Wednesday, October 25, 2017

When North Park University made a sudden decision to place the Library, IT, and online learning in the same division under a librarian, many of the employees failed to see the connection to their new colleagues. The division dean clarifies—warts and all—how she helped carve out a new joint identity using an alternative strategic planning method that emphasizes collective aspirations while honoring the departments’ very different cultures. She shares templates that provided her tech-oriented colleagues a way to share their opinions electronically while (gently) nudging them out of their comfort zones. The second case study focuses on the first “bookless” academic library in the state of Nevada which has transitioned from an emphasis on collections to a focused effort on improving outcomes for the College’s largely first-generation, diverse, and underrepresented student population. The library has rebranded itself as a network of services, spaces, and expertise dedicated to leveraging technology and evidence-based practices to create successful outcomes for the College’s students. The library partners with faculty on course redesigns; has reduced traditional collection development activities to focus on enhancing the affordability of course content with open educational resources; and collaborates with faculty to integrate new technology such as 3D printing into the curriculum. The library also has a deep collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research that has led to research findings indicating that students who use the library’s digital collections and services have improved research assignment grades, semester GPA, academic standing, and one-term retention. This transition has led to a sunsetting of traditional library services to make progress in these new areas.