TriUniversity Group of Libraries (TUG):
Priorities and Current Objectives
Latest Draft: March 10, 1999
Virginia Gillham,
University Librarian and Archivist, Wilfrid Laurier University
Michael Ridley,
Chief Librarian, University of Guelph
Murray Shepherd,
University Librarian, University of Waterloo
A. Introduction
As the TriUniversity Group of Libraries (TUG) grows and enriches the services and resources available to our user community, it is important that we develop a shared understanding of our priorities and specific objectives.
This document provides guidance for the work of our three university libraries by identifying strategic priorities common to all TUG partners. The priorities and the specific objectives that follow from them inform the directions that our collab oration will take over the coming 12-18 months.
Each of our three university libraries will also have local priorities. Each TUG library’s priorities will consist of local priorities and those that have been accepted as TUG priorities.
B. Mission
The TriUniversity Group of Libraries partnership was begun in January 1995.
TUG’s general mission reflects the mission of the member Libraries: to support the teaching, learning, and research activities of the University of Guelph, the University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University with effective information resources, services and systems.
TUG approaches this mission through the power of collaboration. The collaboration is intended to address scholarly information resource needs and enhance the strengths of each University. We can accomplish more for our users by working together than we can separately. We can do this most effectively by working in partnership at all levels between and among the individuals and departments of all the libraries.
C. Accomplishments
The TUG partnership agreement entered into in January 1995 stated as a general goal that our libraries should work towards creation of integrated access to collections and services. Three specific areas of collaboration we re outlined for investigation:
During the first four years of the collaboration new facilities, systems, services and resources have been implemented that address all three areas. These have included:
The Library staff in all TUG Libraries can be proud of the work accomplished and the enhanced services and systems they have created together over the past four years.
D. Strategic Priorities
In order that our users continue to succeed we must maintain and continue to develop the types of systems and services they require. To do so, it is critical that we maintain a focus on a carefully chosen set of priorities .
The following strategic priorities should guide the creation and development of all TUG collaborative services and systems. All specific TUG projects should address these strategic priorities.
Strategic Priority 1. Content.
Develop and enhance the quantity and quality of scholarly information resources, with a focus on electronic resources, in support of the teaching, learning and research needs of the TUG user community.
Strategic Priority 2. Access.
Develop and enhance the information services and systems infrastructure available to the TUG user community to access scholarly information resources, with a focus on electronic resources.
Strategic Priority 3. Organisation.
Strengthen organisational linkages between and among the various library staff directly involved with managing, co-ordinating, operating and delivering TUG programs. Enhance communication and decision-making effectiveness.
Strategic Priority 4. Management.
E. Specific Objectives: 1999
Arising from the strategic priorities, we have identified a number of key objectives that require specific focus and attention by the staff of the TUG Libraries during 1999:
Objective 1.
Develop and expand the TUG Website to serve as an effective gateway to scholarly information resources for the TUG user community.
Objective 2.
Develop agreements and procedures to facilitate the storage and access of electronic theses by TUG on behalf of the University of Guelph, University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University.
Objective 3.
In collaboration with OCUL, CARL, ARL and other partners, significantly increase the TUG user communities’ access to electronic full text scholarly information resources (including journal, monographic and numerical/geospatial data resources).
Objective 4.
Develop TUG communication policies, mechanisms and practices, which facilitate and enhance staff effectiveness and service to the TUG user community by maintaining awareness of projects, developments and initiatives. Such mechanisms will include the de velopment of a staff website for documentation related to TUG projects, programs, committees, etc.
Objective 5.
Develop TUG program evaluation policy and practices to assure our service programs are meeting user needs. An essential aspect of this will be the development of methodologies for user needs assessment.
We have also agreed that the following objectives are key to improving the organisational effectiveness and financial sustainability of TUG. The University Librarians will take primary responsibility for ensuring these objectives are addressed:
Objective 6.
Develop and implement a business-planning model that will enable more effective implementation and operation of TUG programs and projects.
Objective 7.
Develop and implement a series of cost allocation models to ensure TUG projects and initiatives are financially supported and maintained in an equitable manner.
Objective 8.
Develop principles and mechanisms for enabling new TUG partners where such partnerships can, in a cost-effective manner, increase the availability of scholarly information resources and services for the TUG user community.
F. Other Areas for Collaborative Development Work
These include current (ongoing) TUG programs as well as some new areas of potential collaboration.
The following are examples of some of the many other possible initiatives or enhanced activities that could be explored and undertaken by the TriUniversity Group of Libraries. TUG Libraries’ staff should review and discuss these and other areas of pote ntial benefit to our user community. Validated by focusing on user needs and priorities, developments such as these can form the basis of a continually improving library and information environment.
Where beneficial to the TUG user community, investigate on a collaborative basis:
F.1 E-mail or other electronic-based reference service;
F.2 Library service programs that support distance education students;
F.3 Creation of instructional support materials (web, other electronic, print) for specific services, resources, disciplines;
F.4 Metadata description / cataloguing of web-based and other electronic resources;
F.5 Integration of TUGWEB and cataloguing procedures and practices;
F.6 Common vendoring, shelf ready books, and EDI usage in relation to acquisition of information resources,
F.7 TRELLIS records clean-up project.
F.8 Licensing and delivery of non-bibliographic databases (numeric and geospatial data);
F.9 Exploration of the feasibility and benefits of utilising common versions of software and shared hardware infrastructure;
F.10 TUG-wide staff training programs in relation to existing TUG Service programs such as TUG Data Resources, TRELLIS, TUG reference database services (ERL, CSA, etc.)
Facilitate the development of more effective collaborative service programs and activities through ongoing review of existing TUG services and programs. Such review should be built on:
Some of these existing TUG programs or activities include:
F.11 TRELLIS;
F.12 Annex services;
F.13 ILL/DD policies, procedures and systems including the exploration of alternatives to AVISO;
F.14 Information resource sharing in relation to reserve collection needs;
F.15 Intercampus Book and Article Retrieval Service;
F.16 TUG reference database service: ERL, CSA, etc. (Special emphasis should be given to implementation of links to full text resources from reference databases, through utilisation of such applications as "Silverlinker", "hooks-to-holdings" applicatio ns, etc.);
F.17 Information sharing in relation to institutional collection development policies and discipline/department specific information resource needs among TUG partners.