Circulation Department Strategic Planning Document
November 27, 2005
Revised December 14, 2005
SWOT Analysis
STRENGTHS
1. Personnel
a. Staff are the strength of the Department
i. shared knowledge between staff members
ii. overall skill set, the inventory of skills held by at least one staff member in the
Department
iii. student employees are an invaluable resource; in the planning documents, we
frequently imply the inclusion of the students when we mention staff
b. Staff development
i. ability/opportunity/ambition to branch out and improve Teamwork
c. Ability to do more with less
d. Friendliness
e. Enthusiasm
f. Dedication to our jobs
i. love of money/fiscal responsibility
g. Meet deadlines
h. Completion
i. we get jobs done
ii. we get jobs done efficiently
i. Patience
i. with everyone
ii. in the face of adversity
j. Cross-training
k. Ability to improvise
2. Service
a. Responsiveness
i. timeliness
b. Ability to do more with less
c. Approachability
i. customer service
ii. staff inter-relations
d. Attentiveness and alertness
i. day to day activity in the building
e. Provision of good service
i. we are informative
f. 24 hour turnaround time for shelving
g. Friendliness
h. Enthusiasm
i. Outreach
i. to other units
ii. to outside the Library
j. Meet deadlines
k. Completion
i. we get jobs done
ii. we get jobs done efficiently
l. Range of services for the user
3. Other
a. Technology
i. resources and tools
WEAKNESSES
(note: Circulation staff focused mostly on strengths and opportunities in a deliberate attempt to prevent the
conversation from becoming too negative; the section below on threats will provide some indication as to other
weaknesses in the Department even where they were not identified as such)
1. Personnel
a. Staff development
i. ability/opportunity/ambition to branch out and improve is a weakness in that it
can lead to a cycle of cutbacks and restraints
b. Ability to do more with less
2. Service
a. Ability to do more with less
3. Other
a. Student budget cuts affect services, particularly in staffing during evenings and
weekends. The Department relies on building managers to report problems during times
the Adminstration Office is closed as well as relying on them to close the building as
there is no security person. Safety should be a value, and we do the best we can, but it
could be better.
OPPORTUNITIES
1. Personnel
a. Staff development
i. more diverse and a greater number of opportunities
ii. We need a culture of staff development that reaches beyond training
opportunities into the daily fabric of our working lives
2. Technology
a. Digital technology
i. an increase in the number and types of digital media
ii. digital media increase in sophistication
iii. digital media increase in penetration of the population
iv. iPods or other technology that are now popular can have applications the Library
can take advantage of
b. E-Books
i. the Library will acquire more
ii. users will request them more often
c. Instruction technology
i. it’s already out there
ii. we can use it in new and different ways
3. Education/Campus
a. Development of a fourth “digital” University of Illinois campus
b. Instruction technology
i. it’s already out there
ii. we can use it in new and different ways
c. Incoming students
i. have never been in a library anywhere
ii. are part of an online generation
iii. search online habitually and comfortably but not necessarily effectively or wisely
iv. there are teaching opportunities in all this
v. copyright is something the Library (especially in connection to Reserves) can
teach users about
d. People are not coming in, so we can go out to them where they are, provided they have
computer access at those points (assuming we only reach them virtually)
4. Other
a. Private libraries joining CARLI
i. provide access to our users to a greater number and range of resources – telling
them YES
b. People are not coming in, so we can go out to them where they are, provided they have
computer access at those points (assuming we only reach them virtually)
THREATS
1. Personnel
a. Budget cuts leave positions unfilled
i. student hour cuts leave this avenue blocked as well
2. Technology
a. Digital technology
i. the points below have implications for staffing, training, and workflow
1. an increase in the number and types of digital media
2. digital media increase in sophistication
3. digital media increase in penetration of the population
4. E-Books
a. the Library will acquire more
b. users will request them more often
b. Equipment in Circulation is not altogether up to date and reliable
c. Digital divide among Circulation staff – not all staff have the opportunity to keep up on
their technological skills
3. Education/Campus
a. Development of a fourth “digital” University of Illinois campus
b. Instruction technology
i. it’s already out there
ii. we can use it in new and different ways
c. Incoming students
i. have never been in a library anywhere
ii. are part of an online generation
iii. search online habitually and comfortably but not necessarily effectively or wisely
iv. there are teaching opportunities in all this
v. copyright is something the Library (especially in connection to Reserves) can
teach users about
d. People are not coming in, so we can go out to them where they are, provided they have
computer access at those points (assuming we only reach them virtually)
4. Other
a. Private libraries joining CARLI; resource sharing
i. we would need more books
ii. the need of resources would increase
iii. we need more computers available to patrons to access to e-books and other
digital material
iv. we need more staff to handle the increase of volume of e-books requests
v. access to UIC catalog for non-UIC patrons
vi. printing costs/requirements would increase for users – this would have
implications for Circulation as the Department responsible for the Library’s
copy/printing service
b. People are not coming in, so we can go out to them where they are, provided they have
computer access at those points (assuming we only reach them virtually)