Home > About the Library > Vision, Mission, and Strategic Plan 2005-2009

Our Vision

Peabody Library will be vital to the teaching, service, and research mission of Peabody College and Vanderbilt University. The Library will be an agent for positive change for the University and for the library profession.

Our Mission

The mission of the Library is to provide an inviting environment for scholarly inquiry and for social and cultural activities. The Library draws upon the knowledge and energy of its staff and the Peabody faculty to prepare students as informed citizens of the world. As a divisional library within the Heard Library system, the Peabody Library functions as a resource for the greater Vanderbilt community. The Library will

• Provide access to materials in appropriate formats to support teaching and research in the evolving subject areas of the curriculum
• Prepare the Peabody community with skills in identifying, locating, evaluating, and synthesizing information necessary for self-education and independent scholarly pursuit
• Maintain a user-centric service philosophy
• Reach out actively to the community we serve to promote library services and programs
• Develop collaborative partnerships with Peabody faculty and graduate students on their research and teaching activities
• Pursue external sources of funding to support library programs and services
• Engage in staff development activities that will enable library employees to offer continuously improving service in an ever changing information environment

Our Values

The values of our staff are:

Accountability with responsibility
Fairness
Family and work balance
Honesty
Intelligent and informed decision-making
No-fear work environment
Open communication
Respect
Supportiveness
Training
Trust

 

We will actively reach out to our students, faculty, and staff.

• We will conduct an assessment of our website and its usability.
• We will participate in the Spring 2006 LIBQUAL Survey and respond to the results.
• We will create a Patron Satisfaction Survey in Spring 2007 for public workstation desktops.
• We will organize a Task Force to discuss the Freshmen Commons with librarians from each library that serves freshmen.
• We will incorporate categories for undergraduate and graduate students in the "For Peabody Students" section of our website.
• We will schedule meetings with current and new faculty members to introduce them to library programs and services.
• We will examine our liaison responsibilities to ensure that they are aligned with our librarians' subject expertise.
• We will investigate hosting a cookout on the library terrace in the fall for freshmen.

We will collaborate with Peabody departments and committees to integrate information literacy competencies into the curriculum.

• We will conduct an assessment of the information literacy competencies needed by our students.
• We will conduct an assessment to determine what services we can provide to support distance students.
• We will support Peabody's e-portfolio initiative by conducting workshops and class presentations.
• We will develop web-based instruction tutorials for computer programs used by library patrons.
• We will develop a menu of topics on which we can provide course-related instruction.
• We will work with key faculty on instruction design and course collaboration.

We will ensure that our collection is accessible and relevant to the interests of Peabody faculty, staff, and students.

• We will implement a collection evaluation program.
• We will establish a collection development policy.
• We will develop criteria for when to purchase versus provide access to materials.
• We will conduct a comprehensive weeding of the collection.
• We will evaluate reference materials to determine which can be transferred to the circulating book collection.
• We will highlight the collection through displays and the web.
• We will add new signage in the Curriculum Materials Center and Youth Collection stacks area so patrons can find materials more easily.
• We will re-classify the older video collection to LC.
• We will re-classify the Curriculum Materials Center resources to LC.
• We will catalog all old Peabody theses.
• We will complete special projects that give access to un-cataloged materials.
• We will establish a year-round shelf-reading program.

We will be a resource for alumni and the greater educational community.

• We will highlight our web pages for alumni by coordinating efforts with the editor of the Peabody Reflector to include a column or features about the Library and its services.
• We will work with the Alumni Relations Office to create links to Peabody's alumni web site.
• We will plan networking lunches and programs for alumni of the Library Science program.

We will explore emerging technologies and support ongoing staff development so that we can competently meet the needs of our patrons and sustain our excellence.

• We will learn about student technology interests by forming a Tech Team.
• We will train staff for emerging needs including using data, GIS, policy resources, applications software, and health resources.
• We will obtain a microform reader/printer/scanner.
• We will encourage and support each staff member to attend relevant library conferences and continuing education programs including auditing courses for job advancement.
• We will organize staff development workshops during intersession and the summer that highlight relevant and noteworthy library services and technologies.
• We will organize two journal clubs.

We will promote cultural activities.

• We will add artwork throughout the library.
• We will create displays and exhibits on the Library web page.
• We will promote cultural diversity through visual and musical displays and presentations.

We will achieve recognition in the library profession for our efforts.

• We will promote our library through such activities as writing book reviews, publishing papers, presenting poster sessions at conferences, presenting papers, or being members of panels at professional association programs.
• We will gather and share stories and quotes about the library.

We will maintain the attractiveness and usability of the library.

• We will increase signage in the stacks.
• We will increase lighting in the library.
• We will repaint the stacks and other areas of the library as needed.
• We will maintain an attractive appearance by conducting a daily walk thru and notifying maintenance of any needed repairs.

 

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Last updated October 3, 2005.