CIC Libraries' Strategic Plan '95

CIC Libraries'Strategic Plan

Below you will find the current version of the Library Strategic Planning Document. This is a dynamic document and as such, will always be marked as "Draft." Comments regarding the plan are welcomed, and may be forwarded to Barb Allen at: bmallen@uiuc.edu

Draft 6 - 95

CIC LIBRARIES STRATEGIC PLANNING INITIATIVE

Preamble

As the libraries of the CIC look toward serving the information needs of their students, faculties, staffs, and other users in the 21st Century, they see unparalleled opportunities to work together to achieve collectively far more than they could achieve by individual action. The circumstances of this particular set of libraries could not be more favorable for productive cooperation and collaboration: They serve a group of institutions of higher education that have a high degree of similarity in mission and share a high level of quality and distinc tion in the scholarship, teaching, and service they carry out. Similarly, the libraries, individually and collectively, possess great richness in their collections and great strengths in their staffs.

The libraries, as well as the universities, have a long history of interaction and cooperation through the CIC, which has, since 1958, provided a vertically and horizontally integrated organizational infrastructure unmatched among voluntary educational consortia. Being a consortium of peer libraries within a consortium of peer universities gives the CIC libraries a strength and cohesion not found in stand-alone library consortia.

At the same time, the libraries of the CIC are individually distinct entities. Their differing constituencies, environments, and resources not only direct the development of the individual libraries, but they show the way to more productive cooperation between libraries. A principal object of our cooperation is to make each of the several libraries better by developing its strengths and shoring up its relative weaknesses. The whole can be greater than the sum of its parts, but only when the additive process adds to each of the addends. The following articulation of a vision, mission, and goals for the CIC libraries charts our course toward becoming an organization that performs such computational alchemy.

Vision

By the beginning of the 21st Century, the CIC libraries will have a cohesive consortial organization guided by a vision of the information resources in the CIC as a seamless whole, whether those resources are developed or owned individually or collectively. Through shared planning and action, the libraries and their patrons will have equal access to the total information resources of the CIC. In addition, the libraries will provide the students, faculties, and staffs of the CIC universities with access to comprehensive resources throughout the world. Through collective leadership and cooperative action, each CIC library will realize extensive value- added services for its clienteles. The CIC libraries will be in the forefront of efforts to preserve, expand, and access both electronic information resources and traditional collections.

Mission

Through cooperation and collaboration, to advance the missions of the individual CIC libraries in their support of teaching, research, and service by:

** CREATING individually and collectively new ways to fulfill the information needs of the faculties, students and staffs of the CIC universities;

** EXTENDING and ENHANCING the information resources and services available on each campus by providing equal access to complementary resources throughout the CIC;

AND THEREBY,

** IMPROVING the collections, information resources, and services of the individual CIC libraries.

GOALS

With Associated OBJECTIVES and STRATEGIES

GOAL I

To maximize the collective information resources available to the students, faculties, and staffs of the CIC universities, and to provide barrier-free access to those resources.

Objectives and Strategies

Objective A:

Implement systematic coordinated collection development among the CIC libraries.

Strategies:

(1) Implement the five-year tactical plan developed by the collection development officers.
a. Develop and implement detailed plans in the six collection areas identified for coordinated activity.
b. Identify additional collection areas.
(2) Pursue coordinated preservation endeavors, including mass deacidification, and preservation using digital technology, and the preservation of electronic information resources.
a. Submit preservation grant application to NEH.
b. Implement preservation training project.
c. Appoint a Task Force on Preservation Using Digital Technology

Objective B:

Provide students, faculty, and staff on our campuses with barrier-free access to information resources in the CIC.

Strategies:

(1) Pursue the creation of the CIC Virtual Electronic Library including theimplementation of Z39.50 to link all CIC libraries and the development of expert systems for ILL searches.
a. Evaluate Z39.50 access to CIC catalogs as part of the VEL project.
b. Implement Z39.63 in the support of patron initiated ILL.
(2) Support retrospective conversion of CIC catalogs not yet in electronic format.
a. Explore the possibility of a retrospective conversion grant application in common subject or format area to appropriate agency or foundation.
(3) Achieve maximum efficiency in document delivery within the CIC for interlibrary loan items.
a. Document ILL turnaround times among CIC libraries and establish benchmarks.
(4) Review current CIC resource sharing agreement and related implementing policiesand practices.
a. Revise CIC Resource Sharing Plan.

Objective C:

Create a CIC electronic journals collection and other full-text electronic collections.

Strategies:

(1) Implement effective access to the CIC Electronic Journal Collection.
(2) Encourage and support the work of the Task Force on the CIC Electronic Collection.
(3) Develop an organizational structure to ensure the quality, completeness, and currrentness of the CIC Electronic Journal Collection.
(4) Develop a collection and access policy for CIC collections of electronic journals.
(5) Develop a collection and shared access policy for full-text electronic collections.
(6) Develop organization, bibliographic control, and access policies for electronic journals and other full-text electronic information resources.
(7) Explore mechanisms for management and funding of license agreements for shared data.
(8) Develop a workable structure for the ongoing administration of CIC collection and access policies.
(9) Organize CIC workshop on full-text resources in the humanities.

Objective D:

Extend the buying power of individual library budgets through joint purchase agreements and contracts.

Strategies:

(1) Negotiate a CIC rate from one or more carriers (e.g., UPS) for document delivery.
(2) Explore the potential for joint purchase of other supplies and services (e.g., information services).
a. Identify supplies or services for which coordinated purchases would produce economic benefit.
(3) Explore and negotiate lower group rates for electronic information resources.

GOAL II

Expand the range of possibilities for information access and improve the delivery of library services to the students, faculty, and staff of the CIC universities by collaborating in research and development initiatives and cooperating in the implementation of new technology applications.

Objectives and Strategies

Objective A:

In collaboration with the CIC campus computing centers and CICNet, achieve greater capacity and efficiency in the electronic transmission of information.

Strategies:

(1) Develop or adopt technology to improve the electronic transfer of images and texts on the Internet.
(2) Develop capacity and adopt technology for moving multi-media across the Internet to deliver full-text image, color, and multi-media.
(3) Establish common criteria to evaluate the core elements and functionality of local systems in the CIC
(4) Fund research projects to advance various technologies, (e.g., image management systems, electronic archives, geographic information systems, full-text resources)
(5) Develop a homepage for the CIC libraries.

Objective B:

Establish priorities and realistic short- and long-term goals for other projects, such as:

Strategies:

(1) Developing expert systems for ILL searches;
(2) Development of exact imaging systems for fragile or low-quality materials;
(3) Expert system interfacing for network navigation;
(4) Explore the development of an electronic text and data archive/center;
(5) Commence using World Wide Web servers and a common graphical navigation tool such as Mosaic or Netscape in a coordinated manner among the CIC libraries.

GOAL III

Enhance diversity, development, and effective sharing of human resources throughout the CIC libraries.

Objectives and Strategies

Objective A:

Strengthen the current and future human resources available to CIC libraries through cooperative action.

Strategies:

(1) Develop cooperative activities with the library schools in the CIC to ensure high-quality graduates for academic libraries
a. Organize meeting between library directors and library school deans to explore possible joint initiatives.
(2) Establish undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate traineeships, internships, and staff exchange programs to promote ethnic and cultural diversity in CIC library staffs.

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This page last updated on September 11, 1995