Posted on September 01, 2018
Strategic focus: Self-service
The modern library faces many challenges but one of the greatest in today’s “high-tech society” is creating opportunities to improve the client experience without overstretching the budget! Other sectors, such as banks, airlines and the hospitality industry have proofed self-service as the way to achieve these goals, and now libraries are increasingly turning to the same technology. Self-service technology has the ability to bring greater freedom to users, allowing more creative use of space, and to release staff from behind the counter to interact with users in more rewarding ways (e.g. as research advisors or information consultants).
The main goal of the first phase of the self-service strategy was to compile a report on a self-service model for the library. After a comprehensive literature analysis, a model, to guide the development of self-services, was compiled (Fig.1).
This model illustrates the different aspects involved in creating a service. It is important that all decisions regarding services be based on user needs. Users must also have a choice between different service delivery systems.
Fig.1: Proposed self-service model for the DLS
The next steps will be to plot current and developing self-services on the Library’s self-service model, followed by the development of radically new self-services. All DLS staff members will soon be invited to a workshop to work on ideas to achieve these goals.
The DLS is also in the process of acquiring self-check-out systems in most of its libraries. The aim is to implement these systems before the new academic year starts in January 2019. More communication on this will follow soon.
Marguerite Nel
Strategic focus: Teaching and learning
The teaching and learning focus area started with discussions during May-June 2018. Dr Heila Pienaar and Mrs Lindiwe Soyizwape gave direction and guidance during the first discussion. Our first goal was to concentrate on the design of a roadmap for learning. We met and had discussions with Isak Van der Walt, students and other relevant parties after which we gave further guidance concerning the roadmap. Isak facilitated a brainstorm session during June 2018.
Representatives of different faculty libraries were invited to a brainstorm session and came up with a beehive concept, according to which students would be supported through all learning processes. This concept was developed and discussed at the Strategic forum meeting and approved. The next step will be to have more discussions and brainstorming sessions to identify relevant learning products and services and integrate it into the beehive. The second goal is to identify relevant learning frameworks and to identify gaps and training needed.
There are also other projects driven by this focus area that coincide with these goals. We have already initiated a digital literacy survey, which will also be used for the development of the two above-mentioned goals. Focus groups will be initiated to discuss these products and to identify learning gaps that the students experience. The Teaching and Learning Focus area will grow and develop teaching and learning products to support students academically and fulfil their specific academic support needs to ensure success.
Gerda Ehlers
Strategic focus: Collection project
The aim of the Collection Project is to evaluate and redistribute the Department of Library Services’ collections, to improve relevancy, access and visibility. For the first time in 40 years, a true reflection of our collection will exist and be visible to the world.
The Collection project interlinks with the Spaces Project which is evaluating spaces to address students’ needs in a 21th century library.
The Collection project is divided into three sub-projects:
The Faculty libraries will set their criteria according to their faculty’s needs and identify journals and books to be sent to the offsite storage site located on the Groenkloof campus. The Offsite storage site will be available from March / April 2019.
Julene Vermeulen and Hilda Kriel
Strategic focus: Entrepreneurship
As noted in the various feedback sessions, the Library has been investigating capacities to generate 3rd stream income in order to expand service offerings and create incentives for staff. From the design thinking sprints hosted earlier this year, training was noted as a key development area in which to generate this needed additional revenue.
Starting in the second half of 2018, collaboration with Enterprises has taken place with several meetings on logistical requirements and planning. The goal is to create training concepts, based on several library service offerings and fields of expertise, that can be offered to other libraries as well as to external delegates. The framework has been confirmed and the resource allocation model is in the final stages of approval. From here we will be developing content and will strive to complete at least 3 training areas by the first half of 2019. Further enhancements will be investigated and implemented, including the incorporation of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses.
Sean Kruger
Strategic focus: Digital Scholarship Centre
The Digital Scholarship Centre (DSC) focus area has made progress by enabling and providing access to new services and infrastructure. Thanks to a well-established MakerSpace, the Digital Scholarship Centre could quickly enable scholarly activities that make extensive use of digital technologies and tools, such as:
Since the start of the focus area implementation the Digital Scholarship Centre has been involved in the creation and enablement of the following products and services:
The Digital Scholarship Centre will continue to expand this new set of services, enabling this new form of scholarly activity for the University of Pretoria community.
Mobile visualisation kit
Isak van der Walt
Strategic focus: Enablement of Research Data Management
The successful management of research data is an essential part of the research process, and it is imperative that researchers, library staff and support staff at the University of Pretoria are equipped with the necessary skills to perform this function. To address the issue, the Department of Library Services rolled out a research data management (RDM) training programme, called the Research Data Management Readiness Training Toolkit. This Toolkit consists of two streams. The first is an RDM Fundamentals stream with workshops that address RDM issues with which all support staff, library staff and researchers should be familiar. The second, is an RDM Essentials stream that is focused specifically on librarians and researchers and contains workshops on RDM issues that are essential for effective research data management practices. The first round of RDM Fundamentals workshops were held in June 2018 and were attended by staff from all units and sections in the library, as well as by staff from the Department of Research Innovation. The content included a session giving an introduction to RDM and developments at UP, while the second workshop touched on the University RDM policy. The third consisted of a hands-on workshop, the DMPOnline tool, as well as a jargon busting session to discuss terminology that people are unclear about. Before these sessions a survey was sent to library staff to gauge their knowledge of RDM. The same survey was sent through after these sessions and showed a huge improvement in staff’s knowledge about the fundamentals of RDM. Narrated PowerPoints of these sessions are available on the Digital Scholarship Website. A third stream of workshops is also being planned that will focus on data-intensive activities, such as data analysis, data visualisation, cleaning of data etc.
Johann van Wyk
Strategic focus: IS Research Enablement
The IS RESEARCH ENABLEMENT FOCUS AREA forms part of the strategic area through which the DLS positions itself to become a 21st century library and offer relevant services to match. As the research landscape changes and new tools become available, there is a need to innovate and configure new ways to manage these changes and make the most of them. Concisely Research Enablement aims to drive research success through the integration of research Information Specialists into the research process of their research clients.
The mandate of this focus area is to enhance support to the research life cycle and to investigate & develop the role of Information Specialists in that regard. This also involves possibilities of incorporating the Library MakerSpace and Digital Scholarship Centre in research.
As a starter, the process followed the Research Roadmap approach to provide Information Specialists with insight into the research process, what resources are involved, the different roles they can play as well as possible tools to use. This was followed by Research Information Specialists’ gap analysis where the workgroup compiled a competency index, and conducted a survey to determine the level of competency. Based on the outcome of the survey, the DLS will pursue training initiatives for Information Specialists, for proper alignment with the university’s goals as well as entrenching them as successful and valuable support to researchers. At the same time, engaging with today’s highly advanced technology and ever-more intense researchers requires Information Specialists to acquire, learn, retain and effectively use relevant knowledge and skills.
Suzy Nyakale
Strategic focus: Spaces
In the course of the 2018, as part of the planning for a 21st century library, the Space Focus Area held several meetings with Facilities Management regarding the identification of library spaces in which to house part of our collection as well as the redesign of existing library spaces. As part of the agreement with the coordinator of the Strategic Focus Areas, we agreed that we would work on a Space Mega Plan but would have three smaller projects to work on as well, because we understood the mega plan to be a long-term plan.
After a series of consultations with Facilities and the different teams, some of them academic stakeholders, the first task was to determine which colour palette students would prefer to see and experience in their future library. Facilities provided a choice of three palettes, namely (1) A Calm Balance, (2) Adrift in Nature and (3) Rich Shades. The palettes were placed in the library foyer, to make it easy for students to vote, and a Google link was sent to the library staff via e-mail so that they could also vote. The results showed that Adrift in Nature was the overall favourite.
Next we identified 3 projects to form part of the mega plan that Facilities Management had drawn up:
The architects presented the Library Spatial Development & Design Plan to the team on 26 September with concepts of how the spaces could be made to look. The plan shows the activation of Level 3 and 4, changing them to a more dynamic, technologically driven public interface and considering workspaces of the future, where staff spaces would be more open plan and Old Merensky Level 3 possibly incorporated in social learning spaces.
The current mega plan is not the final plan nor is it complete because it is really just a broad idea. The specifics would be contributed by the Merensky team in the form of ideas, since the plan would be a long term plan.
Ephenia Peu
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