4. Objectives, issues, and key strategic initiatives 2009-2011

Key Area 1: Information Resources

Objective: To ensure that the selection, acquisition, creation, cataloguing, storage and preservation of scholarly information and the capture and promotion of Monash University research output are in line with the needs and requirements of the University community, and to provide prompt, seamless, reliable and easy-to-use access to high quality scholarly information, regardless of the location of the information or the user.

Ongoing activities:

To evaluate, select, acquire and/or license new materials (both print and electronic).
To catalogue resources and provide information about, and access to, them through the Library catalogue and the web sites.
To provide resource discovery tools to enable access to electronic resources including e-journals, e-books, databases, web sites and repositories.
To provide physical access to print and other collections held in branch libraries.
To provide co-ordinated resources under the 'one Library' banner while still meeting individual campus and faculty needs.
To promote and preserve the University’s intellectual output.
To promote and preserve the University’s collections.
To coordinate research data management across the University.

Issues: A long term strategy for resource discovery and access is required if the Library is to continue to enhance the ways increasingly diverse collections are searched and used. Uncertainty about the future of the Australian Academic and Research Library Network (AARLIN) emphasises the importance of completing trials of new resource discovery software, including options for federated searching for resources.

Broadening access to knowledge and data though services like ARROW, Google Scholar and Picture Australia also represent strategic challenges.

The establishment of the University’s digital thesis project will be a major initiative 2009, as the theses are being added to the ARROW repository. Further additions to ARROW’s holdings will include records for citations collected as part of the Research Quality Framework (RQF) exercise, the Library’s contribution to the Higher Education Research Data Collection (HERDC) and the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) project.

The Library’s physical collections continue to place pressure on storage. The acquisition of a share in a large new offsite storage facility being developed by CAVAL, CARM 2, will provide important infrastructure to assist in managing this pressure. Planning for the CARM 2 facility is at an advanced stage and the Library will further its collection management plans to make best use of this and campus based facilities.

During 2009 the Library’s leadership of the University's data and information management strategies will be strengthened through the establishment of the Data Management Coordinator’s position in the Library, supported by the DARE project team of contact librarians who liaise with researchers to identify data management needs. The University played a major role in the ANDS (the Australian National Data Service) Establishment project and as the lead agency will make important contributions to the development of ANDS.

Key Strategic Initiatives

Strategies	Actions	Measures/Targets/KPIs	Responsibility
1.1 Make electronic information easier to locate and use.	Develop a long term strategy for improved access to resources.	End user functionality improved and communicated to users.	Director, Central Services; Director, Information Resources; Subject librarians; Faculty Teams; Communications Manager.
	Review the AARLIN project, the use of MultiSearch and SFX, and make recommendations for the future.	AARLIN involvement reviewed and decisions made and implemented. Trials of new software with vendors completed. MultiSearch portal and federated searching reviewed and recommendations implemented.	Director, Information Resources; Director, Central Services; Directors, Client Services.
	Investigate federated searching options and make recommendations.	Recommendations implemented.	Director, Central Services; Director, Information Resources.
	Continue to implement the recommendations of the Usability Study.	Recommendations implemented.	Directors, Central Services; Client Services, Information Resources.
1.2 Develop collections to support research and education.	Build research collections in key faculty research areas, in collaboration with researchers..	Collections improved in designated areas.	Director, Information Resources; Directors, Client Services; Subject Librarians.
	Promote research collection strengths.	User knowledge of collections strengths increased.	Directors, Client Services; Subject Librarians; Communications Manager.
	Determine the collection development implications of the Monash Passport Program.	Collection development strategies modified appropriately.	Director, Information Resources; Directors, Client Services
1.3 Contribute to the capture and promotion of Monash University research output.	Capture and promote Monash University research output.	Research output captured.	ARROW Librarian; University Librarian; Director, Information Resources.
	Expand the content of the ARROW Repository.	ARROW content expanded.	ARROW Librarian; University Librarian; Director, Information Resources.
	Support the development of Excellence in Research for Australia(ERA) measurement at Monash University.	Resources made available via the ARROW repository, with security measures in place.	ARROW Librarian, Director, Information Resources.
	Contribute to HERDC Publications Survey workflow	Library resources and expertise used in development of the survey.	ARROW Librarian; Director, Information Resources.
1.4 Review and develop the Monash University ePress, identifying sustainable strategies for its growth and development.	Expand the number of titles published by the ePress.	Increased number of titles on offer.	ePress Manager; University Librarian.
	Implement the findings of the review.	Findings implemented.	University Librarian; ePress Manager.
1.5 Provide leadership in information management.	Contribute to international, national and University projects building information and data management expertise.	Contributions made through appropriate projects, working parties and committees.	University Librarian; Directors.
	Assist in developing and implementing a research data management strategy for the University.	Assistance given and strategy implemented. Policy, procedures and guidelines developed and implemented. DARE project implemented.	University Librarian; Director, Information Resources; Director, Client Services; Data Management Coordinator.
	Contribute to the Australian National Data Service.	Milestones achieved. Engagement with activities.	University Librarian; Data Management Coordinator.
1.6 Re-engineer Library information resources processes to achieve productivity improvements.	Continuously review processes to acquire and provide access to physical and electronic resources.	Quantitative measures reflecting improved availability of resources. Qualitative measures reflecting internal process improvement.	Director, Information Resources.