University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library
A Commitment to Access and Quality
Strategic Plan for Library Services, 1996-2000
Honolulu, Hawai'i
May 1996
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Mission Statement
Values Statement
Vision Statement
Library Services Program -- Strategic Initiatives
Strengthen Academic Partnerships
Enhance and Preserve Library Collections in All Formats
Meet Needs of Library Users and Teach Them to Effectively
Use Scholarly Resources and Information Systems
Build Digital Library Services and Operations
Provide Physical Facilities that Support People,
Collections and Information Technology
Develop Private and Grant Funding for Library Collections,
Information Technology and Staff Development
Support and Empower Library Staff
Maintain the Library's Role Beyond the Manoa Campus
Acknowledgments
STRATEGIC PLAN FOR LIBRARY SERVICES, 1996-2000
INTRODUCTION
The University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library is the only major research
library in the State of Hawai'i and is now the 41st largest research
library in the nation. Over the past 90 years the Library has acquired
comprehensive collections that serve as a foundation for all of the
University's teaching and research programs. The unique strengths of the
humanities and social sciences collections record the experiences and
contributions of individuals, cultures and nations that inhabit the
Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific regions. Our science collections are broadly
based, as is appropriate for the number of science bachelors, masters
and PhD programs offered at UHM.
Growth in the production and distribution of knowledge and information
has accelerated over the last half century. The power of computing,
telecommunications and networks has revolutionized our access to and use
of these resources. As part of the nation's community of research
libraries, UHM Library has been adapting methods and services in order
(1) to provide access to a wider array of knowledge resources, (2) to
share and preserve collections, (3) to offer direct services to people
via electronic networks, and (4) to operate more efficiently.
Over 40,000 people enter the Hamilton and Sinclair Library buildings
each week in the academic year, making the Library the most active
learning center on campus. This level of activity along with the pace of
change is challenging to people, institutions and resources. The UHM
Library anticipates and faces these challenges as it defines its
strategic plan for the next four years. The University and the Library
must address the following key issues if we are to fulfill our mission
of service to the university community, the people of Hawai'i and the
worldwide scholarly community.
These priority issues are:
* Restoration of funding to support the purchase of books, journals
and the licensing of access to digitized information resources.
* Resolution of the stalemate regarding the provision of additional
space for library collections, services and reader stations.
* Return of library faculty positions so that the library
instruction program can be restored. Return of funding for student
assistants so that library building hours can be increased.
* Provision of equipment replacement funds so that the library can
upgrade and add public access to networked information services.
MISSION
The Library is an active participant in the teaching, research and
service missions of the University. Its resources and services are
designed to nourish and enhance all University programs, especially the
University's areas of excellence. As part of the University, the Library
prepares students to enter and function in the information age. For the
citizens of Hawai'i and the worldwide scholarly community, it supports
information needs and intellectual inquiry.
In fulfilling this mission, the Library selects, acquires, organizes,
preserves, and provides intellectual and physical access to collections
in a wide range of formats. The Library fosters the sharing of resources
among all UH System campus libraries. It facilitates access to
collections held by other academic institutions, government agencies and
commercial providers of information. Electronically connected to
information resources throughout the world, the Library contributes to
global networked information resources, and provides assistance and
education in information retrieval.
To carry out its mission, the Library provides services and access to
collections in the Hamilton and Sinclair library buildings.
VALUES
The Library is a gathering place -- promoting dialogue, encouraging
inquiry, protecting intellectual freedom, and fostering lifelong
learning and study. Library services support a variety of learning
styles and recognize individual differences.
The University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library seeks to anticipate and
efficiently meet the needs of the University community. Quality service
manifests itself in user-friendly systems, a dynamic instructional
program, and an ongoing program of evaluation and feedback. The Library
actively promotes high service standards through staff education and
training, and recognition of excellence.
The Library encourages Library faculty and staff to be creative,
flexible and innovative. Collective and collaborative decision-making
and team efforts, as well as individual contributions and achievements,
are respected. We promote willingness to experiment, and learn from our
experiences. We value open communication and encourage a climate of
respect among all staff members.
VISION
As technology revolutionizes scholarly communication, the Library is
participating in the engineering of major advances in the preservation,
storage and delivery of information. However, the Library must also
continue to add to its rich print and media collections. This
traditional role will be greatly enhanced by digital library services,
where a broad range of information is accessible directly to the user
via computer networks. These efforts will also support the University's
distance education initiatives.
As the only research library in Hawai'i, the Library must be a leader in
information management and the creative use of new technologies. The
faculty and staff of the Hamilton and Sinclair Libraries play a critical
role in the development of quality information services for the
University's academic programs.
With facility upgrades and the state-of-the-art Hamilton Phase III
addition, which is the number one new building priority for the Manoa
campus, our community will enjoy spaces designed for collaborative and
individual research and learning. Hawai'i will be connected to
world-wide information resources, and collections will be well-
maintained, bibliographically controlled, and easily accessible.
LIBRARY SERVICES PROGRAM -- STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Strengthen Academic Partnerships
Enhance and Preserve Library Collections in All Formats
Meet Needs of Library Users and Teach Them to Effectively
Use Scholarly Resources and Information Systems
Build Digital Library Services and Operations
Provide Physical Facilities that Support People, Collections
and Information Technology
Develop Private and Grant Funding for Library Collections,
Information Technology and Library Faculty and Staff Development
Support and Empower Library Staff
Maintain the Library's Role Beyond the Manoa Campus
STRENGTHEN ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIPS
Environment: Academic programs, curricular content and instructional
methods are changing. The student population is diverse. Information
technologies are rapidly and dramatically affecting University services,
distance education, classroom instruction, and libraries.
In order that the Library organization remain effective and supportive
of the teaching and research efforts of the University, strong
partnerships must be nourished between Library faculty and teaching
faculty.
Strong partnerships will be maintained with the University's schools,
colleges, academic departments, centers, institutes and Information
Technology Services. To help prepare students for life and employment in
the information age, the Library will work within these partnerships to
develop innovative strategies incorporating information skills into the
general curriculum. Collaboration with Manoa programs and other UH
System campuses will strengthen the Library's partnership in the
teaching, research, and service missions of the University.
The Library will therefore:
* Appoint librarians to serve as active liaisons to all academic
units.
* Integrate library instruction into the curriculum by creating
partnerships between librarians and instructional faculty.
* Strengthen the cooperation already in place with colleges,
institutes and centers within the University, and with such
support units as Information Technology Services, the Center for
Instructional Support, KOKUA, and the College of Continuing
Education.
* Implement the Teaching Library concept by increasing
accessibility of library classrooms to instructional faculty.
ENHANCE AND PRESERVE LIBRARY COLLECTIONS IN ALL FORMATS
Environment: There will be an increasing availability of and demand for
electronic databases, journals and digital full texts. However, for the
foreseeable future, most publications will only appear in print on
paper. Strong print collections, therefore, are the heart of a research
library. They are especially vital in Hawai'i where the closest
comparable research library is 2,400 miles away. Furthermore, much of
this Library's unique research material comes from parts of the world
where advanced information technology has not yet penetrated and the
transition to digital formats is years away. The Library must preserve
the historical record of Hawai'i and the Pacific as its contribution to
the national historical record. The cost of scientific and technical
publications is increasing beyond normal rates of inflation. At the same
time, Library funding as a percentage of campus expenditures is
dropping.
The Library will collect, organize and preserve materials in an
expanding array of formats. The collections, including rare and unique
materials, will be built based on the educational and research needs of
the University community. They will be represented in the Library's
online systems in a timely manner. Traditional ownership of print-based
information will be balanced with access to external resources both
through document exchange with other libraries and electronically
through workstations and networks.
The Library will therefore:
* Seek a restoration of funding and an ongoing commitment from the
University Administration so that the Library can maintain support
for journals, books, and access to an expanding array of
electronic resources.
* Continue to consult with faculty and researchers to develop a
policy for building collections based on the University's teaching
and research requirements. As the library defines levels for
building collections, so will it take into consideration the
availability of electronic resources.
* Expand the Library's online catalog to provide access to external
electronic resources as well as to locally available collections.
* Align the library's preservation program with collection
development policy revisions.
* Work with other university research libraries to preserve and
share unique scholarly collections.
* Promote our unique collections of primary research materials
through publication, exhibitions, and public lectures, and through
the encouragement of scholarship.
MEET NEEDS OF LIBRARY USERS AND TEACH THEM TO EFFECTIVELY USE
SCHOLARLY RESOURCES AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Environment: In the 21st century, citizens must be lifelong learners
able to access, select, evaluate and create information. Each year
thousands of undergraduate and graduate students enter this University
requiring in-depth assistance with increasingly sophisticated
information technologies and services. Prior to 1995, librarians
annually taught conceptual and technical skills to 6,000 students in all
disciplines.
Instructional faculty testify that access to the library and its
collections are fundamental requirements. They emphatically state that
they rely on working with library faculty, as information professionals,
to teach students information retrieval methodologies and to serve as an
essential source of the faculty's professional development.
Library faculty and staff will offer a broad spectrum of innovative and
personalized services that contribute to the education of students and
the creation of knowledge. The Library will provide convenient,
self-initiated services that will prepare students to be self-sufficient
and independent lifelong learners.
The Library will therefore:
* Seek restoration of staffing and library budgets so that reference
and instructional services and building hours can be returned to
pre-1994 levels.
* Consolidate service points so that they are more convenient and
efficient for Library users.
* Restore instructional programs to teach students information
retrieval skills.
* Provide adaptive equipment and space for students with
disabilities.
* Provide more efficient, user-initiated electronic services that
allow users to self-checkout and renew library materials, and
request Interlibrary Loan and the delivery of documents.
* Implement alternative reference services such as online reference
and in-depth consultation by appointment.
BUILD DIGITAL LIBRARY SERVICES AND OPERATIONS
Environment: Information technology is fundamentally altering teaching
and research. Regardless of location, students and faculty expect
convenient access to electronic resources such as online library
catalogs, digital full-text literature, and image databanks. Information
can now be acquired and delivered on paper, in electronic form, or as
on-demand fax documents. Some primary sources are already becoming
available only online. For example, by the end of 1998, the U.S.
government will distribute all new federal documents in electronic form
only. The library must transform these options into a cohesive and
responsive set of services.
Organization of intellectual and cultural resources is one of the
library's most vital contributions to the enterprise of research and
education. To perform this critical role, the Library depends on
recurring investment in advanced, sustainable, computerized systems and
on coordination of electronic resource allocation. Access to electronic
resources will be designed to meet the needs of users and enhance their
productivity. Digital information will be presented through an interface
that is flexible, powerful, easy to use, and available from computer
workstations in the Library, in campus offices, classrooms and
dormitories, and off campus. Students and faculty will use library
computer workstations with network connections to locate and manipulate
the information they need.
The Library will therefore:
* Seek equipment funding to replace 125 text terminals with computer
workstations and network connections.
* Design a Library World Wide Web interface to all Library
electronic services (library catalog, CD ROM databases, and the
Internet).
* Provide responsive support to people using equipment and software.
* Coordinate electronic resource allocation, licensing, and
subscription management across library departmental and UH campus
boundaries.
* Design software to search more than one or all UH System library
catalogs at a time and to direct search results to print or e-mail.
* Make library processing and fiscal operations less labor intensive
and more efficient through advances in automation.
* Enable faculty and students to place online reservations for
multimedia items and the equipment or facilities needed to use
these items.
* Implement a system for digitizing non-book course readings
assigned by instructors in order to give students easier and
broader access to this material.
PROVIDE PHYSICAL FACILITIES THAT SUPPORT PEOPLE,
COLLECTIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Environment: The University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library has run out of
space to house collections and provide adequate user services. Woefully
inadequate climate control contributes to insect infestations and annual
outbreaks of mold at Sinclair Library. At Hamilton, space to house
collection growth will be filled by the end of 1997. The Library will
continue to advocate for quality facilities that meet the educational
and research needs of University students and faculty. We are committed
to adapting our facilities to support changing patterns of teaching, to
optimizing the use of new technologies, and to providing for long-term
growth and preservation of the collections.
The concept of the library as a physical place, a "commons," remains
vital, even as it is enhanced by the development of the virtual library.
The Hamilton and Sinclair Libraries are places for research,
instruction, quiet study, and social and cultural enrichment for the
campus and the community. In the future, the Hamilton and Sinclair
Library buildings will be fully wired for public connections to the
campus and worldwide information networks. This will provide students
with access to specialized information equipment that is beyond the
ability of individuals to provide for themselves. An inviting
environment, including enhanced lighting and air conditioning, and
ergonomically designed furniture and equipment, will also be provided.
The Library will therefore:
* Pursue Hamilton Phase III construction and plan a Library Annex
for high density storage of collections.
* Provide safe, secure and environmentally adequate physical
conditions to house collections.
* Improve facilities and equipment to serve students, including
those with disabilities.
* Reconfigure existing space to maximize service effectiveness
and accommodate people and collections.
* Renovate and air-condition the Sinclair building to preserve
collections and optimize building use.
* Create or adapt physical spaces to accommodate group study and
the new collaborative learning styles.
DEVELOP PRIVATE AND GRANT FUNDING FOR LIBRARY COLLECTIONS,
INFORMATON TECHNOLOGY AND LIBRARY FACULTY AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Environment: The University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library must look to
additional funding beyond that provided by State and federal sources for
support of collections, staff development and enhanced information
technology systems.
The Library will work closely with the Associates of the University of
Hawai'i at Manoa Library (its Friends' group) and the UH Foundation to
develop private sources of funding. The Library will seek to increase
funding to carry out its mission and to support the strategic
initiatives of the Library Services Program.
The Library will therefore:
* Establish a robust program for fund-raising in connection with the
University's comprehensive development campaign and the University
of Hawai'i Foundation.
* Write funding proposal statements that reflect University Library
fund-raising priorities.
* Support library faculty members in their grant-seeking endeavors.
SUPPORT AND EMPOWER LIBRARY STAFF
Environment: These are times of constant change for library faculty and
staff. Ever more sophisticated information technologies offer new
options for the provision of services and for performing library
operations. Continuous learning is required for library staff to respond
to these changes.
The University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library will retain and recruit an
expert staff that is culturally diverse, multilingual, technologically
sophisticated and academically trained in appropriate subject
disciplines. Staff development opportunities will encourage development
of individual talents. A continuous program of staff training and
development, along with participation in library planning and
decision-making, will ensure the provision of quality service, encourage
group and individual achievement, and facilitate library-wide
innovation.
The Library will therefore:
* Meet essential library-wide workload demands by reorganizing staff
and operations after evaluating use of services and workflow.
* Continue efforts to recruit and retain a library faculty and staff
reflecting the diverse ethnic backgrounds of the students and
community it serves.
* Foster an environment of trust and open communication among staff
members through multiple communication channels.
* Provide opportunities for professional growth for all levels of
library faculty and staff.
* Offer ongoing library orientation and continuous training programs.
MAINTAIN THE LIBRARY'S ROLE BEYOND THE MANOA CAMPUS
Environment: The UHM Library is steward to significant research
collections. It has an obligation to make these unique resources
available to local, regional, national and international scholarly
communities. The Library will continue to invest in mutually beneficial
partnerships with other system campus libraries, and other research
libraries within the Pacific region and the nation.
Since no single library can hold the entire body of the world's
knowledge, the basis of cooperation is in sharing unique resources with
others. The Library will foster and maintain active partnerships with
libraries across the State of Hawai'i and throughout the Pacific region
to provide access to information for the University community and the
citizens of Hawai i. We will collaborate with public, private and
commercial institutions throughout the State, nation, and
internationally, to augment resources available to the University
community, to obtain the most advantageous licensing of online access,
and to contribute to the body of scholarly knowledge accessible
worldwide.
The Library will therefore:
* Enter into agreements with libraries in Hawai'i, the region, and
the nation to define shared responsibilities for the provision of
services, cooperative collection development and document exchange.
* Maintain and develop the centralized UHCARL automated library
catalog mainframe applications and operations for use by all UH
campuses and private academic libraries using this platform.
* Participate in the development of information technology policy
for the UH system.
* Continue to fulfill its role as a partner with other planning
groups and state agencies in the distribution of information to
the citizens of Hawai'i.
* Promote system-wide interlibrary loan and document delivery
services and delivery of course materials for distance education
programs.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This strategic plan incorporates the ideals, vision and effort of many
individuals and groups within the Library. Included were the members of
the Library Department Heads Group and members of Library task forces
which were established to study specific issues and to recommend
directions and actions. Advice and counsel was solicited and received
from the members of the UH Manoa Faculty Senate Library Committee. This
plan will also be reviewed by members of the Executive Board of the
Associates of the University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library, the friends'
group that supports the Library's development program.
University Librarian John Haak
Administrative Council:
Associate University Librarian Jean Ehrhorn
Head, Public Services Division Paula Mochida
Head, Library Networks and Systems Division Lindy Naj
Head, Collections Services Division Carol Schaafsma
Library Department Heads Group
Library Replanning Steering Committee
Library Task Forces on:
Communication Across Organizational Boundaries
Collection Decisions
Patron Needs
Staff Training and Development
Technology Changes
Advisors:
University of Hawai'i at Manoa Library faculty and staff
University of Hawai'i at Manoa Faculty Senate Library Committee
See also:
University of Hawai'i Mission Statement
and Strategic Plan
University of Hawai'i at Manoa Strategic
Plan (Draft) - from the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic
Affairs/Executive Vice Chancellor
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