Conceptualizing the Academic Library

Danuta A. Nitecki, Dean of Libraries, Drexel University USAProfessor, College of Computing and InformaticsXI International Conference on University Libraries

November 6-8. 2013, Mexico City

Conceptualizing the academic library

Evolving a conceptualization of the academic library

Context:1. Institutional purpose2. Influential changesPlanning:3. Prioritize issues4. Organization requirements 5. Future Search conference

Illustrating new concepts of a library6. Redesign library space7. Ensuring access to data8. Extending connections to shcolarship9. Growing an organizaiton

Context: institutional purpose• Academic library is defined by its host institution of higher

education• Higher education institutions address the mission of:• Teaching • Research• Civic engagement

• Importance of managing data and information to higher education

• Library fosters links between information and people

Definition of an academic library [excerpted]

• “…an entity in a postsecondary institution that provides…• ORGANIZED COLLECTIONS• STAFF TRAINED to provide and INTERPRETE MATERIALS to meet the

informational, cultural, recreational, or educational needs of the clientele• An ESTABLISHED SCHEDULE in which services of the staff are available to

clientele• The PHYSICAL FACILITIES necessary to support such collections, staff and

schedule …”

[Institute of Education Sciences. US Dept of Ed. National Center for Education Statistics, 2008 Available: nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/2008337.pdf]

Context: influential changes• Information and communication technologies• Pedagogies and the way people learn• Generational characteristics• Information seeking behaviors• Student utilization of information beyond its discovery and

reference to its creation and dissemination• Expectations for reuse of “big data” and other research

intellectual assets• Use of space and understanding learning environments• Growing cost of education disproportionate to family income• Other?

Context: what are most influential changes?

CHANGES INFLUENING LIBRARY CHANGES TECHNOLOGIES TECNOLOGÍAS

PEDAGOGIES PEDAGOGÍAS

MULTIPLE GENERATIONS MÚLTIPLES GENERACIONES

BEHAVIORS COMPORTAMIENTOS

CREATION & DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION

CREACIÓN Y DIFUSIÓN DE LA INFORMACIÓN

REUSE OF DATA LA REUTILIZACIÓN DE LOS DATOS

SPACE ESPACIOCOST OF EDUCATION COSTO DE LA EDUCACIÓN

Planning: prioritize issues

To advance University mission and strategic goals, for example:

• Improve student academic experience

• Develop focus for innovative research

Planning process illustration: Future Search Conference

Conceptualizing the library in terms of purpose

1. Build environments to learn and create knowledge

2. Ensure access to ideas and authoritative information

3. Strengthen connection to scholarship

4. Model an organization to effectively help advance the university’s mission

Build learning environments

Ensure access to data

To curate research data and digital assets to meet emerging mandates and e-science practices• Acquisition of content

• Management of data

• Discovery of resources

• Reuse for research

Strengthen connections to scholarship

Discover and connect to sources of ideas• Instruction to develop learning skills• Expose human resources

Create and connect ideas to others• Explore diverse formats• Instruction to organize data for dissemenination

Model organization• Evidence based

• Client - focused

• Collaborative

• Service ethos

• Matrix leadership and team efforts

• Growth both individually and redefining positions

Is the concept of the academic library changing?

Drexel University Libraries November 2013

“Library is the heart of the University” above the entrance to the Yale University Sterling Memorial Library

Question: “Mr. President, you strive for a comprehensive research university, do you want a research library?”

…..thoughtful pause…

Reply: “the answer will come out of strategic planning”

Conceptualizing the academic library

1. Understand drivers of change

2. Use a process to articulate the meaning of the library

3. Coach leaders to identify strategic directions

4. Evolve metrics and capture evidence to monitor success

What emerges from our conversation?

Thank you for your attention and participation….

To continue the conversation, please contact me:

Danuta A.Niteckidan44@drexel.edu