Deakin University
Library Profile 2011
LIBRARY PROFILE
The Library operates within the strategic
framework provided by the Deakin
University Strategic Plan 2008–2012:
Delivering Effective Partnerships. The
Library’s strategic priorities and activities
are aligned with and support the vision,
mission, core commitments and strategic
goals of the University.
PURPOSE
Deakin University Library’s purpose is to connect people, technology and information by providing: • vibrant, technology-rich environments for
students and staff
• increasingly flexible and innovative access to and discovery of information-rich electronic resources • a high quality research repository, Deakin
Research Online, that showcases the University’s research output
• a proactive customer-advocacy approach that enables students and staff to meet their teaching, learning and research goals.
VALUES
The Library is guided by values that reflect client expectations in an increasingly fast-paced and complex environment:
• high quality service delivery • customer focus
• professionalism
• building the expertise of staff • teamwork and mutual support
• partnerships with the academic community • the principles of social justice in delivery and
availability of services
ORGANISATION
The Library has a client-focused organisational structure and philosophy. Approximately 122 Library staff are divided between two major units and a smaller business support/senior management group. Services are delivered across the busy Melbourne Campus at Burwood Library, two regional campuses in Geelong and the Warrnambool Campus Library.
LIBRARY 2012
Library 2012 is an appendix to the Academic Support
Functional Area Plan. This document provides a strategic
vision for the Library between now and 2012: the goals that the Library strives to achieve in order to meet the University’s strategic priorities, and the actions that are being taken to meet these goals.
TEACHING AND LEARNING AND THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Library services will:
• be flexible and personalised to meet the teaching and learning needs of our key client cohorts • align with the pedagogy adopted by faculties • employ innovative technologies where
RESEARCH
Library services will:
• be customised to support the needs of researchers and research teams and Deakin’s distinctive portfolio of high quality research • support the strategic research priorities of the
University including improvement strategies to reach the top third of the Australian higher education sector
• be embedded within research communities.
INTERNATIONALISATION
Library services will:
• enhance student experiences and enable international and Australian students to develop their academic potential as global citizens • be flexible and recognise the diverse range of
educational and cultural needs of international students
• demonstrate a strong intercultural understanding and international perspective.
CULTURE AND PEOPLE
Library services will:
• utilise the expertise and professionalism of librarians and library staff.
• require flexibility to adapt to changed circumstances and requirements. Library staff will:
• require knowledge of scholarly information in all forms, with expertise aligned to academic disciplines.
• require flexibility to adapt to changed circumstances and requirements.
The internal culture and environment of the Library will : • be one of continual improvement, based on
established processes for evaluation of all Library services and operations against quality standards
RESOURCES, FINANCES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
The Library will:
• assure a high quality learning environment for students and provide the infrastructure underpinning research
• capitalise on the growth and development of networks, IT applications and web services. • continue to develop discovery services to
accommodate a growing suite of diverse resources and offer rich functionality that improves user experience
• continue to develop its on-site collection and adopt flexible strategies to maximise access to lesser-used resources.
ACCESSING THE LIBRARY
Library services are available and delivered on all campuses and online. Over many years, the Library has been acknowledged as a national leader in the provision of Library services in support of flexible and distance learning. The Library is committed to building on this foundation of expertise to continue to develop its already strong services in the ‘virtual’ environment. In line with the Library’s commitment to providing open access to information services, we provide services to all staff and students of Deakin University, alumni, University partners, and members of the community.
• A library is located at each campus and is open throughout the year, where students and staff can study, meet friends, borrow books and use computers and other technologies.
• A Library presence is integrated into students’ online learning environments, including Deakin Studies Online. • Access to many Library resources and
services is available online via the Library website:
www.deakin.edu.au/library (pictured below)
PERSONAL STUDENT-CENTRED
SUPPORT
• Assistance is available in person, by phone and online, using email, the web and real-time instant messaging.
• Student rovers provide peer-to-peer assistance throughout campus libraries.
• Expert staff, including Liaison Librarians, provide customised library and information support
• Online tutorials, including Smart Searcher and Smart Researcher, and face-to-face workshops help clients source quality materials.
INFORMATION DISCOVERY
• Students can access and discover information-rich resources through our increasingly flexible gateways.
• Quick Search (powered by Encore 4.0), a simple way of finding information fast
• Discover More (powered by EBSCO Discovery Service), an all-in-one search tool that allows you to search the Library catalogue, Deakin Research Online and key databases
• Subject guides provide links to recommended e-books, journals, databases and other online scholarly resources.
• RSS feeds of journal contents are delivered via the University Portal.
• A mobile-friendly version of the Library
catalogue enables access to resources on-the-go • Information skills, instruction and training are
easily accessible through Deakin Studies Online (DSO).
• Our innovative trials of e-book readers engage students with new technologies.
• Reciprocal borrowing is available when visiting other libraries.
• Print material from other campus libraries may be requested simply through the Library’s catalogue and through online forms.
• Books from partner university libraries may be requested by a click on the BONUS+ icon. • Staff and students can request items held in
library collections (interlibrary loan) throughout the world.
• Requested material is delivered to off campus students’ homes or work and directly to University staff member’s offices.
ENGAGING SPACES
• Computers and internet access are available in all campus libraries.
• A wireless networked environment supports clients with their own laptops.
• Laptops are available for loan at the Melbourne Campus at Burwood Library.
• Major library refurbishments are completed at the Melbourne Campus at Burwood (stage 1) and the Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds.
• Specialised equipment supports students with disabilities.
• Facilities are provided to view DVDs, videos and view and print from microform.
• Multifunction devices allow copying, printing (including color), scanning and emailing scanned documents.
• Express loans units support self service check out of Library materials.
• Select range of audiovisual equipment is available for short term loan.
• Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library, the new library and exhibition space at the Geelong Waterfront Campus, reaching out to the
community and incorporating research spaces in a unique blend of the old and the new.
FACTS AND FIGURES
The Library has an extensive collection including: • 1.47 million books
• 138 500 e-books • 80 708 e-journals • 437 online databases • 31 400 DVDs and videos
• 80 200 items in special collections. KEY STATS FOR 2010
Visits to the Library: 1 602 759 Total items borrowed: 412 379 Items delivered to off-campus students: 30 000 Number of electronic items accessed: 3 000 000
PARTNERSHIPS
The Library is strongly committed to the notion of partnerships in service delivery. The most central of these is our partnerships with the Faculties, and academic staff generally, which is embodied in the Library’s Liaison Service. Partnerships with other University divisions are also critical, particularly in relation to e-readings and Deakin Research Online.
Externally, Deakin University Library is an active participant in networks of academic and other libraries, nationally and internationally, which are a cornerstone of our ability to provide access to resources which would not otherwise be available to Deakin University. Specific partnerships, such as CARM, support archiving of low-use resources, and the Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL) support information sharing and benchmarking.
