University of Wisconsin-Parkside Library
Final Report - Objectives 2005/06

• Create a series of tutorials/guides to replace the old “Research Tips” area of the library’s web pages. (Instruction Team)

Tutorials on the follow subjects were created: Using ILLIAD, Using UW-System Search, Using the UW-P Periodicals List, and Primary vs. Secondary Resources. Several tutorials are currently being worked on: Using E-Reserves, Using the Library Catalog, Where to Look First, Accessing Resources from Home, and Library Floorplan/Location Guide.

• Re-evaluate the Discovering Research program to determine how the program should operate in the future; create a strategic plan for the program. (Instruction Team)

Due to staff changes, this goal was placed on the back burner; it will probably be carried over to 2006/07.

• Investigate various assessment strategies/techniques for course-related instruction sessions and in-house instruction workshops. (Instruction Team)

The concept of “learning outcomes” was added to every Just for Your Class page for all instruction sessions.

• Establish contact with the Teaching and Learning Center and work to conduct an instruction/information literacy workshop for faculty/staff. (Instruction Team)

A brainstorming session was held on possible topics/needs/areas of interest. This objective was difficult to pursue due to staff changes and the need for many staff members to pick up additional collection development/instruction assignments.

• Determine the best ways to use/implement/teach MetaLib (federated searching) in course-related instruction sessions. (Instruction Team)

The group met with other librarians/staff members to discuss the MetaLib product and its implementation. There appear to be some major design flaws in MetaLib and most librarians didn’t feel comfortable teaching it at this time. Librarians did begin using and teaching the Periodicals List via the MetaLib interface.

• Work on a plan for “intentional outreach” to faculty/staff in instructional liaison areas. (Instruction Team)

It was decided that for the 2006/07 academic year each liaison will pick one academic department he/she liaisons with to focus on. The liaison will attempt to schedule a time to attend a departmental meeting to promote library instruction services and make individual contact with department members. The program’s success will be evaluated either at the end of the semester or the academic year.

• Implement the plan to create a unified music materials collection. (Collection Development Team subcommittee and Access Team)

In Spring 2006, shelving and tables on L1 near the bound music periodicals collection were rearranged to create a new Music Collection area. Music books were moved from L3 to the new Music Collection area. The CD collection was moved from behind the Check out desk to new cabinets located in the Music Collection area.

• Review the audiocassette, slide, transparency, and laser disc collections and withdraw damaged/obsolete items. (Collection Development Team)

Librarians and faculty worked together to evaluate all items in those collections. Damaged and obsolete items were withdrawn.

• Create new floor maps for the podium case near the library entrance. (Access Team)

A new set of detailed, attractive floor maps were created for the kiosk (podium case), the library’s web pages, and other uses.

• Discuss the plausibility of moving the art books located in Grand Folio and the art books in Stacks to create a unified art books collection. Include discussion of the location, shelving, and seating needs of a unified collection, and associated costs. (Collection Development Team)

Although informal conversations were held about this idea, the Collection Development Team as a whole did not discuss it. This goal will be carried over.

• Review the standing orders list and make necessary cuts. (Collection Development Team)

This was not considered a high priority since standing orders were reviewed in 2004/05. This goal will be carried over.

• Examine the overall organization of materials in the library and explore changes. (Collection Development Team)

The team had several discussions about this topic and made a few decisions. In particular, it was agreed that where feasible, AV items will be integrated into the collection. For example, games and kits intended for use by school teachers/students will be located in the IMC collection. Other kits (e.g. foreign language cassettes & accompanying pamphlets) will be shelved in general stacks.

• Discuss collection-related issues and projects being considered by the UW System Collection Management Task Force and provide feedback to the task force. (Collection Development Team)

The activities of the UW System Collection Management Task Force were discussed at several Collection Development Team meetings during the year and UW-P’s feedback was provided to the Task Force. In Spring 2006, Kim Bartosz was appointed to the UW System’s Book Procurement Working Group and, in addition to her activities as a group member, she served as a conduit to keep the UW-P Collection Development Team appraised of the Working Group’s progress.

• Develop and implement outreach strategies to promote reference services to campus and community. (Reference Team)

At the May 3 rd Reference Coordinators Meeting, suggestions for outreach to campus and community were discussed. These will be considered for development at UW-P in 2006/07.

• Complete the Ask the Subject Specialist form for subject portal pages. (Reference Team)

The team decided to drop the Ask the Subject Specialist plan and instead add Chatango links to the Quick Links on all of the library’s portal pages. Liaisons will place and maintain the links for the disciplines for which they are responsible.

• Complete the current weeding project of the Reference Collection; implement the new weeding/updating policy for the Reference Collection. (Reference Team)

A new weeding/updating policy for the Reference Collection was established. Weeding is in progress and will be an ongoing project.

• Revise and expand the statistics gathering method used to determine Reference Collection use. (Reference Team)

This goal will be carried over to next year.

• Revise/refine UW-P’s implementation of MetaLib/SFX software in light of software upgrades and other developments. (MetaLib group and Reference Team)

UW-P librarians were concerned about MetaLib functionality and were frustrated with problems inherent in the software. Refining MetaLib was a challenge, but improvements to both MetaLib and SFX were made and the objective was completed.

• Develop greater expertise in negotiating licensing for electronic resources. (Electronic Resources Management Team)

Members of the team looked for opportunities to attend workshops and conference programs about licensing agreements for electronic resources, but none presented themselves during the year.

• Create a “Local Libraries” search option in Voyager. (Electronic Resources Management Team)

Information from some local libraries has been gathered. This objective will be carried over to 2006/07.

• Create a census web page that can move seamlessly from web resources to CD/DVD media. (Electronic Resources Management Team)

After some investigation, team members concluded that the census information available on CD/DVD media is also completely available online. A census web page was created for UW-P library users and the State Data Center was asked not to send any more CDs or DVDs.

• Re-evaluate all items in the electronic resources budget a) in light of the necessity to cut the UW System shared electronic collection budget by approximately $200,000 in 2006, b) to determine the most economical products for each subject area. (Electronic Resources Management Team)

All items were re-evaluated. A new, more proactive approach to e resources renewals was discussed and established. As part of the new process, monthly usage statistics and SFX statistics (showing which targets are being used) are prepared for each ERM Team meeting.

• Set up Z39.50 connections to additional electronic resources. (Electronic Resources Management Team)

Z39.50 connections were set up for almost every e resource that is searchable in that fashion.

• Re-investigate the possibility of installing laptop jacks in the library. (Electronic Resources Management Team)

Working with staff from CNS, 2 laptop jacks were installed in the library in summer 2006. Plans for additional laptop jacks are being developed.

• Discuss and resolve issues associated with checking in standing orders using the Voyager serials module. (Breed and Kaye)

This objective will be carried over to 2006/07.

• Develop and test procedures for performing an inventory of selected sections of the collection (e.g. DVD Collection) (Breed, Pinzger, Spencer, Gehring)

The programs and procedures were developed and several inventories of the DVD collection were completed.

• Complete the barcoding of another third of the bound periodicals collection. (Breed)

This objective was met; over 18,000 items were barcoded during 2005-2006.

• Shift the collection on L3, taking advantage of the space created by the music move. (Gehring )

This objective was completed: a major shift involving moving thousands of books on L3 was completed in August 2006.

• Work with Instructional Technology Support staff and Docutek to incorporate the library’s e reserves into D2L so that: (a) only students enrolled in a course will have access to its electronic reserves, and (b) the library has a visible presence in UW-P’s D2L courseware implementation.

After overcoming many technical and other issues and experiencing a false start in Fall 2005, the library’s e reserves became functional through D2L at the beginning of the spring semester 2006. Both sub-objectives were accomplished. In addition, an online D2L/ E reserves assessment survey of both students and faculty was designed and will be sent out at the end of the Fall 2006 semester.