Last Strategic Plan

COOPERATING LIBRARIES IN CONSORTIUM (CLIC)

STRATEGIC PLAN 2003-2005

Drafted by the CLIC Board of Directors

February 26-27, 2003

Adopted July 23,2003

MISSION

CLIC’s mission is to support member libraries in fulfilling their missions when cooperation enhances their ability to do so.

VISION

CLIC utilizes strategic partnerships and technology to facilitate the transition to the academic library of the future, through innovation, collaboration and empowerment of its members.

CLIC is an effective and efficient organization and a vigilant steward of human and financial capital.

CLIC membership exemplifies servant leadership to our individual campus communities, the higher education community and the greater Minnesota library community.

According to Robert Greenleaf, author of “The Servant as Leader,” servant leadership is a practical philosophy that supports people who choose to serve first, and then lead as a way of expanding service to individuals and institutions. Servant-leaders mayor may not hold formal leadership positions. Servant-Leadership encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power and empowerment.

FOCUS AREAS

Board members identified the following areas for strategic growth.

  1. Academic Libraries of the Future

  2. “The CLICnet System”

  3. Infrastructure

  4. Finances

  5. New Opportunities/Special Projects

GOALS

ACADEMIC LIBRARIES OF THE FUTURE

CHAMPION: Dan Gjelten

Goal: CLIC will develop and implement processes which enable member libraries to successfully transition into the digital higher education environment of the future. The digital library of the future will be characterized by:

  • Comprehensive collections of resources for scholarship, teaching and learning

  • Accessibility to all types of users (both rookies and veterans)

  • Management by professionals who see their roles as stewards ofthe world’s intellectual and cultural heritage.

In facilitating this transition, CLIC will recognize and honor the differences between member libraries and will support those with fewer resources, while not constraining those with more.

Strategies:

  1. Serve as a laboratory for the exploration of alternative futures for libraries.

  2. Facilitate the provision of appropriate professional development for staff of libraries in transition

  3. Develop strategic partnerships with:

a. IT and other non-library professionals

b. Other non-CLIC academic libraries and consortia

c. Community libraries (non-academic: K-12, Historical Society, etc.)

The CLICnet SYSTEM

CHAMPION: Julie Rochat

Goal: CLIC will determine the most efficient and effective process for running the CLICnet System.

Strategies:

  1. Continue the Coordinating Council’s re-examination ofthe CLIC structure, including Associate System Administrators (ASA), Coordinating Council, Board and Systems Operation Group, to determine the most efficient/effective manner to run CLICnet system (Complete task by December 1, 2003)

  2. Empower current Systems Op Group to discuss and make recommendations: * Clarify purpose and structure

  • Create a mission statement

  • Improve intra-CLIC communications (Report to Board -– September 2003)

  1. Support the use of technology to make the problem-solving/reporting structure more efficient ;;d effective.

  • Be willing to make a financial investment for software - depending on cost

  • Investigate options for communications (listserv software) and helpdesk (problem reporting/tracking)

  1. Address license problem

  • Monitor III software enhancements for solution.

  • Inventory number of users (ask ASA to do)

  • Investigate the use of “option groups” vs. director policing.

  • Determine impact on budget formula.

  1. Investigate ITV and other technologies on individual campuses for more efficient timesaving meeting/decision-making

  • Inventory available sites ane! costs (Directors)

  • Discuss with MELSA the availability and costs to use their site (Chris)

  • Enhance the strategic support partnership with MN users Group to enhance the system.

  • Identify training and education opportunities

  • Encourage CLIC working groups to organize discussions with other Innovative Interfaces, Inc. libraries for problem solving.

INFRASTRUCTURE

CHAMPION: Bob Suderman

Goal: Operate effective, stable, forward-looking technical support systems including:

  • Sufficient simultaneous proxies, read-only Oracle access, update of OP AC web interface - so that “everybody works all the time.”

  • Stable-redundancy (mirrored disk drives, duplicate servers, multiple communication

lines)

  • Security (firewalls, proxies)

  • Forward-looking/”future” technologies including Internet 2, wireless, etc.

Strategies:

  1. Engage IT in advisory role (both locally and a formal small advisory group)

  2. Create subgroup of “techie” ASA’s

  3. Provide professional development for broader CLIC membership

FINANCE

CHAMPION: Carol Johnson

Goal: Re-assess CLIC membership policies in light ofthe following considerations. * Increased resources, human capital

  • Potential for lowering dues

  • Gateway potential (St. Olaf, Carleton) * Increased scale in efficiency

  • Geographic barriers

  • System scaling

  • Courier/delivery

Goal: Re-assess dues formula in light of the following considerations. * Number of volumes

  • CirculationlPatrons

  • Number of licenses

  • Other factors that deal with complexity of the formula

Strategies:

  1. Create subgroup to review formula and make recommendations.

NEW OPPORTUNITIES/SPECIAL PROJECTS

CHAMPION: Terri Fishel

Goal: Enable and encourage collaboration in ways which will:

  • Enable individual libraries to improve service

  • Promote CLIC as an innovator, leader and collaborator

Strategies:

  1. Investigate impact of collaborating on grants.

  • Provide training in grant writing

  • Coordinate information on sources and opportunities

  • Encourage joint ventures

  • Use grant writing as a means to incorporate library school students

  1. Investigate shared purchases/collaboration to enhance collection development.

  • Cooperative development beyond the CORE

  • Share collection assessment tools and strategies

  • Identify collection areas of depth/curriculum by campus * Serials, cooperative bookfile building (space, etc)

  • Shared purchases when cost effective (including licensing) * Consortial contracts

  • Create subgroup to investigate impact and conduct one concrete pilot project.

  1. Form community alliances and take action on issues that impact our individual and consortial relationships with other libraries and community users.

  • Sunday support

  • Adult learner seminars * Resource sharing

  1. Collaborate on technology projects.

  • Nurture collaboration as well as effective training and communication regarding joint projects including digital imaging, virtual reference, etc.

  • Promote awareness of collaborate opportunities outside of CLIC

  • Showcase individual projects at CLIC gatherings