Deconstructing the Library: Reconceptualizing Collections, Spaces and Services

Academic Library Mission Statements, Web Sites, and Communicating Purpose

“…Just like the statement itself, the library's homepage is an articulation of its organizational identity and thus has a profound effect on how current and potential users perceive the library as an institution, especially its values and service philosophies (McMenemy, 2007;Welch, 2005). Traditionally, academic library The Journal of Academic Librarianship xxx (2014) xxx-xxx mission statements were framed around the simple notions of serving faculty and students (Pritchard, 2008). Today's mission statements, however, have become more sophisticated and focus on many different elements, among them: leadership in a global setting; collecting, organizing, providing and preserving access to users; fostering intellectual growth; and supporting the teaching and research missions of the parent institution (Hernon, 2007a).…”

Aligning Library Strategy and Structure With the Campus Academic Plan: A Case Study

“…Library leaders and staff need to do this deconstruction so that stagnation does not set in, and we can incorporate new services and collections while still living within the same budgets and buildings. (Pritchard, 2008) Borrowing from an approach described to the author by Barbara Dewey, the strategic planning team began its work with an organizational framework already prescribed. The UConn Libraries' framework consisted of five program areas that loosely corresponded to the university's academic plan goals:…”

Preparing for the 21st century

“…How do libraries reconceptualize collections, space, and services? In what proved to be a pivotal article, Pritchard (2008, p. 222) discusses these areas and writes “the key is in reorienting our work to a much more refined definition of services, focusing on unique strengths, local needs, and multiple ways of delivering information”. She emphasizes the importance of defining the library's mission and users.…”

“…In terms of services, she states:As libraries try to locate new services within typical organization charts, where does one put things like digital publishing, scholarly communication support, or information management consultation, in which we advise faculty about structure and metadata for their own databases and Web sites? These are increasingly important services, yet formalizing them requires taking apart older notions of departments and tasks (Pritchard, 2008, p. 227).…”