QULOC Strategic Plan

Mission, Values and Goals
Challenges and Issues
Strategies
QULOC Membership and Groups

QULOC Strategic Plan 2007-2010
QULOC Working Party Action Plan Template 2007-2010

QULOC has adopted a goals-based approach to planning focused around its mission and values. The Strategic Plan 2007-2010 reflects a process to articulate clear goals, strategies, actions, timelines and performanc indicators.

Mission, Values and Goals

Mission
Queensland University Libraries Office of Cooperation (QULOC) is a collaborative organisation, which facilitates members to deliver outstanding library and information services to our universities.

Values
The following values underpin QULOC activities in pursuit of its Mission:
· Information sharing
· Reciprocity
· Diversity
· Collegiality
· Innovation

Goals
The QULOC mission is achieved through three goals. By means of leadership, advocacy and action, QULOC will:

1. Initiate and achieve shared planning, appropriate partnerships and cooperative activities among our member libraries.

2. Provide a supportive framework to promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise amongst staff of the member institutions.

3. Provide opportunities for staff development to meet current and future workforce needs.

Financial
Resource limitations may make it difficult to give priority to collaborative activities.
Reductions in Government funding affect university libraries’ abilities to meet client needs.
Costs of library materials are escalating at a higher rate than the CPI and there is greater risk from the monopolisation of the publishing industry.
The environment is becoming more complex with greater compliance and accountability requirements.
Libraries build collections to meet the needs and expectations of clients.
Libraries need to increasingly undertake risk management processes including addressing currency fluctuations, workforce planning, disaster management, high dependence on technology, insurance and a reliance on fewer vendors.
The need to maintain electronic resources with declining budgets.
The financial implications of the open access movement .

Human resources
Changing workplace demands require constant re-skilling of staff and development of a robust culture.
Salary increases and the impacts on recruitment, retention and development.
How can the library profession attract the right people to the profession?
There is continued blurring of the traditional boundaries between library staff by repositioning and integrating services points.
Changing Federal Government industrial relations policies and subsequent funding for Higher Education will continue to impact on the industrial relations environment.

Technological Infrastructure
The pace of change in IT is inexorable and libraries must have the ability to make timely responses.
Planned budgeting for inexorable technological change is difficult.
National network infrastructure needs strengthening.
Academic libraries need to monitor the changing modes of delivery in curriculum and coursework.
Libraries must build collections, both print and electronic, that meets client’s needs and expectations.
Libraries are facing increased competition from non library providers eg. Amazon, Google Scholar
Effective use of network facilities is needed.
Issues with identity and access management.

Customer demands
Libraries are facing the challenge of increased demands for existing quality services while balancing the need to develop and deliver new services within the constraints of existing resources.
International student numbers are increasing and these clients have different needs.
Students are paying more for their courses and have higher expectations of the services that are, or should be provided.
Changing products and methods of delivery mean libraries need to accommodate a variety of uses within the available physical space.
Finding effective way to communicate with students is becoming more complex.
Research is becoming more targeted.
Commercial services sometimes exploit publicly funded services.
Alumni are becoming increasingly important sector.

Competition and collaboration
Universities are competing for students and libraries are more reluctant to provide services for which no recompense is received.
Geographic spread and institutional diversity pose operational difficulties.
Some QULOC members are responsible for more than library services, so cross-institutional collaborative activities may extend beyond the Library.
Libraries face increased competition for funds.
Competition for students in a time of high employment.
International competition for students and the internationalisation of curricula.

Government Policies
The impact of the Research Quality Framework is still to be determined.
How will the e-research agenda affect the role of libraries?
Impacts from a range of International and national protocols.
The implication of State government policy to increase vocational and educational training in regional areas.
State government policy towards community engagement in regional areas means regional universities find it challenging to balance community engagement and competition for resources.
Policies relating to fee structures and the implications for the future of education as an export commodity.
Terrorism legislation and the impacts on privacy.
Possible rationalisation of academic institutions and decline in the number of libraries.
Changing Federal Government funding environment.  E.g. 3rd Stream Funding, more focussed funding, shifting resources between research and teaching & learning.

In spite of these challenges, QULOC is well positioned to build on its history of collaboration. Through the sharing of expertise, particularly in its Working Parties and through the willingness of members to work together, QULOC has the potential to deliver benefit to its members in a number of areas.

Strategies

1. Goal: Initiate and achieve shared planning, appropriate partnerships and cooperative activities among our member libraries.

· Enhance QULOC’s profile in member institutions as an effective tool for ensuring collaborative practices.
· Provide a collective voice at relevant state and national forums.
· Explore links with other groups to achieve appropriate partnerships and promote cooperative activities.
· Promote QULOC as a regional base to implement pilot projects.
· Ensure equitable arrangements for QULOC meetings and events.
· Investigate consortial purchases of equipment and resources not duplicated elsewhere.
· Initiate and maintain Reciprocal Borrowing Agreements.

2. Goal: Provide a supportive framework to promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise amongst staff of the member institutions.

· Build on collegial support to continue information sharing.
· Promote continuous improvement and best practice in the provision of information services.
· Ensure that information about QULOC which is of continuing value to clients of member institutions is preserved in accessible form.

3. Goal: Provide opportunities for staff development to meet current and future workforce needs.

· Identify workshop topics in consultation with University Librarians Committee and other working parties.
· Foster experiential staff development opportunities.

QULOC Membership and Groups

The member libraries of QULOC are:

QULOC Groups are:

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© QULOC 2003. Last updated:26 June 2007