Library

Library Strategic Plan 2010 - 2015

Operational Plan 2011

University Vision

La Trobe University will transform the lives of students and communities through learning and knowledge creation.

We will be nationally and internationally acclaimed in socially responsible teaching and research.

Library Mission

The Library contributes to knowledge creation and to the transformation of student lives by providing

• integrated scholarly collections,
• proactive information services, and
• managed learning spaces

Library Characteristics

We are

• Open - by providing access to recorded knowledge
• Transformative - by meeting the changing requirements in academic knowledge management and provision
• Engaged - by working in partnerships with staff and students to fulfill their information needs
• Accountable - by demonstrating the value of our services
• Sustainable - by measuring, benchmarking and continuously improving our services

University strategic objective 1: Transform student lives through learning

Library actions 2011:

• Contribute to the increase in undergraduate and postgraduate enrolments, including regional and international cohorts, by ensuring the Library is adequately and consistently represented in all University promotions to prospective students
• Reach a greater number of students by continuing to embed information literacy programs in undergraduate curricula
• Extend opening hours and services at all campuses, according to the specific needs of each campus
• Investigate and establish new Library initiatives to support the development of the Rural Health School

Library actions 2011:

• Contribute to the School Partnerships Program, including the development of Library web pages for senior secondary students
• Work with relevant University staff to develop programs to support under-prepared students
• Review and further develop the Library website in order to create more effective gateways for diverse client groups

Library actions 2011:

• Evaluate the Library collaborative learning spaces at the Melbourne campus and build upon the experience and benefits in developing such learning spaces at other campuses
• Strengthen and promote the positive correlation between Library use and student retention and success based on results from studies and surveys such as the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)
• Ensure the new learning management system enables the Library to prominently embed its collections and services
• Implement and continue to investigate new resource and service delivery options, including mobile devices, social media and emerging technologies
• Increase availability to high quality teaching and learning resources by increasing access to electronic content across all campuses
• Improve the relevance of the collection to the curriculum by working with the University Programs Committee with a particular emphasis on Faculty working early with the Library in the course development process
• Improve services to students through strategic partnerships with Academic Language and Learning, Student Services and other relevant groups
• Improve the integration of the Library with orientation programs and the first weeks of study across all campuses

University strategic objective 2: Create new and useful knowledge

Library actions 2011:

• Establish research data management services to assist the University to meet the requirements of the Australian Code for the Responsible conduct of Research
• Investigate the provision of a bibliometric citation reporting service
• Promote the new postgraduate study room in the Library at the Melbourne campus
• Extend and promote digital object management services and where possible replace Library material in outdated formats withe digital versions

Library actions 2011:

• Develop a research gateway on the Library website for academic staff and postgraduate students
• Provide targeted outreach services for academic staff and postgraduate students, including tailored research skills training

Library actions 2011:

• Develop strategies for increasing the number of full text open access research outputs in the repository in order to increase the impact and reputation of La Trobe University research
• Enhance the profile and maximise the use of Library special collections through promotion, digitisation and collection acquisitions

University strategic objective 3: Support and reward staff excellence

Library actions 2011:

• Create a new Staff Development Plan, incorporating:
• Required capabilities for current and future needs
• Skills audit and identification of training needs
• Recognition and rewards for outstanding performance

University strategic objective 4: Operate sustainably and ethically

Library actions 2011:

• Investigate and develop a framework for the KPI reporting of Library services to ensure maximum effectiveness and best performance
• Develop and pilot a quality framework for the evaluation and improvement of Library processes and services
• Implement the communication strategy to raise awareness about Library resources and services and maximise their usage
• Continue to explore and implement further client self-service options to improve user experience and remain within current funding parameters
• Encourage and promote a responsible use of paper, recycling and use of e-resources across all campuses

Library actions 2011:

• Develop a long term financial strategy taking into account foreign exchange movements and changes in global publishing