Deep Dive on the Research Library Ecosystem

The final of the Deep Dive sessions as described in the What’s Next? summary from the January retreat is on the Research Library Ecosystem – how does the University Library fit into the universe of research libraries and higher education? The session is being developed in collaboration with Tom Teper, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Technical Services. Our guest speakers will be Barbara Allen, Executive Director, Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), and James Michalko, Vice President, OCLC Research Library Partnership.

Register at: https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/2610193

Details:

Research Library Ecosystem Deep Dive
ACES, Heritage Room
August 26, 2015
8:30 – Registration, Coffee and Snacks
9:00-Noon – Speakers and Discussions

Deep Dive on Scholarship, Discovery and Innovation

The second of the Deep Dive sessions as described in the What’s Next? summary from the January retreat is on Scholarship, Discovery and Innovation and is being developed in collaboration with Beth Sandore Namachchivaya, Associate University Librarian for Research. This session will be focused on the campus strategic plan goals related to research and inquiry and the Library’s engagement with these areas. We will have two campus speakers joining us to set the context for our discussion: George Chacko (Director of Research Information Analytics, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research) and Antoinette Burton (Interim Head of Sociology and, starting July 1, Interim Director of Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities).

Register at: https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/2610193

Details:

Scholarship, Discovery and Innovation Deep Dive
ACES, Heritage Room
June 16, 2015
8:30 – Registration, Coffee and Snacks
9:00-Noon – Speakers, Discussions, and Prioritization

Deep Dive – Transformative Learning

This summer will feature three Deep Dive sessions as described in the What’s Next? summary that followed up on the January retreat and laid out the work for the coming months.

The first of these is the Teaching and Transformative Learning Deep Dive session and is being developed in collaboration with Sue Searing, Associate University Librarian for User Services. This session will be focused on the campus strategic plan goal of Transformative Learning and the Library’s engagement in teaching and learning. Chuck Tucker, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Innovation, will provide an opening talk to frame our discussions.

Please register https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/3398139 for this even no later than Tuesday, April 28 at 5pm so that we can finalize the catering order, etc.

Details:

Teaching and Transformative Learning Deep Dive
Latzer Hall, University YMCA
May 1, 2015
8:30 – Registration, Coffee and Snacks
9:00-Noon – Speakers, Discussions, and Prioritization

Library Advisory Committee Meetings

I had the pleasure of meeting with the Senate Committee on the Library (April 2) and the University Librarian’s Student Advisory Committee (April 17) to present the Library’s Strategic Planning Process and review the plans represented in the What’s Next? posting in detail.

Both groups were enthusiastic about the Strategic Planning work and the way that the University Library is aligning its plan with the campus strategic plan. The University Librarian’s Student Advisory Committee also provided specific suggestions for how to engage students in the process.

I will meet again with both groups in the fall in order to provide an update on the process as well as gather their feedback on the draft Framework for Strategic Action that we will have prepared by then.

Lisa Hinchliffe, Coordinator for Strategic Planning

Conversation Starters for Liaison Groups – Enlisting Library Faculty and Staff in Gathering Input

The Strategic Planning Steering Team would like to enlist Library faculty and staff to assist in gathering informal input from groups external to the Library about our strategic plan, priorities, etc. We know that many of Library faculty and staff meet with faculty groups, campus administrators, student clubs, etc. on a regular or ad hoc basis.

If you have the opportunity between now and the end of spring semester, we would appreciate you taking time to talk with any group about the strategic planning process and what input they might provide. We have provided for conversation starters below; however, these are suggestions to inspire your thinking in leading a conversation. We are not suggesting that you would use all of them or conduct formal interviews or focus groups.

We have made a simple webform to collect the information – it asks for your name, email address, and the group you spoke with and then provides an open text field for you to submit your notes/reflections. You can access the form here: https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/1655059

Conversation Starters:

  • How should the Library support scholarship and innovation in your discipline/unit/group? How could the Library partner with you?
  • What opportunities should the Library take advantage of to support and augment teaching excellence in your department/unit?
  • What role can the library play in transforming and/or enhancing an integrative learning experience for students?
  • Are you and your students aware of library programming (lectures, workshops, instruction, events) on subjects in your field?  What are some opportunities that the library can take advantage of to supplement the student in-class experience?
  • What areas should the library prioritize in stewarding its collections (e.g. conserving resources, pursuing partnerships,  development and care of collections etc.)?
  • Can you comment on the space and/or physical environment of the Library?  What sorts of research and learning environments/spaces should the Library be developing to meet the evolving needs of researchers and students?

What’s Next? Following from the Library Retreat

At the March 19, 2015 All-Library Meeting Valerie Hotchkiss and Bill Mischo presented an update on the strategic planning process on behalf of the Strategic Planning Steering Team: AllLibraryMeeting-SP-2015March19 [PDF of PPT Slides]. They reported on the analysis of the input from the Library Retreat as well as the follow-up that is planned.

The Library Retreat resulted in an immense amount of data and many conversations – all helped to help scope the focus for the coming months. This image presents an overview of the upcoming events and structure for the strategic planning process including stakeholders and timelines:

AsResultofRetreat

The Strategic Planning Steering Team is particularly grateful to the Associate University Librarians, who are partnering in offering the Deep Dive Sessions, as well as the Staff Development and Training Committee, which has agreed to partner in following up on the suggestions to discuss issues related to staffing/moral/training/organizational culture. This later follow up will be timed to take advantage of the results from the ClimateQUAL survey that was recently conducted and take place in late spring/early summer depending upon when the results from the survey are received and what the findings are.

Ideas for Spring Discussions (Summary from Retreat)

As a final activity, each Retreat participant had the opportunity to identify “Up to Three Strategic Planning Topics I would Like to Propose for an Open Session Discussion During Spring 2015.” Participants submitted a total of 373 ideas! The Strategic Planning Steering Team again used a Wordle to reveal the themes in the responses.

SpringIdeas

 

 

 

Scenario Discussions (Summary from Retreat)

Group discussions at the Library Retreat were based on discussion prompts. The use of scenarios for discussion was meant to generate ideas to think with over the coming months and not to indicate any predetermined decisions or priorities.

20150109_092748Each of the total of 12 scenarios was discussion by four tables of participants, resulting in 60 pages of transcribed input from the recording worksheets that each group filled out. That is a lot of text! In addition to reviewing the worksheets, the Strategic Planning Steering Team used a visualization technique in order to reveal some of the common themes as represented by keywords. Here is the Wordle that represents all of the input:

finalwordleofallinputIn addition to this overall Wordle, the Strategic Planning Steering Team reviewed the Wordles for all of the individual scenarios. The scenarios and the Wordles for each scenario are available here: individual scenario wordles [Word Document].

Organizational Characteristics (Summary from Retreat)

At the Library Retreat, participants were seated in 24 small groups. The first activity was an exploration of the organizational characteristics of the Library. Each group had a set of 20150109_08572872 cards with descriptive words, which they sorted into three piles – The Library Is, The Library Should Be, and The Library Should Not Be. Each group also had 8 blank cards so they could add words to any of the piles if they desired to do so. The tables were abuzz with chatter and debate as the groups had to quickly come to consensus as they did the sorting.

Findings:

An analysis of all of the input from the groups resulting in these terms emerging as the most desired organizational characteristics for the future: actionable, consistent, cutting edge, diverse, efficient, empowering, flexible, fun, modern, proactive, simple, strategic, tactical, and visionary. As we continue our discussions in the spring and summer to identify specific strategies and actions for the University Library, these are a set of terms that will inspire and to which we can all aspire.

Analysis and Details:

The provided terms were: accessible, actionable, aggressive, approachable, authentic, bleeding-edge, casual, communal, conservative, consistent, cool, current, custom, customer focused, cutting edge, detail oriented, diverse, down-to-earth, driven, eclectic, efficient, elegant, elite, empowering, experienced, fair, flexible, focused, formal, friendly, fun, global, high-quality, hip, historic, in touch, informal, innovative, leading edge, market-driven, modern, narrow, pioneering, practical, premium, proactive, professional, progressive, reactive, relational, reliable, responsible, responsive, savvy, serious, simple, slick, smart, strategic, structured, tactical, technological, thought leader, timeless, timely, traditional, trendy, tried-and-true, trusted, visionary, welcoming, and wise. This chart shows the summary of how the groups sorted the provided terms: summary chart of characteristics [Word Document].

Groups were also able to offer additional terms. Groups added that The Library Is: bureaucratic, collaborative, devoted, dynamic, heart, relevant, respectful, user-driven, and valuable – with collaborative being added by two tables. Groups added that The Library Should Be: accountable, assertive, attractive and functional facility, branded, caring, central to educational mission, clear communication, collegial, democratic, discoverable, educational, equitable, inclusive, integrated with campus, mentoring, mission-driven, open minded, passionate, and well-financed – with inclusive being added by two tables as well. Groups added that The Library Should Not be: anachronism, compartmentalized, exclusive, hierarchical, stagnant, stuffy, supercilious, and vacuum/isolated.

Strategic Planning Office Hours – March 2015

A common theme on the feedback form from the Library Retreat was the value of Strategic Planning Office Hours for communication and feedback. As such, I’m pleased to announce the upcoming schedule – all held in Library 434 (across the stairwell from Library 428):

  • March 4, 9-11 am
  • March 12, 9-11 am
  • March 23, 1-3 pm
  • March 30, 3-5 pm

Anyone is welcome to stop by for informal conversation about strategic planning, the process, ideas, etc. If you can’t make one of these times or would like to have a conversation with a group (e.g., committee or unit), please don’t hesitate to ask for another time. Email Lisa Hinchliffe (ljanicke@illinois.edu).

(A version of this post was sent to LibNews-L on March 3 as well.)