The W. Frank Steely Library

2011 – ULAC State of the Library Presentation

Arne J. Almquist, PhDAssociate Provost for Library Services

The W. Frank Steely Library

2008 - A Bold Leap Forward

Arne J. Almquist, PhDAssociate Provost for Library Services

2008

2008 BLF Initiatives

• Collections as Service– Serials

• Cost per use• “E only”• No multiple formats

– Monographs• RFID

• Building as Service– Develop the building and space-dependent services

2008 BLF Initiatives, cont’d

• Marketing Orientation– Develop communications/marketing plan– Conduct market research in partnership with Dept. of Marketing– Publications audit

• Culture of Assessment– Develop better understanding of current assessment

trends/techniques– Align measures with surveys– Provide better ways of sharing data

Collections -- Serials

Expenditures by Format

FY 2007 FY 2012Microform 11% Microform <1%Paper 48% Paper 4%

Journal Subscriptions – Unique Titles(2008): 1,578Journal Subscriptions – Unique Titles(2012): 4,124

Total Unique Current Titles – Agg & Subsc (2009): 28,512Total Unique Current Titles – Agg & Subsc (2012): 44,761

+161%

+ 57%

Collections -- Monographs

RFID – Approximately 30,000 items in the main circulating

collection remain to be tagged (tags have been purchased).

– Purchasing security gates, self-check, and other RFID equipment, Fall 2011.

Information Brokerage/PDA– Created 2 new pooled funds (teaching faculty,

Steely faculty) to broaden PDA experiment.

2001: “I tell my students not to bother with Steely. I send them to UC’s library for their information needs.”

2010: “I told our candidate that if it’s not in Steely’s collection, they can get anything you want -- virtually overnight in most cases.”

Steely Library – User Satisfaction -- Faculty

2009

2004

Library Expenditures

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20112.00%2.20%2.40%2.60%2.80%3.00%3.20%3.40%3.60%3.80%

Library Expenditures as a Percent of University Expenditures – NKU, 2001-2011

Continuing a Negative Trend …

FY 06 FY 07 FY 08 FY 09 FY 10$0

$200,000

$400,000

$600,000

$800,000

$1,000,000

$1,200,000

One TimeSerial

The Next Step

CollectionsTransition Serials to 100% online• Reconfigure Third Floor• Repurpose Current Periodicals Area

Serials Circ Data

The Next Step

CollectionsApply our successful serials collection techniques to

book collection• Purchase more e-books and e-book collections• Transition more $$$ to pooled and PDA funds

(Observation indicates that better purchases are made, on average)

• Transition more of reference resources to electronic format

eBooks

Rocket eBook Reader, circa 1998

Amazon Kindle, 2011

With the advent of the MP3 in the 2000s, the sales of CDs has dropped in seven out of the last eight years. In 2008, large label CD sales dropped 20%,[20] although independent and DIY music sales may be tracking better according to figures released March 30, 2009.[21]

Guardian, UK (guardian.co.uk, Friday, April 15, 2011): Ebooks have become the single bestselling category in American publishing for the first time, according to new data released yesterday.

Circulation, Enrollment & Collection Size

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

Total CircEnrollmentVol (Norm)

The Next Step

CollectionsTransition Government Documents• Collections of Excellence vs comprensive• More aggressive weeding of current materials• Concentration on 2 or 3 Federal agencies

We now have our first Collection of Excellence in the ASERL Government Documents Shared Collections Project.

The Next Step

CollectionsSpecial Collections• Continue renovation of SC&A facility• Political papers fundraising• Continue pursuing new collections• Advisory board

The Next Step

ServicesNew service points leveraging skills/strengths• IPAC (leverages on GovDocs COE initiative)• Access to technology• Reconfigure existing spaces

Instructional Services

Bachelor of Science in Library Informatics

Continuing Education Program

NKU’s Library Informatics Program

Fall 2009 Fall 2010 Fall 20110

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Enrollment

NKU’s Library Informatics Program

The Bridging the Gap “Series”

Bridging the Gap I (KY): $1.3 million project– 50 counties (Appalachian, far Western, bordering)– 50 full package participants, 12 tuition only– Partners: NKU, Bluegrass, KDLA

Bridging the Gap II (WV): $1.2 million project– Concentrating on isolated, at-risk counties– 40 participants planned– Partners: NKU, Mountwest, WV Library Commission

Bridging the Gap II

The Next Step

MarketingPackaging our message• Learn how to market our “products”• Begin using digital signage• Liaison program

EHIS

Resources

Existing resources– Examine current workflows, tasks– Increase application of technology

New Resources– Grow revenue opportunities– Pursue grant opportunities– Philanthropy– Pursue new resources within university

Questions . . .