In 2014 the College Libraries completed work on a strategic plan developed in 2010 after our first comprehensive program review in 2009. In four years, we completed more than 100 projects outlined in that plan. The 2010 plan, and updates on its action items, can be found here: http://potsdam.libguides.com/strategicplanning
In 2013, the staff of the College Libraries assisted the Director of Libraries as she developed a new shorter-term plan to guide us through 2016, when we are due for our second program review.
This plan is designed to be a living document, one that is not just written and forgotten, but consulted, amended, and enacted as we strive to be the best possible libraries for our campus community. To that end, the operational goals of each section of the report are represented by tabs at the top of this page, and each tab will be used to track our progress as we work toward the goals outlined in each section. The full report is available below.
The mission of the College Libraries is to forge dynamic partnerships and empower our vibrant academic community to do thoughtful research, explore new ideas, and collaborate effectively, to achieve success at Potsdam and beyond.
The College Libraries began a strategic planning cycle in 2010, building on the self-study and program review of 2008-2009. The plan written and enacted in 2010 was proposed to last through 2015, which would then begin the next cycle of self-study and program review for 2015-2016, but in early 2013 we faced a challenge: We were nearly done with the 2010 plan.
The 2010 plan (found at http://potsdam.libguides.com/strategicplanning) included 100+ short- and long-term action items, framed by a 30 page narrative of the state of the Libraries, librarianship, and higher education. From the beginning of implementation, Director of Libraries Jenica Rogers assessed the plan every six months and noted progress on each action item on the website. As of July 2013, those action items were 79% complete, with only 29 remaining un-done. Those 29 were deemed largely un-doable – many are related to the effects of the completion and opening of the Performing Arts Center on the Crane Library, others are dependent on continually delayed construction funding from SUNY, and yet others appear to be impossible to attain in our current environment (i.e., we dreamed too big!).
As such, the Libraries need a new direction, rather than staying fixated on the challenging remains of the successful 2010 plan. In order to build a short-term list of goals, to bring the Libraries through the 2015-2016 self-study and program review cycle, one question from the 2010 report rises to the forefront:
“Given the changing realities of higher education and the values of our institution, what do the College Libraries need to be [doing and building]?”
The attached list of goals and action items represents our best assessment, as faculty and staff in the College Libraries and Archives, of what needs to happen next in order to address our changing realities and continue to meet our ongoing mission.
Action Items are categorized into two groups: Those to be worked on immediately and as time allows, and those which are aspirational but cannot be begun with our current resource allocation. As the faculty and staff of the libraries reviewed assessment data, considered service goals, and studied emerging areas in our profession, it became clear that there were too many projects we would like to take on. These are all projects that would have clear value to the institution and would be invigorating to our libraries and our services, and many of them made it into the main Action Items lists. However, we also are aware of our own limitations. The things which we simply cannot do without additional staffing, funding, or other resources are separated into “Resource Dependent Action Items” sections, so that the aspirational aspects of our planning are not lost from discussion despite our inability to begin them in the near term.
