I tend to look at library strategic plans when they are available on the web. They are interesting indicators of where libraries think they most need to create value in coming years. I just came across the 2004 Strategic Plan [pdf] at Oregon State University.
In conversations with our key stakeholders, we have received a clear and unambiguous message about the expectations for OSU Libraries. In the future, the libraries will:
- be competetive with our peer institution libraries;
- be as easy to use as Google and other search engines;
- deliver information wherever and whenever it is needed; and
take the lead in archiving and preserving digital information.
This is an ambitious agenda, and makes it clear where the library needs to be ….
Incidentally, I was also interested to see that OSU Libraries place a search box to their metasearch service square in the middle of the library home page. This is alongside a list of library services. The library user does not have to spend time looking for things. It is nice just to see the list, each with an explanatory phrase. This seems much more helpful than a list of services clustered under headings which may or may not make a lot of sense to the user who has not been initiated into the inner workings of the library.
