Máire LaniganDirector of Information Services and Libraries

 

Managing a HE Library in the 21st CenturyCity University LIS: A case study

Twitter–addict?

Overview

• A word about me

• Higher Education in society

• City University as an organisation

• Library and Information Services

• Managing a HE library in a cold climate . . . the last twelve

months

• Icebergs ahead? City LIS : the next twelve months

• The future of libraries

A word about me

• Qualified in 1977

• Single staffed through to complex services

• Public sector

• Changing expectations of libraries

What did City University Library use to be like?

Librarians have changed too…

From

•Perfection•Set in their ways• Insecure about roles•Collections focused

…to

•Good enough•Flexible and innovative•Adapt readily to change•Service focused

What is your experience of librarians?

Overview

• A word about me

• Higher Education in society

• City University as an organisation

• Library and Information Services

• Managing a HE library in a cold climate . . . the last twelve

months

• Icebergs ahead? City LIS : the next twelve months

• The future of libraries

Higher Education in Society

• Provides education• Supports innovation• Sustains economic

vitality

• Changing student participation and profile . . . so demand going up and resources going down.

Changing models of provision

Traditional

Ownership

Individual Campus

Emerging

Access

Collaborative

Above campus

Overview

• A word about me

• Higher Education in society

• City University as an organisation

• Library and Information Services

• Managing a HE library in a cold climate . . . the last twelve

months

• Icebergs ahead? City LIS : the next twelve months

• The future of libraries

City University as an organisation

Teaching led with research

USP

Distributed environment

Our students

Full time 57%Aged 25 and above 55%

Female 55%

Undergraduate 68%

International 18-28%

Overview

• A word about me

• Higher Education in society

• City University as an organisation

• Library and Information Services

• Managing a HE library in a cold climate . . . the last twelve

months

• Icebergs ahead? City LIS : the next twelve months

• The future of libraries

Library and Information Services at City

• ‘Shape’ of service

•Campus environment

•Subject mix

Overview

• A word about me

• Higher Education in society

• City University as an organisation

• Library and Information Services

• Managing a HE library in a cold climate . . . the last twelve

months

• Icebergs ahead? City LIS : the next twelve months

• The future of libraries

Looking backwards: a cold climate?

Challenges

• Credit crunch ($ euro exchange rates)

• Expectations of library users

• Changing face of scholarly publishing

• Disproportionate inflation

• Conflicting pulls – online collections v monographs spend

• Under-investment in library services (Sconul data)

Budgets

Sconul data: how do we compare?

So how did we respond?

1. Transforming our spaces

£2.3 million investment

Benefits:

• Different needs, different spaces

• New spaces and increased capacity

• Assistive technology suite

• Wi-fi enabled ; laptop loans service, IT training suite

• Sand pit, technobooths, digital signage

• ‘Roving’ services and self-service

2. Reshaping our collections• Mixed economy – print and digital

2008 2009

Print only 20% 10%

Print and Online 78% 20%

Online only 2% 70%

Something to celebrate?

Gain = whole floor of the library (1083m of shelving)

But…

• Extra £100k cost• Perpetual access?• Remote store

A cautionary note

UG TPG Research Staff Total

No. of connections

24468 46761 1868 4865 77962

% 31.38 59.98 2.40 6.24 100.00

UG TPG Research Staff Total

No. of connections

35475 55060 6973 9018 106526

% 33.30 51.69 6.55 8.47 100.00

Snapshot of digital usage: Nov 07 – Jan 08

Snapshot of digital usage: Oct 09 – Nov 09

3. Reducing posts and changing our staff profile

Internal drivers • Central Services ‘Business Efficiency Review’

• Some ‘wrong’ structures / teams External drivers • Scholarly publishing: digital content

• Changing demand and service provision

• Competitive environment: skilled and agile workforce.

3. Reducing posts and changing our staff profile

• Service wide review

• All roles under the spotlight

• Increased or decreased importance of some roles

• 16 individuals left the University• 7 posts removed from structure• 1 new role created; 1 enhanced• 6 roles remodelled and re-

graded

Overview

• A word about me

• Higher Education in society

• City University as an organisation

• Library and Information Services

• Managing a HE library in a cold climate . . . the last twelve

months

• Icebergs ahead? City LIS : the next twelve months

• The future of libraries

Icebergs ahead: looking into the future

Sconul top ten concerns  

2009 (2008) Funding and financial management 97% (84%)E-environment 91% (84%)Space and buildings 79% (94%)

Icebergs ahead: looking into the future

Outsourcing

Shared services

Collaboration and partnerships

Doing more with less

Staying local . . .

Overview

• A word about me

• Higher Education in society

• City University as an organisation

• Library and Information Services

• Managing a HE library in a cold climate . . . the last twelve

months

• Icebergs ahead? City LIS : the next twelve months

• The future of libraries

The future of libraries?

• Leadership

• Choosing the ‘right’ team and people

• Know your market – use evidence

• Library as place

Questions and discussion

Useful links and resources

• http://www.rin.ac.uk/files/Scholarly_books_journals_at_risk.pdf

• Follow me on Twitter! @mairelanigan• Blogging@ http://chatterbox.soi.city.ac.uk/library

Image credits• 1982 – Providence Public Library http://www.flickr.com/photos/ppl_ri_images/4034187615/ • Librarian? Stereotype? - Litandmore http://www.flickr.com/photos/litandmore/2430033122/ • Most Excellent Librarian – bibliona http://www.flickr.com/photos/bibliona/238979054/ • Librarian costume – LibrarianAvenger http://www.flickr.com/photos/librarianavengers/260849159/ • I Heart the Dewey Decimal System – L. Marie http://www.flickr.com/photos/lenore-m/331636606/ • Librarians-Haunted-Love – Dumio Momio http://www.flickr.com/photos/30976576@N07/2905162295/• this is what they expect when I say I'm a librarian – cindiann

http://www.flickr.com/photos/trucolorsfly/718590589/ • Cold walk - ImNotQuiteJack http://www.flickr.com/photos/imnotquitejack/3226593160/ • empty trash bin in the spotlight – JonathanCohen

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonathancohen/4049146542/• Cork – Generation X-Ray http://www.flickr.com/photos/85182154@N00/55295920/• Peep through the iceberg – divedivajade http://www.flickr.com/photos/divedivajade/218467073/ • Magic Ball – piterart http://www.flickr.com/photos/piterart/4074570137/in/photostream/ • Question! – Stefan Baudy http://www.flickr.com/photos/-bast-/349497988/