UNSW Library
Driving Change for Community Impact
Andrew Wells, University Librarian
CLA Workshop, Victoria BC
31 May 2014
Outline
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Options for change at UNSW
Gaps in impact
Opportunities arising from change
New services, increasing impact
UNSW and UNSW Library
• Major research-intensive university
• Scientific, technical, professional, medical strengths
• 50,00 students; 5,300 staff
• Library has 140 staff; budget ca $35 m
• Significant structural change over last decade
2003 structure
UNSW LIBRARY ORGANISATION – 2003
Pro-Chancellor (Education)
Professor Adrian Lee
UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN
Andrew Wells
UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES
Guilaine Buckley
DEPUTY UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN
Susan Lafferty
QUALITY AND
PLANNING
Isabella Trahn
ONLINE SERVICES
DEPARTMENT
Tony Cargnelutti
BIOMEDICAL
LIBRARY
Jill Denholm
SOCIAL SCIENCES AND
HUMANITIES LIBRARY
Pam O’Brien
LAW LIBRARY
Susan Knowles
COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS
LIBRARY
Jill More
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
LIBRARY
Rhonda Langford
LIBRARY INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT UNIT
Fred Piper
SERIALS DEPARTMENT
Bev Crane
DOCUMENT DELIVERY
UNIT/ INTERLIBRARY
LOANS
Gil Darby
MONOGRAPHS DEPT
Sue Munro
USER SERVICES
DEPARTMENT
Claire Hill
RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT UNIT
Vacant
Gaps in impact
• Library resources consumed by duplicated services
• Less academic staff visited libraries as materials went
online
– Relationship became more distant
• Print collection took over most space
– Student space and amenity had to come second
Scenario planning
• Identified three options for 2007/8
– Status quo
o No support (until you change things)
– Digital
o Not for 2007 – moving this way now
– ‘Learning Village’
o Embrace shift to digital
o Reuse space taken up by print collections
o Embed Library in research and teaching plans
New structure
• Abolished special libraries
• No ‘front-room/back-room’; team work and integration
encouraged
• No technical services department; no ‘reference’
department
• Structure reflects importance of digital information and
online services
Space changes
• Have been well received
• 2.5 m visits to libraries in 2013
Opportunities
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Rethink traditional services
Stop doing things or do them differently
Release resources to do new things
Get out more
Redefine Library role in research support
No service desks
• Help Zone
• Learn from customer service models in other places
• Implemented quickly
• Does not function all hours library is open
• Different kind of interaction with community
Self-help
• Self-help suits online environment
• 90% of borrowing is self-help
• RightNow software installed 2013
• Knowledge Base develops in response to client needs
• With 50,000 students, we have to enable self-sufficiency
Stop doing things or do them differently
• No information literacy classes – all students must
complete online tutorial and quiz called ELISE (Enabling
Library and Information Skills for Everyone). Cannot reenrol unless passed
• No EndNote classes – this became an industry. Provide
online self-help
• Outsource ‘traditional’ technical services – eg, print
processing
Release resources for new things and new
ways
• Develop new services
– Research impact
– Research data management – Library leading
Research Data Management Plan
– Research publications management – Library
implemented Symplectic Elements in 2013
– Direct support for academic staff and higher degree
research students
Thank you