REVIEW REPORT
Hardiman Library, NUI Galway
12/02/2014
Reviewers
Ms Helen Durndell, University Librarian, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland (Chair); Ms
Catherine Walsh, Director of Library and Learning Services, University of East London, London,
England; Dr Andrew Flaus, School of Natural Sciences, NUI Galway; Professor Patrick Lonergan,
School of Humanities, NUI Galway; Mr Gerry McAleavey, Athrú Consultancy, Dublin (Coordinator)
Key Strengths of Hardiman Library
1. Provides services that are held in uniformly and exceptionally high esteem by all stakeholders,
and acts as an exemplar of “customer service” ethos within University
2. Remains eager to work with colleagues across the University, enabling them to access high
quality information at a time of unprecedented change
3. Is staffed by highly professional, enthusiastic and committed individuals led by a strong,
committed and strategically focussed leadership cadre
4. Demonstrates openness to organisational change, informed by a rigorous ongoing SelfAssessment review process embedded in all aspects of its work
5. Reflects and responds to the needs of part-time, distance, postgraduate and mature students
6. Has developed world class archival facilities and holdings, notably the world-leading Abbey
Theatre digitisation project
7. Recognises the importance of the bilingual campus
8. Makes an essential contribution to the Research, Teaching and Learning missions of the
University
Key Recommendations
1. Clearly articulate and promote a Future Vision for the Library at the heart of the University
community:
a. What it will deliver for each of its stakeholders
b. How it will deliver
c. How it will look and feel
d. Framing its achievements and activities in a positive light
2. The University should commit to the transformation of the existing James Hardiman Library,
through a process of intensive engagement with the Library as client, to bring about a building
that:
a. Encourages and motivates scholarship
b. Symbolises and enhances the ethos, brand and reputation of the University, avoiding
risks to future recruitment of students and researchers
c. Enhances the student experience
d. Is genuinely at the heart of the campus
e. Anticipates and responds to user needs
3. The University should establish a clear operating relationship between the James Hardiman
Library and the Hardiman Research Building in order to ensure that the functionality and value
to the University of this complex are fully optimised
4. Develop a new focus on Collections development:
a. Undertake a business risk analysis in relation to the dependence on IReL
b. Develop a consultative framework to manage the life-cycle of collections
c. Review procedures to enhance effectiveness of the acquisitions process
5. Develop effective communication strategies that:
a. Work in partnership with the Marketing and Communications Office to facilitate the
University’s externally focussed marketing and recruitment strategy
b. Promote awareness of the Library’s expertise and status across the academic
community
c. Develop additional mechanisms that will engage with students to capture feedback and
suggestions
d. Foster a shared sense of vision, purpose and responsibility among Library staff
6. Identify how the Library can become embedded in and contribute to the activities of each of its
stakeholders through a process of genuine partnership within the context of the new University
Strategic Plan:
a. The University should enable greater engagement with the Library in the formulation
and execution of University strategy
b. The University and Library should identify ways for Library staff to become an integral
element in the development of teaching and learning policy at School and College level
c. The Library should continue to exploit surveys and other sources of information to
increase levels of segmentation and granularity, and to provide more targeted data for
analytics and decision making
d. The University should establish a scheme to recognise excellence in service provision
similar to existing schemes for teaching and research
e. The Library and University should review the existing Library Policy Committee to
enhance its strategic influence and effectiveness
7. Continue to embed Staff Development as a core Library value:
a. Build staff confidence to contribute to, take responsibility for, and manage change in a
continually evolving landscape
b. Utilise PMDS to identify training and development needs for Library staff; provide
training to support these needs and to achieve University and Library objectives
c. Enable staff contribution and encourage innovation – for example, by continuing to
involve all staff in benchmarking exercises
d. Create more opportunities for Library management to think strategically
8. Fully exploit the unique archival resources
a. Concentrate on collection level cataloguing to accelerate availability
b. Design a programme of outreach centred around the archives
c. The University should utilise the Archives as part of research led teaching
d. Promote and exploit NUI Galway‘s expertise in digitisation, including through
commercialisation
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
• Enhance digital library development:
o Address mobile delivery of Library services
o Review website usability
o Explore the potential for niche digital publishing
• Operational issues
o Review the Service Desk operations and staff resourcing with respect to evening and
weekend rosters
o Consider opportunities for student employment experience
Comments on Review Process
• Staff and participants were extremely helpful and accommodating
• The review visit programme was well organised, especially against a background of multiple and
diverse inputs to the review
• The Quality Office could investigate managing a document server solution to ensure the latest
versions of review documents and supplementary materials are available in one place
• Consideration should be given to including representatives of the student body as members of
the Review team in any future review of student-facing services
Action Plan
James Hardiman Library
Action Plan meeting held on June 3rd 2014 at 14.00 in QA132, Mons. John Hynes
Boardroom.
Present
From the Unit: Mr J Cox, Mr B Houlihan, Ms A Kelly, Mr N McSweeney, Ms M Crump, Mr C Joy,
Mr P Corrigan, Ms E Bohan
From the Review Team: Prof P Lonergan, Dr A Flaus
From the University: Prof P Ó Dochartaigh, Mr M Kavanagh, Ms AM Forde, Dr K Loftus,
Ms C Loughnane, Dr I MacLabhrainn, Prof D Carey, Dr D O’Sullivan, Ms M Linnane
Apologies: Prof L Joshi, Ms. C Browne, Ms C Breslin,Ms A Mitchell, Ms B Walsh
This Action Plan has been agreed by Reviewers, the Library and University Management in response
to the Review Report for the above named review. Further details on some actions are available in
the Review Report also available on the University’s public website.
Actions for the Unit
1. Articulate, communicate and promote a Future Vision and Strategic Plan for the Library that
places it at the heart of the University community and that is aligned with the University’s
Strategic Plan.
Responsible: University Librarian; Due: 31/12/2014
2. Bring forward proposals for UMT decision for the renovation and physical transformation of the
existing Library.
Responsible: University Librarian; Due: 31/08/2014
3. Establish a clear operating relationship between various stakeholders on the usage of the
Hardiman Research Building that ensures functionality and value are fully optimised, clarified
and communicated.
Responsible: University Librarian; Due: 31/08/2015
4. Develop a new focus on Collections development.
Responsible: Head of Information Access and Learning Services; Due: 31/08/2015
5. Develop effective communication strategies.
Responsible: Head of Customer Focus and Research Services; Due: 31/08/2015
6. Identify ways of involving Library staff during the development of teaching and learning policy at
School and College levels.
Responsible: University Librarian; Due: 31/08/2015
7. Continue to embed Staff Development as a core Library value.
Responsible: Head of Staff Development and Service Environment; Due: 31/08/2015
8. Concentrate on collection level cataloguing to accelerate availability.
Responsible: Head of Customer Focus and Research Services; Due: 31/08/2015
9. Design a programme of outreach centred around the archives.
Responsible: Head of Customer Focus and Research Services; Due: 31/08/2015
10. Promote and exploit NUI Galway‘s expertise in digitisation.
Responsible: University Librarian; Due: 31/08/2015
11. Enhance digital library development by addressing mobile delivery of Library services, reviewing
website usability and exploring the potential for niche digital publishing.
Responsible: Head of Organisational Development and Performance; Due: 31/08/2015
12. Review Service Desk operations and staff resourcing with respect to evening and weekend
rosters and develop opportunities for student employment experience with Human Resources
and relevant units.
Responsible: Head of Planning and Projects; Due: 31/08/2015
Actions for University Management
13. Make a decision regarding the renovation and physical transformation of the existing Library.
Responsible: Registrar; Due: 31/01/2015
14. Establish a scheme to recognise excellence in service provision similar to existing schemes for
teaching and research.
Responsible: Executive Director of Operations; Due: 01/06/2015
15. Convene a group of all stakeholders and develop a strategy with clear objectives to embed
Archives better, as part of research, teaching and learning.
Responsible: Dean of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies; Due: 01/09/2014
16. Review operation of the existing Library Policy Committee and Archives Group to enhance their
strategic influence and effectiveness.
Responsible: University Librarian and Registrar; Due: 30/09/2014
Approved by:
Mr John Cox, University Librarian
Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Registrar and Deputy-President
Dr Edward Herring, Dean of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies
Dr David O’Sullivan, Director of Quality
Date: 30th September 2014