Provide a broad, accurate collection and other services which are promoted to the university community.
Objective
Disseminate Information On Resources & Services
Communicate information regarding library resources and services to users
Indicator
Monthly Newsletter
Books & Bytes will be delivered to all SHSU students, faculty and staff via email on a monthly basis.
Criterion
Monthly Library Newsletter
The newsletter will be distributed once a month, containing information about library resources and services as well as articles, to increase user interest in library resources for research and recreational use.
Finding
Monthly Library Newsletter
The Library's newsletter, Books & Bytes, is produced monthly. To date, nine newsletters have been distributed via email to the SHSU community for academic year 2009-2010. Included in the newsletter are articles about library resources, research interest of librarians, and book recommendations. The response from the SHSU community indicates the newsletter provides both entertainment as well as useful facts about library resources.
Indicator
Improve / Promote Library Services And Collection
Enhance existing services and plan for new services, by working with the Newton Gresham Library Committee and the department liaison program to promote and create new services, acquire materials to support the curriculum and research.
Criterion
Meetings Of Library Committee
Hold at least two meetings with the University Library Committee.
Finding
Library Committee Meetings
The Library Committee appointed by the Faculty Senate met twice in 2009/10. The committee indicated they would like to see an increase in the number of books a faculty member can have checked out at tone time. This requires a change in the Academic Policy; the matter will be taken up with the Provost this summer. The committee was asked to encourage their departments to look at the database trials and respond to the evaluation survey.
Criterion
Liaison Meetings
Librarians will schedule at least one meeting with the department liaisons to discuss library resources.
Finding
Liaisons And Department Meetings
Librarians met with seven departmental liaisons and seven individual faculty members this year; in addition, librarians attended three departmental meetings and held three meetings with department chairs and one meeting with the Dean of Business Administration. The librarians did not meet the stated criterion of meeting with every department liaison this year. The objective will continue.
Indicator
Curriculum Review Procedures
Enhance existing services and plan for new services, continue working with the Newton Gresham Library Committee and the departmental liaison program in the creation of new services and review of policies.
Criterion
Curriculum Review Procedures
Librarians will review the forms for new courses to determine the needs of new programs or classes and take appropriate action. the goal is to identify strengths and weaknesses in the collection and take appropriate action.
Finding
Curriculum Review Procedures
Librarians reviewed a total of 200 proposed classes. The review of the proposed Nursing Program identified areas that needed to be updated and holdings increased. Five journals were identified for purchase; three of these titles are available as part of the TSUS, Angelo State and SFA consortium. If access to these journals is limited with the new license, these journals will be picked up by SHSU. The other two journals will be added to the collection this summer. The courses for the doctoral program in Special Education were reviewed and the review indicates we can support the program.
Indicator
Library User Input
Provide opportunities for students, faculty and staff to let the Library know about materials needed to support the curriculum or research; services that need to be improved or developed.
Criterion
Library User Input
Develop a suggestion form for the webpage and newsletter.
Finding
Library User Input
Links were placed on the webpage providing a form to request books and other materials; users can also email a comment or question to the director (links are highlighted on the attached document). The newsletter provides information on how to contact the library and librarians in several places in each issue (see attachment).
Criterion
Annual Library Open House
Annual open house for faculty will be held at the first of the semester to familiarize faculty with library resources and services. A survey will be developed to allow faculty to identify the services and resources they use the most and their level of satisfaction. The survey will also ask about improvements to services and additional resources. An 85% return rate is expected.
Finding
Annual Library Open House
The open house was held in September 2009 with less than 40 faculty members attending. Anecdotal information from new faculty members lead us to believe that new faculty will not attend the open house unless they are required. The library faculty will discuss alternatives to the open house this summer.
Action
Disseminate Information On Resources & Services
While the newsletter and curriculum reviews are successful avenues of communication, it has proven difficult to meet with departments or bring faculty to the Library to provide information about services and resources.
Books & Bytes provides the campus with information about new and long-held resources as well as providing entertainment. The SHSU community likes the newsletter, and the Library will continue to use the newsletter to promote resources and services. Next year, mass emails may not be possible and the Library will have to determine if "subscriptions" to our electronic version of the newsletter will be successful.
Meeting with busy faculty members continues to be difficult. While not meeting the goal of meeting with every department liaison, Librarians met with 14 individual faculty members, 3 department chairs, as well as a Dean, an Associate Dean, and an Associate Vice President. Librarians were invited to 3 department meetings. During the summer the librarians will develop a new plan for meeting with departments. Some of the suggestions currently under consideration to promote library resources and services are: arrange to attend faculty meetings (20% of each college); arrange a presentation regarding services and resources with DELTA (Distance Education and Learning Technologies for Academics).
Holding an open house for faculty members seems like a good idea but the turn out is low. Faculty members are too busy to attend. Librarians will discuss alternatives to the open house this summer and plan for a new activity for 2011.
The Library Committee appointed by the Faculty Senate is interested in encouraging library use. Members brought the concerns, and needs of their departments and colleges to the meetings. They pointed out that with the increase in research a faculty member often needs more than 50 books at one time; this request will be taken to the Academic Policy Council. The Committee provides direct access faculty and students and will help identify the best ways to increase access to resources.
Participating in curriculum review provides librarians with the information about new directions the curriculum and departments are taking. The Library will continue to use the course reviews to evaluate the collection and determine what resources are needed to support new programs, and courses.
Goal
Professional Development And Training
Provide opportunities for professional development and training for librarians and staff to maintain knowledge and skills in all aspects of Librarianship.
Objective
Professional Development And Training
Participate in programs that will develop and maintain skills in applying knowledge effectively to established library systems; to identify best practices and adapt them to the local environment, thus ensuring they will be able to provide quality service to the SHSU community and the Library.
Indicator
In-house Training
Develop in-house training of faculty and staff; the first program will present information on handling difficult patrons.
Criterion
In-house Program
Present a program on dealing with difficult patrons.
Finding
In-house Training
An in-house program on working with a difficult patron was not developed but a Webinar from the Texas State Library and Archives was substituted. Problem Patrons Public service means that we deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly. Speaker Jeanette Larson, an independent library consultant, shares advice on ensuring that problem patrons don’t overwhelm library staff
Indicator
Training
Participate in as many training opportunities provided by Amigos, product vendors, professional organizations, etc. as possible, either face to face or online.
Criterion
Training Opportunities
The Librarians and staff will participate in at least 3 training opportunities provided by Amigos, a provider of library services, and various vendors of databases.
Finding
Development/Training For Faculty And Staff
The library paid for 19 workshops or courses for individual librarians and staff; 3 of the workshops were for groups and one class was attended by 6 librarians this year. This professional development ranged from classes on copyright to Java basics, bibliographic records, metadata and digitization. The library sponsored 11 training session on how to use database more successfully, 3 sessions introduced a new management system, 1 webinar on ebooks in general, 3 training sessions on the administration of databases, and updates on cataloging rules and procedures.
Indicator
Professional Meetings
Support participation in professional meetings by librarians and staff. Professional meetings provide an excellent venue for identify best practices.
Criterion
Professional Meetings
The Library will support at least 1 professional meeting for each librarian.
Finding
Professional Conferences
The Library was able to provide support for 16 librarians to attend 34 conferences. The objective was to provide support to participate in professional meetings to become aware of best practices and research in the field; 99% of the librarians attended professional conferences. Most of the Librarians will participate in the American Library Association's virtual conference, a new section of the annual meeting; the virtual conference will take place over a two day period in July.
Action
Professional Development And Training
The Library will continue to support professional development activities and training. These activities help librarians maintain their skill level and develop new skills. The Library has benefited from the participation in these programs. A new format for instruction of the English 165 classes came out of a Webinar on instruction. Librarians and staff are able to easily transition into the upgrades and new procedures when they participate in training classes. This makes change easier on everyone.
Goal
Instruction
Services to support learning, teaching, and research needs of students and faculty.
Objective
Library Instruction Programs
Provide library instruction programs to develop basic skills with all types of formats and resources.
Indicator
Foundations Of Science Library Assignments
Work with the instructors of the Foundations of Science course and the new Instruction Librarian to develop library assignments for this new course
Criterion
Assignments
Assignments will be created 4 to 7 of the topics to be covered by the Foundations of Science course.
Finding
Foundations Of Science Library Assignments
Members of the Foundation of Science Course decided the first year of the course was not the time to develop a library component for the course.
Action
Library Instruction For Foundations Of Science
Since the faculty members teaching the Foundations of Science Course wanted to wait to integrate a library portion in the class, the Librarians looked at other ways to improve access through instruction. In the last 2 months the librarians involved in instruction have proposed and re working on a new format for instruction sessions for English 165. Therefore the library will wait until later in 2011 to approach the instructors of the Foundations of Science course about library assignments and instruction for their classes.