Library of the Future Working Group Meeting
12/5/12
-Our mission is exploratory; there’s no presumed outcome.
-Dean: This is about vision. Think big. Money may be there for a good idea.
-We will report to the President by the end of Spring 2013.
-We will collect information on what kind of library the community wants.
-Ask students, faculty, staff, and community members this question using surveys, student-led focus groups (personalize the invitations and ask students to bring photos of their favorite and least favorite spots; invite students who use the library and students who don’t), Facebook, photos, etc. Visit Goucher and Dickinson to see their libraries. We might be able to conduct a survey at the major-minor fair.
-We will explore both short- and long-term goals for transforming the library.
-Three pressing needs: library staffing, books, and space (especially quiet space).
-Need new chairs and “cubbies.”
-On the issue of space, we might consider rethinking which offices are in the library, making sure that their location makes sense.
-Are there grants for partnering with other colleges for a shared off-site storage unit?
-Using Worldcat or some other technology, might we be able to target the colleges with which it would make the most sense for us to partner, given our respective collections?
-Browsing the stacks is important, particularly if the books have rich bibliographies.
-Students need more research training.
-All materials should be examined to determine what should stay in the library and what should be moved elsewhere.