Academic and Research Libraries Section
Strategic Plan
2008-2009
Mission
The Academic and Research Libraries Section exists to:
- Provide a forum for the exchange of information and best practice
to strengthen the development, cooperation and good management of
academic and research libraries in all countries;
- Develop and/or promote guidelines that will help library and
information professionals and their services achieve professional
excellence in academic and research libraries;
- Encourage and foster research, lobbying and promotion to
strengthen the role of the library in the core institutional
functions of learning, teaching, research and services;
- Facilitate the achievement of the strategic IFLA Goals and
aspirations through an active membership of the Section;
- Participate in broader national and international frameworks for
developing information policy and services;
The strategic goals, objectives and actions outlined below are
constructed on the three pillars of IFLA: Profession, Society and
Members. The plan will be advanced through a variety of activities
including: conference and educational programs, cooperation and
collaboration amongst members throughout the year, publications, policy
positions, and research activities.
Goals
Profession Pillar
1. Monitor and provide information about current and
emerging issues in academic and research libraries and disseminate
results of relevant research.
Supporting IFLA professional priorities: a)
Supporting the role of libraries in society; c) Promoting literacy,
reading and lifelong learning; d) Providing unrestricted access to
information; e) Balancing the intellectual property rights of authors
with the needs of users; f) Promoting resource sharing; g) Preserving
our intellectual heritage; h) Developing library professionals; i)
Promoting standards, guidelines, and best practices.
Actions:
1.1 Develop and conduct high class, relevant
programmes for members at the annual world congresses
1.1.1 Durban - done (all programmes well attended and all rated
good-excellent)
1.1.1.1 Find a mentor: an opportunity to network and to learn from
colleagues
1.1.1.2 Conduits for transformation: incorporating multimodal
instruction and learning into information literacy (with Information
Literacy Section)
1.1.1.3 Libraries in the spotlight: promotion and marketing
strategies (with Management and Marketing Section)
1.1.2 Quebec City - programme submitted
1.1.2.1 Hot Topics in Academic & Research Libraries - Discussions
with Experts
1.1.2.2 Return on Investment: learners' outcomes in information
literacy. Do they learn at all? with Information Literacy Section
1.1.2.3 Digitization and preservation of research data, with
Information Technology Section
1.1.2.4 Public-Private Partnerships, with Management & Marketing
Section
1.1.2.5 Satellite programme on Consortia (at Universite Laval) in
conjunction with CARL
1.1.3 Milan - draft programme under discussion (Digitization of
Heritage Collections with CLM; Open Access Publishing; Post Conference
on buildings and spaces with Library Buildings Section)
1.2 Support IFLA Special Interest Groups/Discussion
Groups
1.2.1 Sponsored the Quality Issues in Libraries Discussion Group -
final session of this group held in Durban; two excellent presentations
given and rated good-excellent
1.2.2 Offered to sponsor a new special interest group on Digital
Libraries (Durban 2007)
1.3 Translate conference papers into IFLA languages
to promote a wider dissemination - ongoing (some French translations on
web site)
1.4 Use the Section's newsletter, email list, Web
2.0 technologies and web site to encourage discussion and dissemination
of relevant information, and for the promotion of Section activities at
the world congress - ongoing, with particular emphasis on the
newsletter and Web 2.0 technologies 2007-2008
1.5 Use the expertise of the Section's Standing
Committee members, and their extended professional network, to monitor
the global professional environment so as to ensure that emerging
issues are rapidly brought to the attention of members - ongoing, and
related to 1.3
1.6 Foster collaboration with national and
parliamentary libraries represented in Division 1 and with special
interest Sections across IFLA to provide depth and expertise to
programmes offered at the annual world congress - Two joint programmes
conducted in Durban; three joint programmes requested for Quebec
City
2. Research and disseminate information on relevant
standards and guidelines (national and international) and best practice
with a view to making the information more accessible to the profession
and to build skills.
Supporting IFLA professional priorities:
h) Developing library professionals; i) Promoting standards,
guidelines, and best practices.
2.1 Collect information on academic and research
library standards from national bodies and make this information
available from the Section's web site - not yet started
2.2 Develop programmes to promote marketing and
promotion skills amongst members
2.2.1 Libraries in the spotlight: promotion and marketing strategies
(with Management and Marketing Section) held in Durban
2.2.2 Include promotion and marketing strategies amongst 'hot
topics' for Quebec City congress
2.3 Respond in a timely manner to inquirers who
contact the Section for information - ongoing
Society Pillar
Actions:
3. Allocate responsibility for liaison to a Section Standing
Committee member with the following IFLA professional groups, so as to
promote dissemination of information:
3.1 Copyright and Legal Matters (CLM) - Jim Neal
3.2 Action for Development through Libraries
Programme (ALP)
3.3 World Digital Library
3.4 Freedom of Access to Information and Freedom of
Expression (FAIFE) -
3.5 World Summit on the Information Society
(WSIS)
Supporting IFLA professional priorities: a)
Supporting the role of libraries in society
4. Facilitate the involvement of librarians in developing
countries in the world congress programme by librarians in developing
countries.
4.1 Conducted an essay competition to choose two
librarians from Latin America and two librarians from Africa for
sponsorship (conference fee paid) to attend the Durban conference -
done; and experiences being reported in the Section newsletter
4.2.1 Sponsored a satellite event in Durban, with the University of
Makerere, on Research and IT in African Libraries
4.3 Conduct an essay competition to choose two
librarians from Latin America and two librarians from Africa for
sponsorship (conference fee paid) to attend the Quebec City
conference
Supporting IFLA professional priorities: a)
Supporting the role of libraries in society f) Promoting resource
sharing; h) Developing library professionals; i) Promoting standards,
guidelines, and best practices.
5. Support open access to information literature so as to
bridge the gap between the 'information haves' and the 'information
have nots'.
Supporting IFLA professional priorities: a)
Supporting the role of libraries in society f) Promoting resource
sharing;
Members Pillar
Actions:
6. Promote membership of the Section by expanding services
to the membership who are unable to attend the annual world
congress.
Supporting IFLA professional priorities: a)
Supporting the role of libraries in society; c) Promoting literacy,
reading and lifelong learning; f) Promoting resource sharing; h)
Developing library professionals; i) Promoting standards, guidelines,
and best practices.
6.1 Facilitate the twinning/partnering of libraries
in developed countries with one in a developing country to foster
exchange of information, sharing of best practice, and provision of
staff development - Project Proposal submitted to IFLA HQ in October
2007 to develop guidelines for these twinning arrangements
6.2 Use Web 2.0 technologies to endeavour to engage
more discussion amongst members throughout the year - work has
commenced in 2007
6.3 Promote membership and engagement of young and
new professionals
6.3.1 Investigate the potential 'virtual mentoring' of 'Young
Professionals' who participate in that IFLA Discussion Group -
preliminary discussions held with Chair of the Discussion Group (Oct.
2007) to confirm interest in proposal; Guidelines for partnerships
should also inform individual mentoring; keep this in mind if Project
is funded so as to maximize value for the Project funds
6.3.2 Investigate an online discussion on a topic of interest to
encourage young professionals, e.g. 'Should we be called 'Librarian' or
'Information Professional'?
6.3.3 Invite participants in the New Professionals Group to observe
Standing Committee meetings and to raise issues of relevance to the
group - to start in 2008
7. Grow the Section's membership
Supporting IFLA professional priorities: a)
Supporting the role of libraries in society; c) Promoting literacy,
reading and lifelong learning; f) Promoting resource sharing; h)
Developing library professionals; i) Promoting standards, guidelines,
and best practices.
7.1 Identify which countries are under-represented
in membership - in 2008
7.2 Identify membership of national associations of
academic and research libraries that can be cross-checked against
existing membership and target non-members - 2008
7.3 Standing Committee members to receive
promotional information for distribution to potential members - on
going
7.4 Standing Committee members to post items of
interest to potential members on other discussion lists and relevant
distribution channels - 2008 and ongoing
