization of scholarship and learning, the generation of knowledge in an increasing variety of non print formats, the growing sophistication of information systems, the proliferation in the number and variety of interfaces to databases, the burgeoning number of users who own or have access to the equipment needed to use library resources remotely, the growth of distance education, and users' desire for anytime, on-demand services. Limited funds and staff will necessitate ongoing evaluation and prioritization of services, with the result that some existing services may be eliminated or reduced. Fee-based services (ranging from charging for printing from library computers to student technology fees) are also an alternative.

Goals:

Anticipate the information needs of the University community;
Meet the scholarly information requirements of the University community by providing a range of resources and services which are cohesive, integrated flexible and responsible to user needs;
Enable users to become more information -literate and self-sufficient in the knowledge environment of the 21st century.

Strategies:

Identify the information needs of the University community and analyze how members of the community use information;
Rethink existing services and prioritize existing and anticipated new services;
Increase services available to remote users; Expand patron-initiated services;
Continue to offer a wide variety of instructional and outreach activities, while experimenting with new technologies for providing these services in an efficient and effective manner;
Implement new technologies and user interfaces that provide improved services;
Maintain software and hardware infrastructure necessary to support the needs of a research university;
Play an integral role on a campus-wide basis in planning and decision-making involving the electronic infrastructure.

4. Funding & Development

Environment: The cost for supporting a research level library system in an institution such as Virginia Commonwealth University will increase as the cost of information, equipment, qualified personnel and services continue to rise in the future. The means of accessing information will multiply and become increasingly complex, requiring a higher proportion of the library's resources for education, both to maintain the skills of knowledge workers within the library and to pass on those skills to contribute to the information literacy of the students, faculty and staff, of the university. While costs of some current technologies may stabilize, as yet un-imagined technology will be developed. Conversion to newer technologies must be supported while maintaining access to necessary research materials in earlier formats.

Goals:

Manage funds so as to support the transition to digital resources while maintaining core traditional collections and meeting the varied and changing information needs of a growing University community;
Acquire increased funding to support major new academic initiatives in the institution;
Leverage finite resources to best support the mission of the University;
Acquire supplemental funding through campus collaboration, external partnerships, grants, and gifts.

Strategies:

Provide funds which can be amplified through resource sharing in local, state and regional consortia;
Continuously analyze and revise priorities within the context of the mission of the University and the library, and re-allocate resources accordingly;
Remain flexible in choosing information providers and negotiate for best advantage to the institution;
Work with campus development entities to develop aggressive strategies to acquire supplemental funding;
Promote accomplishments as a basis for future funding;
Monitor the developments in the economics of access to information, scholarly publishing and information exchange, and share this knowledge with campus colleagues and administrators.
Fund the staff training which will be increasingly necessary.

5. Worker of the Future

Environment: The library's ability to meet the future with success depends on many factors, but none is more important than the contributions of a talented and dedicated staff. The library's human resources are valued as much as any material resources and attention must be focused on providing an environment that enhances job satisfaction, learning and productivity. To prepare and develop a workforce ready to take on new roles, fiscal and human resources must be continually invested toward recruitment, training and an infrastructure to support staff needs. The library of the future will require a highly trained workforce with skills for effective communication, a talent for problem solving, and the ability to apply technology appropriately.

Goals:

Cultivate a diverse workforce with the skills, knowledge and experience to manage the library of the future;
Create an environment conductive to learning, creativity and productivity for all employees;
Ensure a workforce committed and empowered to implement change in response to user needs.

Strategies:

Commit library resources for training and reorientation of staff.
Develop annual budget lines for staff development activities.
Pursue grants and endowments to provide new sources of income for staff training.
Provide time for employees to attend educational programs and gain new skills.
Maximize staffing by continually rethinking services.
Utilize process improvement tools to evaluate library operations and develop new models to increase productivity.
Develop opportunities for cross-training to achieve a blending and expansion of jobs beyond traditional departmental boundaries.
Equip all workers with adequate resources to accomplish the objectives of their job.
Ensure that appropriate physical facilities, information resources, equipment and network infrastructure are in place to support the work of the staff.
Recruit and retain an outstanding and diverse staff.
Develop strategies to attract qualified candidates for library positions.
Work with VCU's Human Resource Division to revise and reclassify job positions to reflect current work requirements.
Participate in efforts to develop a library line of classifications.
Encourage and reward creativity, innovation , and risk-taking.
Recognize and promote the future oriented projects and achievements of groups and teams.

6. Leadership & Organizational Change

Environment: ULS's future will be created by every member of the organization as they participate in an ongoing envisioning process. This process will involve the evolution of philosophies of service and a shared understanding and acceptance of the values which shape those services. Our values and philosophies will be articulated in dialogues about work processes and desired outcomes. Broad participation in these dialogues will ensure that our visions match our capabilities and that our strategies for achieving our goals are vital, realistic and well timed. The Library's success will depend on the wisdom, integrity and influence of those in leadership roles.

Process of change within ULS will evolve from a culture of learning. This culture will be fostered by the sharing of knowledge and experience to facilitate the learning, unlearning, relearning and teaching necessary for change at all levels.

Goals:

Create a seamless, coherent organization positioned to identify and deliver relevant resources and services to users in a networked environment which is also coherent and can be navigated with efficiency;
Establish a workplace where people are at ease collaborating and where the work and knowledge of various groups and individuals overlap to add quality and efficiency;
Encourage leadership and responsibility for planning and implementing change at all levels;
Develop broad-based strategies which assist in defining the contexts for decision-making;
Enhance ULS's working relationships with university divisions, departments, and administrators so that the library's mission and goals are understood and supported.

Strategies:

Develop proactive decision making patterns;
Base activities on projects rather than discrete tasks;
Facilitate peer-to-peer networking to accomplish tasks;
Create a culture of learning by expanding access to information/communication wherever it is located;
Support and reward creativity and risk-taking;
Utilize individuals who possess relevant knowledge, talents and interest to create issue-or process- focused work groups;
Establish a process for evaluation and adjustment of the library's organizational structure which will support these new ways of working together;
Enable individuals to share learning, insights, and challenges so that visions will be shared and renewed.

Last updated: 28 August 1998