Metrics with Meaning: How Can We Effect Change to Library Assessment Metrics used by Non-Library Organizations

Many library metrics and statistics that are gathered regularly by accreditation agencies, publishers, and other entities to inform stakeholders have stagnated and are no longer effective in illustrating library value. In this talk, we will highlight measures collected by accreditation agencies and publishers that are not effective, and then describe potential ways to have short-term and long-term impact on changing these national metrics so that they better represent libraries of the 21st century

Metrics with Meaning: How Can We Effect Change to Library Assessment Metrics used by Non-Library Organizations

Many library metrics and statistics that are gathered regularly by accreditation agencies, publishers, and other entities to inform stakeholders have stagnated and are no longer effective in illustrating library value. In this talk, we will highlight measures collected by accreditation agencies and publishers that are not effective, and then describe potential ways to have short-term and long-term impact on changing these national metrics so that they better represent libraries of the 21st century

CUL Vision Team report delivered to Academic Assembly on 10/04/2007

CUL Vision Team report delivered to Academic Assembly on 10/04/20071_cus9foo

Ivy Plus Library Benchmarks

To inform the strategic budget planning exercise that Cornell is undertaking for the continued reduction of expenditures, the following library benchmarking data was assembled to answer questions about the level of relative support, intensity of use, level of staffing and staff efficiency at Cornell University Library and its Ivy Plus peers. Our analysis shows that Cornell, when put into the context of institutional characteristics, ranks significantly lower on measures relating to financial support (expenditures, collections and staffing) than on measures that show how heavily students use our services and staff efficiency

Designing for WOW!: The Optimal Information Gateway Designing for WOW!: The Optimal Information Gateway

Abstract Increasing reliance on electronic systems for access to resources and services is a fact of life in todays libraries. Users have grown to expect reliable, powerful and intuitive systems that do it all. The Web has raised library users expectations for simplicity of use. At the same time the emphasis on customer service in academia has produced an atmosphere in which it is essential to adapt quickly to the changing needs of faculty and students. In this fast-paced, technology and customerdriven environment, the library as a slow-moving, stable institution is a thing of the past. To continue to succeed, academic libraries must transform themselves into high-performance organizations committed to delighting their users. This can only be accomplished if we have an accurate understanding of what the users need and want. This paper presents the results of a focus group study that was conducted to find out just that. Introduction The title for this paper comes from business visionary Tom Peters The Pursuit of WOW!: Every Persons Guide to Topsy-Turvy Times. 1 Peters wrote the booka collection of sometimes-brash stories, interviews and observationsto help individuals and organizations stay on top of the chaos of the nineties. Peters urges us not to be timid in fending off staleness, and he claims that stepping out (individually) and standing out (organizationally) from the crowd is and will be crucial for surviving and thriving in a world of uncertainty and upheaval

Creating an Integrated Public Services Desk - A Piece of Cake?

This was presented on May 23, 2005 for Professional Development Week of Cornell University Library. The panel discussed the integration of access and reference services into a single public services desk. The speakers presented the goals and objectives for unifying the desks, methods of team building among the staff, and the impact of desk scheduling.Professional Development Committee, Cornell University Librar

Integrating an Engineering Library's Public Services Desk: Multiple Perspectives

Launching a new outreach initiative and renovating the library provide both an incentive and an opportunity to redesign service points and reexamine how staff can best meet the needs of their users. The Engineering Library at Cornell University recently merged separate reference and circulation desks into a single service area for a number of reasons. This process was made smoother by integrating the multiple perspectives and concerns of those affected by the change. The help of a staff development specialist, team building exercises, small cross-functional working groups, and provisions for cross training were all built into the process. Considering all points of view was an essential part of the process and its outcome