Action Plan

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Instruction and Services

Teach students the information literacy skills needed for purposeful learning and professional excellence.

1. Provide a basic level of information literacy instruction to all students through the Writing and Reasoning category of the General Education program.
2. Provide an appropriate level of information literacy instruction in General Education courses, particularly those in which significant numbers of transfer students enroll.
3. Collaborate with faculty to design and deliver a program of information literacy instruction that reaches students in each major.
4. Collaborate with faculty to design and deliver a program of information literacy instruction for each graduate program.
5. Build instructional connections with non-traditional students, off-campus programs, and adjunct faculty.
6. Develop and maintain strong liaisons between the Library and each academic department for the provision of course-related information literacy instruction.
7. Collaborate with faculty to design meaningful assignments that integrate library and information technology resources into courses.
8. Assess the learning outcomes of the information literacy instructional program.
9. Plan for the integration of information literacy skills within the First Year Seminar pilot program and the General Education revision.

Provide a variety of user-centered information services that facilitate the effective use of information resources.

1. Maintain a user-centered, approachable, and proactive reference presence in the Library that is collaborative and instructional.
2. Explore and develop a plan for the use of Library 2.0 technologies for the provision of information services.
3. Use a variety of levels of library staff to provide reference and information services during all hours the library is open.
4. Provide ongoing training to all library staff who provide reference and information services.
5. Explore and plan for information services needed to support the Center for Scholarship and Teaching.
6. Support academic integrity by developing librarian expertise and providing educational programs for faculty and students.
7. Provide discussion, education, and training in scholarly communications issues.
8. Ensure that all reference services are accessible to individuals with disabilities in compliance with ADA.

Provide a gateway to regional, national, and international information resources.

1. Continue to assess and improve the Library’s web site as the major interface to library resources.
2. Enhance link resolver (SFX) and federated search engine software (Webfeat) provided by CARLI.
3. Foster and maintain consortia relationships at the local, state, regional, and national level.
4. Provide excellent interlibrary loan services as both a borrower and a lender.

Lead students, faculty, and staff in the use of emerging information technologies.

1. Integrate instruction in the use of emerging information technologies into regular information literacy instruction for students.
2. Provide a program of faculty development in the use of emerging learning technologies with an emphasis on pedagogy.
3. Provide support for faculty and student use of Blackboard.
4. Collaborate with Computer Services to provide excellent academic computing services.
5. Provide key leadership in campus wide technology planning and management.

Support effective learning and teaching across the campus

1. Collaborate with academic departments, interdisciplinary centers, and administrative units to provide library services, programs and collections that support and enhance student learning.
2. Provide and promote library collections to support college wide programs.
3. Collaborate with Student Affairs to provide support for co-curricular programs for students.
4. Undertake leadership roles in campus academic initiatives.

Explore the roles of librarians in a small college library.

1. Teach credit courses outside the library that develop and showcase the skills, knowledge, and values of librarianship.
2. Offer Honors 304: Chicago’s Great Libraries annually.
3. Provide shadowing, mentoring, and practicum opportunities for students interested in and/or enrolled in library and information science education and training.

Resources

Develop and maintain a collection of print, electronic, and multimedia resources, which supports the educational programs of Elmhurst College.

1. Assess and analyze the use of the print, electronic, and multimedia collection.
2. Develop an ongoing plan for maintaining a high quality, relevant reference collection.
3. Collaborate with faculty in building the Library’s collections.
4. Develop a written collection development plan.
5. Assess the adequacy of collections funds.
6. Provide librarians with ongoing continuing education in the collection management skills.

Acquire, organize, and arrange materials in logical, usable ways.

1. Improve access to archival collections through the use of open source software.
2. Assess the use, organization, and policies of the multimedia collection.
3. Use Content DM software to create and provide access to diverse digital collections.
4. Develop a plan for an institutional repository.
5. Employ an electronic resources management system to improve the management of print and electronic serials collections.
6. Provide enhanced access of the Art Collection.

Provide efficient on-site access to materials owned by the A.C. Buehler Library.

1. Continue to implement the Voyager integrated library system.
2. Explore new ways to provide access to library collections.
3. Select, install, implement and maintain open source software to improve access to and management of library collections, services, and operations.
4. Participate in the activities of CARLI and IShare.
5. Prepare library staff for the 2009 implementation of the Resource Description Access (RDA) cataloging standard.

Management

Develop and apply effective, transparent, and responsive management practices to provide the leadership, planning, and organization necessary to carry out the Library’s mission and action plan.

1. Plan and develop strategies for enhancing the programs and resources of the Library.
2. Employ a team oriented/collaborative management philosophy.
3. Solicit and secure the financial support necessary for continuation and expansion of the Library’s operations.
4. Provide representation to committees that are pertinent to the Library’s mission.
5. Communicate effectively with the Elmhurst College community.

Develop and maintain a quality staff, adequate in number, to provide the best library services to users.

1. Meet the Association of College and Research Libraries standards for staffing or demonstrate that service requirements can be met with existing staff.
2. Review job descriptions for all library staff.
3. Design and implement a program of staff development and training for the library staff.
4. Support librarians and other library staff in continuing their own learning about technology.
5. Support librarians in pursuing continuing education, professional involvement, and scholarship and creative work.

Maintain a physical facility that fosters study, teaching, and research.

1. Assess the redesign the first floor of the Library.
2. Review condition, furnishings, and arrangement of the lower level and the second floor of the Library for possible replacement or renovation.
3. Review library operation for energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and sustainability.

Recognize and promote College’s goals for diversity and intercultural learning in collections and library functions.

1. Provide the Elmhurst College community with access to materials needed to create and nurture an environment that encourages diversity and intercultural learning.
2. Recruit, hire, and retain a diverse library staff.
3. Provide displays of library materials that relate to human diversity and intercultural learning.
4. Ensure that all library services and facilities are accessible to all users.
5. Collaborate with the Elmhurst Life Skills Academy to provide services and learning opportunities to its students.
6. Host work/study students from the Christ the King Jesuit High School.

Develop and maintain assessment measures to improve the Library’s programs and services and to respond to the changing needs of the Elmhurst College community.

1. Assess the Library Mission Statement and Action Plan annually.
2. Track changes in the College’s curriculum and revise services to match these changes.
3. Measure the effectiveness of library services by using Association of College and Research Libraries, Higher Learning Commission, and other national association standards.
4. Collaborate with the Faculty Personnel Board to develop procedures for observation of librarianship for candidates for tenure and promotion.
5. Develop a plan to assess student learning outcomes of the information literacy instruction program.
6. Survey overall user satisfaction using a variety of survey strategies.

Created November 2007. Action Plan Revised July 2008 by Susan Swords Steffen.