Big Challenges & Opportunities for Academic Libraries A Community College Library: Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities

Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities Facts about CCs and their Mission More than 600,000 students enrolled in Texas CC’s. In 2007, Texas community college students out-numbered students enrolled in 4-year institutions. Texas CC’s have more than 75% of the state’s freshman/sophomore level students and 78% of minority freshman. CC’s have higher percentages of first-generation in college and students taking at least one developmental course. Fifty-six percent of first generation in college attend two-year institutions. developmental course first generation Always had a mission of open enrollment / access to higher education. Provide quality academic transfer and workforce educational programs. / Budget Hearing Texas Public Community Colleges 2/4/09 igures/fig10.asp?popup=true / Special Analysis 2008 Community Colleges NCES igures/fig10.asp?popup=true

Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities Question 1: Credible in the eyes of administrators How to be viewed as essential to the college mission and deserving of the piece of the pie. Question 2: Future of role of librarians in academia Finger on the pulse and remain the heart of the institution and central to the scholarly and educational mission.

Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities Politely saying – Library’s concerns are of lesser importance given the “reality of other loud institutional voices”. Panel of retired administrators agreed on one issue – no library should be without a coffee bar. Article Heartburn?

Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities “It’s not easy being an academic librarian these days. Speculation persists that we may soon be the higher-education equivalent of the Maytag repairman, as the Internet becomes the first place students and professors look for information.” Original Maytag commercial Bell, Steven J. "Electronic Libraries Can't Be Academic." The Chronicle of Higher Education N.p., 30 Sept Web. 30 Sept “In the future, faculty expect to be less dependent on the library and increasingly dependent on electronic materials.” Housewright, Ross, and Roger Schonfeld. "Ithaka's 2006 Studies of Key Stakeholders in the Digital Transformation of Higher Education." Ithaka Ithaka, 18 Aug Web. 20 Oct Path: and-librarian-surveys. and-librarian-surveys Obvious question: where do these faculty think these electronic materials are coming from and made available by?

Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities Credible in the eyes of administrators Put your team and your programs out there. Don’t just ask your users. Ask your non-users. Provide administrators with information about your programs and how they support institutional goals. Adapt and innovate programs and services based on your assessment.

Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities Credible in the eyes of administrators Partner with other departments and support areas. Tie your programs to funding. Don’t throw out the baby with the bath water. If it still makes sense, advocate for it.

Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities What do the studies say about the future? Assessing your own future. Peer assessments – LibQUAL+, NSSE, CCSSELibQUAL+NSSECCSSE OCLC – Perceptions of libraries and information resources. Perceptions of libraries and information resources. Ithaka – Ithaka’s 2006 Studies of Key Stakeholders in the Digital Transformation in Higher Ithaka’s 2006 Studies of Key Stakeholders in the Digital Transformation in Higher Education EduCause - The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008 The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2008 Ithaka study indicated that faculty see the importance of the cultural preservation role as well as the importance of providing access to information resources. Disconnect with the library’s role in providing access to electronic resources. OCLC study indicated that college students want more emphasis on tools for self- discovery. Libraries were heavily identified with books and not other avenues for information discovery. Only 2% start their research with library resources and not search engine. ECAR study indicates undergraduates rate themselves experts/very skilled at information literacy (79.5%). Upperclassman rate themselves higher than freshman.

Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities Future role of academic librarians/libraries Grow partnerships with instructional faculty and direct support of curricular goals. Continue development of assessment that is tied directly to course learning outcomes. Librarians will take a more active role in programs aimed at improving retention, persistence, and student success.

Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities Future role of academic librarians/libraries Libraries will continue to morph into collaborative learning centers with mixed-use space. Librarians will continue to adapt to the changing landscape of higher education.

Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities “Librarians have been the real heroes of the digital revolution in higher education. They are the ones who have seen the farthest, done the most, accepted the hardest challenges, and demonstrated most clearly the benefits of digital information. In the process, they have turned their own field upside down and have revolutionized their professional training. It is testimony to their success that we take their achievement – and their information-management systems for granted.” Ayers, Edward L. “The Academic Culture and the IT Culture: Their Effect on Teaching and Scholarship.” Educause Review Nov/Dec Oct. 2009

Facing Challenges, Finding Opportunities