A Case Study in the Evolution of Digital Services for Science and Engineering Libraries

ABSTRACT

Building on experiences from earlier digital initiatives and partnerships, the University of Virginia has developed new services and forged new collaborations between traditional information technology and library units in support of changing approaches to science and engineering research and education. Over the past 4 years, the library has evolved through numerous service models, changes in institutional vision, and budgetary shortfalls and has emerged with a new understanding of where to invest resources and energy for coming challenges.

KEYWORDS:

• collaboration
• information technology
• library organization
• library services
• library space
• reorganization
• science and engineering libraries
• service models
• strategic planning
• user services

Notes

1. See Reference Services Review, Volume 35, Number 3, 2007.

2. EDUCAUSE Core Data Service Fiscal Year 2007 Summary Report summarizes much of the data collected through the 2007 EDUCAUSE core data survey about campus IT environments at 994 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. The 2005 Summary Report included summaries for 933 colleges and universities.

3. This is Outcome 4 from ARL E-Science Task Force Recommendations.

4. This is Outcome 3 from ARL E-Science Task Force Recommendations.

5. Association of Research Libraries—Coalition for Networked Information