Strategic Priorities 2007-2017

CARLI Strategic Priorities

When the CARLI Board of Directors crafted the organization’s strategic priorities in 2007, the consortium was still at a formative stage. Since that time, CARLI has matured, established a consistent operational focus, demonstrated its value, and gained the trust of its members. Over the same time period, the external environment has changed dramatically. Nearly unprecedented economic turmoil and ever accelerating technological change confront higher education, in general, and academic libraries, in particular.

After a careful review, the Board reaffirmed these strategic priorities, placing increased emphasis on documenting the value of consortial action to each member institution and to the students and faculty being served. In addition, the following focused priorities will shape the overall planning, development of specific services, and operation of the consortium.

Operational/Tactical Priorities

Continue and expand the options for resource sharing

• Expand the concept of I-Share
• Identify and test direct patron borrowing across disparate integrated library systems (ILS)
• Improve I-Share ILS performance to permit expanded participation
• Reduce costs and enhance the overall quality of library technical services operations
• Rethink/remodel technical services in and among member libraries through collaborative effort
• Emphasize streamlining processes and workflows and maximize use of local data
• Expand access to hidden information resources

Identify staffing needs in member libraries

• Identify the scale and scope of needed staff expertise and knowledge among CARLI members
• Identify and coordinate opportunities for member libraries to share staff and expertise
• Create financial models for staff sharing

Establish a proactive research/reporting agenda for CARLI

• Better utilize the wealth of data already available
• Focus reporting and research on issues that inform library management and decision making
• Ensure adequate follow up and implementation of research findings

Create a new focus on partnerships with other consortia

• Seek partnerships and collaborations when appropriate
• Examine parallel functionalities in other consortia
• Emphasize the development of expertise and cost effective operations
• Seek grant funding
• Investigate and aggressively pursue external funding opportunities
• Leverage the funding received from member libraries

Develop a strategy for print retention that addresses the needs of CARLI various constituencies

• Clearly define the need and potential for cooperative print retention among CARLI’s diverse constituencies
• Determine whether print retention is best addressed in a statewide context, national context, or both
• Determine possible financial models for sharing the cost of new print retention projects.

Adopted March 19, 2010

Strategic Priorities

CARLI remains fully committed to fulfilling its established mission, and will thoughtfully balance ongoing support and development of critical existing services and programs with the pursuit of excellence and innovation, as embodied in the following ambitious strategic priorities.

CARLI reaffirms its commitment to resource sharing, through the continued maintenance and development of its integrated library management system, and the provision of meaningful electronic resources, through brokering, subsidization and cost-sharing agreements. While identifying and planning new initiatives defined by the strategic priorities, CARLI will seek to actively expand the participation of qualified libraries in I-Share. Emphasis will be placed on clarifying and communicating the value of CARLI to members and their stakeholders.

Collaboration and Leadership

• Facilitate effective communication around members’ needs.
• Catalyze communication and evaluation of emerging trends.
• Develop leaders by embracing new models of participation for staff in CARLI libraries.
• Investigate an increase in CARLI staffing levels and funding capabilities to strengthen leadership strategies and customer support services to members.
• Enhance and expand the visibility of CARLI in partnership with member libraries through various means such as marketing, white papers, or conference presentations.
• Educate member libraries on issues, innovations, services and best practices for physical and digital collections.

Innovation

• Foster a climate of experimentation and acceptable risk through piloting new technologies and services, balancing rapid implementation with appropriate consultation.
• Explore ways to provide seamless integration of disparate content discovery tools.
• Explore opportunities to work with outside organizations to improve services.
• Encourage and support innovation and experimentation in member libraries.

Resource Sharing

• Broaden access to CARLI member collections through digitization and other means.
• Explore alternatives to physical delivery.
• Improve time from request to delivery to 2-3 days within CARLI.
• Work toward establishing standardized transaction times and loan periods within I-Share.

E-Resources

• Create clear, realizable, consortial licensing principles to guide CARLI and member libraries in effective negotiations.
• Educate member libraries on techniques and best practice for e-resource negotiations.
• Work with other consortia and publishers to create new models for e-resource acquisitions.

Adopted September 21, 2007