Doing the Right Things

WiLS World

July 30, 2014

July 30, 2019Library at UW Oshkosh Closes

The closure of Polk Library at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is

a good example of why over 50% of academic libraries have closed their doors in the past five

years. The reasons are obvious. Librarians failed to

recognize . . .

Chronicle of Higher Education

1967

Focus on . . .• Technology

• Electronic Resources Management

• Information Literacy

• Distance Learning

Big ChallengesFall 2010

• 2 Staff budget lines not funded

• Staff shrank from 26 to 24.

• 5 new PDs created

• 7 existing PD altered

In Two Years

• Library Technology Services

• A department, not a person.

• Time to develop and innovate

• Leader on campus & beyond

Big ResultsTechnology

• Better coordination from start to finish

• Better customer service

• Clearer responsibility

• ERMS - CORAL

Big ResultsElectronic Resources

Management

• New University Studies Program

• Dedicated to Promoting Library’s Role

• Increase in Instructional sessions

• ANVIL !!!

Big ResultsInformation

Literacy

• Enhanced Strong Support for Nursing and Life Long Learning . . .

• New Emphasis by College of Business

• Intensive Support for the Executive MBA

Big ResultsDistance Education

• Improved Strategic Communications

• Clearer Organizational Structure

Additional Big Results

• Big Change Was Inevitable!

• Learn from Mistakes

• All Staff and Areas are Critical to Big Change

Final Thoughts

• False Perception that Big Results Came from Additional Resources

• New Way of Thinking• Innovation without new

university funding• Innovation in a time of

reduced funding

Final Thoughts