COMMLISS:
Communications /
Library & Information Science Services Team
COMMLISS:
What we’re doing
 Identify
how and where to most effectively
provide Library services to all disciplines
and communities engaged in the fields of
Library & Information Science and
Communications Studies
 Develop a service profile (or profiles)
attuned to the evolving research and
teaching needs in each of these fields
COMMLISS:
Members
Team Leader
Communications Library, Head
LIS Library, Head
LIS & Comm Library, Staff
GSLIS Faculty
Katie Newman
Lisa Romero
Sue Searing
Lori Carroll
Linda Smith
College of Media Faculty
Brant Houston
(Chair of the LIS Library Advisory Committee)
(Chair of the College of Media Library Committee)
Administrative Liaison
JoAnn Jacoby
COMMLISS:
Considerations





Shifting demographics of the academic
programs
The interdisciplinary nature of the fields
The limitations of the available library
spaces
Available assessment data
Present and future needs, based on
surveys, focus groups
COMMLISS:
Assessment data for LIS
Room Count,
Social Science Division Libraries – FY07
Average People / Hour
30
25
BEL
CMX
CPL
ESSL
20
Labor
LIS
15
10
5
0
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
COMMLISS:
Assessment data for LIS
Average people / hour,
Social Science Division Libraries – FY07
COMMLISS:
Assessment data for LIS
2006 Faculty
Survey:
“My primary
libraries are
Library Science
AND…”
All: STX
15: Ref, UGX
10: ESSL, Engineer’g
5: Bio, ACES, RBR,
Engl, AHS, Com, BEL
Relationship
Between
Circulation
& Web
Transactions
(2006 data)
More virtual
More physical
COMMLISS:
Assessment data for LIS
COMMLISS:
Assessment data for LIS
Relationship
Between
Circulation
& Web
Transactions:
LIS is
proportionately
more virtual than
Comm, RBR, Hist,
Engl, etc.
COMM
LIS
COMMLISS:
LIS realities


Highly interdisciplinary user base
LEEP contributes to

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
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Low onsite usage
High virtual usage, including emails
Need to purchase more virtual materials
Money for staffing has been curtailed
Success of librarian’s office hours in GSLIS
COMMLISS:
Conclusions so far
A simple merger of the print
collections of two units does little to
further the browsing or service needs
of either constituency
 We have set the idea of a merger
aside to consider other models better
attuned to the evolving needs of
students and researchers
