Evolving Information Services in an Era of Change and Challenge

1. New Models of Information Services Pamela Leuzinger, Director, Library Client Services Sally Scholfield, Information Services Manager

2. PART I Introduction and environmental overview PART II New Information Services models

3. What do we mean by Information Services? “Information is what libraries do!” Role of the Information Services department: responsible for anticipating, identifying and interpreting the information needs of the University community and providing and promoting appropriate Library services and resources to meet those needs when and where needed

4. Faculty and administrative unit liaison and partnership • Information Literacy program • Reference Services • Collection development • Promotion and provision of a range of services online

5. Environmental impacts • Our Information Services are evolving against and within an environment characterised by change, challenge and opportunity for university communities • For example: • Government policy relating to Higher education • Funding – declining, changing models e.g. research performance • Quality assurance; Accountability; Governance; • Capability building; Competition; Equity • Information technology – rapid and constant change • Information explosion • Generation Y – expectations

6. Challenges for our primary clients • Keeping up with constant change and growing complexity • Managing the load • Staff: teaching, research, compliance, administration • Students: study and work

7. Library role • To provide access to, and promote, the resources and services required to enable excellence in teaching, learning, research and management practice and contribute to strengthening the university’s competitive position • More than ever before, to develop systems and products which reduce the complexity of the information environment for teachers, students, researchers, support staff (enablers)

8. Teaching and learning • Focus on quality of teaching and measurement of learning outcomes • Teaching practices: Online/Group work/ Ongoing assessment/ Equity issues • Flexible learning – e.g. Remote/Summer and Winter schools • Increases in student numbers incl. International (onshore and offshore), full-fee paying – support and compliance issues • Casual and Part-time academic staff – professional practice at UTS

9. Research • Strengthening research capability and profile to position the University to attract funding, researchers, students • Developing research partnerships with industry and business • International agenda • Increasing numbers of LOTE (Languages other than English) students, including offshore

10. Student Focus • Growing complexity of students’ lives – study and work – very high percentage part-time • Time poor - want seamless customised access to full-text e-information – self-service – NOW and HERE • Fee for service impact – expectation of high quality service and delivery of packaged, on demand, printed information • Want ‘one-stop-shop’ environment – ‘silos’ unacceptable • Multi-taskers, IT savvy, chat and SMS, portable devices

11. Challenges and opportunities for Information Services staff • Information explosion - constant updating of skills and knowledge across a wide range of disciplines and media • Engaged in a wide range of Library and faculty projects and the implementation of new services whilst continuing to deliver more traditional services e.g. the development of online resources and services has been added to printed resources and face-to-face delivery • Finding new, effective and sustainable information services models to meet client needs