Standard 7: Library and Other Information Resources
Description
Resources and Access. The library and other information resources are essential to the achievement of SCSU's mission to provide "exemplary graduate and undergraduate education in the liberal arts and professional disciplines." Consistent with this mission, the library's mission is "to provide resources, instruction, services, and facilities to support and enhance the teaching, learning, scholarship, and research..." Hilton C. Buley Library stands at the center of SCSU's campus as a "work in progress" and plays a central role in the academic program at the university. The University Strategic Plan (USP) includes references that support the development of the library, information resources, and technology. Specific goals and initiatives of the library's strategic plan focus on developing the library's information literacy program, positioning Buley Library as the academic hub of the campus and allocating the library materials budget in accordance with academic programs' stated requirements, enrollment figures, and curricular priorities. Librarians serve on every major university committee, including the Faculty Senate, ensuring full participation in university planning and evaluation processes that will impact the library. The library is an integral part of new student and new faculty orientations - both at the planning and execution stages. Library faculty and administration have been pivotal participants in the First-Year Experience by advancing the Common Read concept and supplying the book as a gift to the incoming freshman class.
Similarly, services provided through the Office of Information Technology (OIT), are key to fulfilling the mission. OIT oversees services that facilitate the use of information technology such as Help Desk; user services; desktop/laptop support; telecommunication; and wired and wireless networking; and provides training and support for instructional technologies; technology trainings; high-tech classrooms; central Web hosting; university portal; and Banner Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). As indicated in the USP, SCSU's overarching goals include enhancing the use of technology to support student learning and developing an effective information management system to inform decision-making in all areas of the university.
Through financial planning and resource allocation, the university has supported the operations of the library and invested in other information resources to enhance the teaching and learning environment. A consistently funded materials budget of $2,125,000 has been allocated to the library over the past four years, but while the budget has remained constant, library purchasing power has dropped. Inflationary changes and the rising costs of databases and electronic subscriptions have resulted in falling book and multi-media budgets. Unfortunately, we are anticipating budget cuts for FY12 which have not been finalized at this time. The library does, however, benefit from statewide and CSUS consortial database purchases as well as the 18 databases provided through ICONN, the Connecticut Digital Library Program. In addition, a formal "Friends of the Library" group has been established to provide opportunities for fundraising, service, and outreach. The group has partnered with Development and Alumni Affairs to position the library as a recipient of allocated giving.
In 2009, OIT released a five-year Information Technology Strategic Plan. The plan lists 10 major goals. In the past two years, the university has funded 11 initiatives in support of the IT Strategic Plan. The special funding has allowed OIT to completely upgrade network infrastructure, expand wireless network coverage, implement document imaging and workflow system to automatic back office operations and reduce handling of paper forms, increase network storage, and re-engineer print infrastructure to support mobile printing.
The functions of OIT are supported by professionally qualified personnel consisting of 39 full-time and 50 part-time staff members spread across five divisions: 1) Telecom and Operation Services, 2) Enterprise Applications, 3) Support Services, 4) Systems and Infrastructure, and 5) Teaching and Learning Technologies. OIT supports several mission critical systems. The Banner ERP System is used to manage all finances, student records, and admissions information. Faculty and staff use the Outlook email system for day-to-day communications. The university portal, MySCSU, provides an integrated interface to all services. All newly admitted students use the Guide for First-Year Students to complete the enrollment process. Transfer students use the Guide for Transfer Students. SCSU is a wireless campus with wireless service available in all academic buildings and the Student Center.
The Learning Management System (LMS), eLearning Vista, is hosted centrally by the CSUS System Office. However, OIT provides local administrative support and training. All courses are loaded into eLearning Vista. Since 2009, the university has made a concerted effort to promote the use of the LMS. The usage has since grown steadily with an estimate of 70% of faculty members using some features of LMS for their classes. SCSU now has the highest LMS usage within the CSUS.
OIT also manages over 2,000 desktop/laptop computers that spread across approximately 50 public and departmental computer labs. There are 78 general-purpose classrooms, all equipped with the latest classroom technologies. OIT operates three service centers that are open 70 hours per week. OIT operates the only Center for Adaptive Technology (CAT) in Connecticut. CAT provides assistive technology service to disabled students throughout the state. The demand for this service has steadily increased yearly. The Faculty Technology Center established in 2009 provides a designated space for faculty support and training.
Professionally qualified and committed personnel administer Buley Library. The library staff includes one administrator, 15.8 (FTE) M.L.S. library faculty members (belonging to AAUP), and 12 support staff. In addition to librarians on regular appointment, there are six adjunct M.L.S. librarians who provide reference services in the evenings and on weekends and two full-time M.L.S. librarians on one-year temporary appointments. Faculty and staff are offered various opportunities to further their skill and knowledge base and to keep current in their field. These opportunities exist in various forms: support for national and regional conference attendance; cooperative workshops and presentations with sister libraries; Webinars and in-house sharing of research and expertise; and vendor presentations. Budget cuts have resulted in the loss of two university assistants and the inability to replace some full-time positions. One Technical Services paraprofessional has been reassigned to Access Services as a result of a staff retirement and part-time staff cuts.
Buley Library strives to provide a balance of print and electronic resources to support the university's teaching, learning, scholarship, and research needs. Library resources are procured in alignment with the library's Collection Development Policy. The collection currently includes 425,204 monograph books; 59,264 bound periodical volumes; 9,840 non-print media items; 40, 957 micro-format titles; 3,786 e-books; and 180 databases that provide access to almost 77,000 unique electronic journal and book titles. Total volume count stands at 543,082, excluding access to electronic aggregator resources. This reflects modest growth in the circulating and reference book collections since 2001 and a decrease in bound periodicals as they are replaced with digitized back-files. The area of electronic resources has shown the most growth in recent years. Print electronic resources can be accessed through CONSULS, the shared catalog of the CSUS and the Connecticut State Library. Electronic resources, including full-text periodical articles, online reference resources, databases, etc., are also accessible through the library's home page. All of these resources can be accessed remotely 24/7. The Buley Bulletin highlights new or special library features and services and is available online and in print format.
Access to course readings is facilitated through electronic reserves which students can procure online from anywhere and at any time. Access to the collections of other libraries in the CSUS is facilitated through an intra-consortium loan program. Books requested from any of the other three CSUS campuses are usually available for pick-up within two or three working days. A newly instituted interlibrary loan platform gives students and faculty access to the traditional collections of local, regional, national, as well as international libraries and provides digital delivery of journal articles from around the globe.
The library is open 85 hours a week when classes are in session. The reference desk is open for service 78 hours a week. Librarians stay abreast of the changing nature of student research and the emergence of new forms of digital information. They provide reference service using email and mobile technologies such as Text-a- Librarian, to reach students at their point of need, in addition to the traditional methods of answering reference questions in person and via telephone. Text-a-Librarian is an easy, patron-accessible program that expands the walls of the library.
For several years librarians have been serving as library mentors in the graduate research fellows program, providing in-depth research assistance to graduate students. The coordinator for distance learning functions as a contact/liaison for students and faculty involved in online/hybrid courses. The library works with Faculty Development and the Office of Information Technology to promote the use of library services and online content (both library subscriptions and open Web educational resources) across the campus.
Information and Technological Literacy. Although the use of information technology is embedded in many academic programs, either through required courses and/or learning experiences, as part of the new Liberal Education Program all students will be required to attain technological fluency (one of the Tier 1 Core Competencies). Students will be expected to demonstrate competency in solving problems, accessing information, and communicating information using appropriate technologies (see also Standard 4). The library's instruction program plays a crucial role in developing the lifelong learning habits and critical thinking skills of students. The use of information resources is expected in all academic programs as evidenced in course syllabi. To enhance students' use of information resources, librarians serve as liaisons to one or more academic departments and as such are responsible for providing subject and course specific instruction. An important component of instruction is the subject-specific online research guides (LibGuides). Students may also meet with a subject librarian for individualized instruction or a research consultation. More than 300 of these individualized sessions took place in the 2009-2010 year. Professors may schedule formal instruction in the library's computer classroom; 187 of these sessions were conducted in 2009-2010. A self-paced interactive tutorial, which students may access from wherever they are, helps them learn more about the library and its services. In addition, library tours are offered during the first two weeks of each semester.
Faculty and staff are provided support and training through workshops, one-on-one training sessions, or through Web-based tutorials. Feedback received by OIT indicates that faculty prefer one-on-one training sessions to workshops, particularly as it relates to training in LMS. OIT continues to provide workshops when software and operating systems are updated. For example, workshops are planned for fall 2011 on the new operating system and Microsoft Office 2010 software. Web-based tutorials on various computer applications are also available to faculty, staff, and students by accessing the instructional resources on the OIT Website.
Appraisal
Hilton C. Buley Library offers a level of service and a breadth of collection that compares favorably to peer institutions but faces challenges in the areas of personnel and materials budgets. The reference staff conducted user surveys in 2002, 2003, and 2004 to determine library users' degree of satisfaction with collections and services. The surveys indicated very favorable results, with an overwhelming majority very satisfied with the services provided and with the electronic and print reference resources in the library. The library also conducted a LibQual Survey in 2006. Users expressed satisfaction with the services provided by the library, but many identified lack of space as a major issue. Results from the SCSU faculty and student surveys for university accreditation showed similar findings. Faculty expressed satisfaction in collections to support research and teaching needs, except in the areas of e-books and media, where the majority of responders had no opinion; students found resources to be adequate for completing assignments. Comments addressed the need for both increased space and adequate hours for quiet study in the library. An informal student survey conducted in February 2010 as part of Connecticut Library Snapshot Day resulted in responses indicating that the library was valued as a place to come for independent and group study and that online resources were preferred for meeting research needs.
Expenditures for books have decreased over the past four years but recent surveys indicate that spending across all formats continues to support adequately the needs of university curricular and research interests. The library has begun to highlight unique collections digitally using the Content DM platform and is working to achieve functionality of the Electronic Resource Management module of the Integrated Library System for improved tracking of e-resource expenditures and use. The library is also in the process of updating its collection development policy to include references to standards in collection assessment. The Library Liaison Program is well developed, with every academic area matched to a librarian who is responsible for collaborative collection development and bibliographic instruction as requested. A fall 2010 survey of department liaisons to the library showed a high level of satisfaction with the attentiveness of the librarian liaisons, their subject knowledge, and the quality of the collection in their respective subject areas.
Four questions to measure the impact of library instruction were added to the FYE Self-Assessment Survey given to students who have participated in the First-Year Experience (FYE) program. Results of the initial rounds of surveys indicate that students who received library instruction were more aware of the librarians' availability to help them develop research plans and better able to navigate the library Website, and felt that the training and support they had received prepared them to make "effective use of library and information services."
The library has experienced leadership changes since 2001 that included a part-time interim director for over two years before the appointment of the current library director in the fall of 2007. Changes in administration took place while a new facility was being planned and built. The director from 1999-2004 headed the program planning process for a building renovation and expansion but had left by the time construction began in 2005. A major flood in November 2006 caused a temporary disruption to construction and resulted in library material losses valued at over $6 million. In May 2008, the library moved into a combination of permanent and temporary spaces in the newly constructed addition. In March 2009, construction was halted on renovation of the original building when funding was depleted. However, it is now expected that renovations will resume in summer 2012 (see Standard 8). Final plans call for primarily stack and reading areas in the addition; current use includes library faculty offices in their intended configuration, administrative and special collections offices in intended group study rooms, and a bibliographic instruction room in an intended conference room.
Special collections are temporarily housed in a former student dining area across campus. All service points - reference and information desks, circulation and reserves areas, and media viewing locations - are temporary, as is the library's main entrance. Total library operations are currently housed in space that was built as a library addition, with the expectation that the original library would be renovated. Since it has been over 10 years from the completion of the original program plan, the 2001 Library Building Plan was reviewed and adjusted in the fall of 2010 with library consultant Jay Lucker providing an assessment of the current plan and recommendations for changes. The library is now poised to expand services and collections, anticipating partnerships with relevant campus offices such as IT, FYE, the Ethnic Heritage Center, the Center for Adaptive Technology, and other appropriate collaborations. Partnerships with IT for space and service are being forged and will be finalized as building plans progress. Included in these plans is the development of a learning commons that combines library and IT services.
Information services librarians are continually assessing the reference collection with comparisons to the core lists Books for College Libraries, its successor Resources for College Libraries, and peer library holdings. E-book collections like the Gale Virtual Reference Library, Safari Tech books, Nursing Reference Center, Netlibrary, Credo, and Oxford Reference have made the collections more accessible and visible through the catalog and via the library Website. Print reference items will be replaced with electronic books and databases whenever possible, and a weeding project is underway as recommended in the 2010 Lucker Report.
Searches for two full-time tenure-track librarian positions have been successfully concluded. One new librarian will coordinate the library's extensive instruction program and participation in SCSU's FYE initiative.
Since the last accreditation, the problem of off-campus access to databases and resources due to the proxy server has been resolved. Printing from computers has improved and the printing fee instituted this past summer has cut down on paper waste. Wireless access is now available throughout the library building. However, there are not enough computers for student use in the reference area. This problem will be resolved only when the old library building is totally renovated and refurbished, but that prospect is still a few years away.
Although students have reported that they use the library primarily as a "quiet study space" where they can focus (data from Library Snapshot Day), the current space is often filled to capacity, lacks soft seating areas, and does not provide adequate group study space. There is also no adequate classroom or presentation space, or exhibit areas to highlight library collections, activities, or programs. No lounge or meal preparation area exists for staff, and there are no vending or café areas. These concerns have been raised to the building committee, and it is expected that they will be addressed in the adjusted building renovation plans. Student comments on the fall 2010 survey for university reaccreditation also indicate a desire for longer evening and weekend hours, with 10 out of 25 comments expressing dissatisfaction with hours of operation. A spring 2011 semester infusion of additional funds has allowed hours to be expanded.
The temporary location and layout of the library service desks are not very welcoming. The reference and circulation desks are not easily visible to students entering the library, and librarians are seated with their backs to those approaching the reference desk. Ways to reorganize the desks to better serve patrons are being considered in order to improve the temporary location until the full building renovation is complete and the service desks can be permanently relocated.
Lack of adequate space remains an issue as the facility has been moved from an inadequate building to an inadequate addition. Until the planned renovation of the original structure is completed, there will be no net gain of space. The new library addition appears to be spacious and inviting and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology but is short of library instruction classrooms and group study rooms. Most of the group study rooms and the only instruction classroom in the new building are currently being used as office space. A temporary instruction classroom is not suitable for large group instruction. In spite of physical limitations in teaching space, over 50% of the faculty members whose classes received library instruction reported that they believed it had a positive impact on their students. The loss of over 30,000 volumes in the November 2006 flood remains a concern; to date, only the issue of SCSU theses has been addressed.
A significant focus of OIT over the past few years has been to enhance information security and privacy. The identity management initiative, launched in 2009, has resulted in the establishment of an account management policy, the integration of multiple account authentication sources into one, and the implementation of a self-service password reset utility. SCSU also established an institutional policy regarding proper use of data as well as a data steward committee that oversees the acquisition, storage, retrieval, presentation, and dissemination of the information throughout its lifecycle. All security policies and procedures can be found at the OIT Website.
SCSU has only seven SmartBoards in the high-tech classrooms and lacks a formally adopted platform for the use of Instant Response Systems (clickers) in large classrooms. Hence, students may be required to purchase more than one device for their classes. While only a small number of faculty currently use clickers, efforts to standardize the use of clickers will allow us to better support the faculty and reduce the burden on the students to purchase compliant devices.
The CSUS has licensed WebEX for use by all four universities. This Web browser-based software provides a platform for synchronous online meetings and collaboration, including telepresence, audio, chat, and document sharing. This application can be used to enhance teaching, as appropriate, as well as faculty and staff academic work. This service will be in place at the start of the fall 2011 semester.
OIT has been diligent in defining policies and procedures that address illegal and inappropriate uses of technology by all users. All university laptop computers can be scanned with a program called Identity Finder to locate files that may possibly include Class A data. The university servers have been scanned to remove any Class A data and publicly available Web servers have been isolated from the rest of the network to prevent unauthorized access.
The SCT Banner version 8 comes with additional security and efficiency enhancement features such as role-based access control and mass registration. The university has begun implementation of Banner Document Suite (BDMS), which allows users to capture and link hard-copy documents to information in Banner. BDMS has already been deployed on a pilot basis to the Office of Financial Aid and School of Graduate Studies, and it is expected that all offices will go live by December 2011. The university also has begun deployment of Banner Workflow to direct the flow of information through the enterprise. With Banner Workflow, administrators, staff, and faculty can access and complete/approve customized forms through a standard Web browser. These projects allow SCSU to streamline significantly its back-office operations. It is expected that about 15-20 forms per year will be automated to enhance the efficiency of operations.
IT at SCSU has had four changes in leadership since 2001, including two part-time interim terms by the dean of the former School of Communication, Information, and Library Science and the CIO of Western Connecticut State University. The current CIO, Wendy Chang, joined SCSU in December 2008, following the eight-year tenure of former CIO, Al Chai. In October 2010, Dr. Chang took on additional responsibility as the CIO of the CSUS. She has since split her time between SCSU and the System Office. The IT staffing level at SCSU is far below the national average and is the lowest within the CSUS. Although the university has added eight new positions to IT since 2009, unexpected turnovers and retirements have resulted in little change of staffing level. Several key positions have recently become vacant. The fiscal uncertainly has made it difficult to recruit and retain talent. Maintaining a stable IT workforce will be a major challenge for the coming year.
Projections
The collection development policy will soon be updated to reflect current needs and provide guidelines for the acquisition of library resources. The process is being led by the Collection Development Librarian, and the document will be completed in fall 2011. The library will work closely with the Development Office to pursue funding for special projects and continue to develop a plan to collaborate with appropriate partner institutions to make digital collections available that will enhance the scholarship opportunities of the SCSU community. Two collaborations currently being developed are with the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame (CWHF) and the Connecticut Library Association (CLA). The CLA newsletter digitization will be completed in the fall of 2011; a pilot project for the CWHF collaboration has been completed with a formal project and continuing relationship to commence in the spring of 2012. Technical Services librarians and support staff are responsible for these projects. In addition, discussion is under way between the Library Director and the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies to develop guidelines for library access to online thesis and special project submissions. Librarians responsible for digital collections will make recommendations for expanding digital collections to include an institutional digital repository to be established in FY2012.
Two full-time librarian retirements are anticipated in fall 2011, and it is anticipated that one full-time temporary emergency hire will be approved for a fall semester start. Retirements and attrition have led to overall staff losses over the past two years, and realignment of responsibilities will continue through 2012 by the director, with input from the director's advisory council (area Division Heads).
An effort to better track use of electronic resources through the recently activated ERM and the Serials Solutions journal locator product has begun and will be under way within the year. Full implementation of these tools will allow in-depth examination of use statistics and resource cost comparisons that will be used to justify purchase decisions and budgeting strategies in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 and beyond.
Although one of the university's goals is to expand its online educational offerings, the criteria for approving and evaluating online courses are not clearly defined. To ensure that online course content and learning outcomes compare favorably with on-ground versions of the same course, and that instructional technology resources are optimally integrated into courses, an ad hoc committee of faculty and information technologists has been formed to develop a set of standards and measurements. It is anticipated that the committee will formulate recommendations by end of fall 2011.
Mobile devices are not currently supported by the eLearning Vista, and Vista lacks a number of features provided by Web 2.0 interactivity. These will likely be resolved when a new course management system is deployed in 2012. Since most students have and use mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, having access to course materials in compatible formats is an important consideration.
To continuously enhance teaching and learning through the use of appropriate information technology, CSUS has just concluded an evaluation of Learning Management Systems to replace Blackboard Vista 8, which will not be vendor-supported beyond January 2013. Blackboard/Learn was chosen by the review committee. Piloting will begin in fall 2011. The course migration will officially begin in spring 2012 and conclude by the end of spring 2013. Similarly, the Teaching and Learning Technology Committee is evaluating Instant Response Systems to recommend a standard vendor for use in the university. A recommendation for the Provost is expected by end of fall 2011.
The university is acutely aware of the threats to our data security and the potential for misuse of all technologies and will continue to modify our policies, practices, and procedures to insure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. OIT is audited three times a year (PWC, CSUS internal audit, and Connecticut state audit) in security and privacy. We will continue to address audit findings to insure compliance.
Institutional Effectiveness
Both the library and instructional technology offices have undertaken assessment initiatives that are intended to inform routine decision making as well as long-term planning. Availability of usage statistics for online resources has become a prerequisite to purchase, and the implementation of the electronic resource module of the Integrated Library System will allow ongoing tracking of use and cost efficiencies. IT uses combinations of user surveys and automated feedback to assess effective use and gauge the growth of trends and their implications for network development.
The CIO regularly seeks input from the Faculty Senate Technology Committee and Student Government Association. Since 2010, OIT has administered two surveys per year. The Teaching and Learning Technologies survey is conducted in the spring and surveys all faculty members on services related to teaching and learning. The IT User Satisfaction Survey is conducted in the fall and surveys all members of campus community. The survey results are shared with faculty and campus community and are used to guide future IT efforts.
The library and IT are critical to the academic and administrative functions of the institution. The library will continue to pursue various strategies for developing a collection of scholarly materials in all formats to support the curriculum and research interests of the university. IT is poised to be agile, responsive, and effective in responding to the technology needs of the university with emerging solutions. Both of the areas are dependent upon university priorities that provide stable budgets and committed leadership to move these integral areas forward as standard bearers for the entire university program.
