Friends of the UNCG Libraries

Video games – how do they affect us and what can we learn from them?   That’s the question being explored in the newest feature in the Digital Media Commons in UNCG’s Jackson Library. Students and faculty are invited to see for themselves what the buzz is about on February 7 at 3 pm in the Digital Media Commons to explore the new Gaming Lab, which opened December 3.   While there, we invite you to see the new MakerBot printer now being installed. The Gaming Lab project was spearheaded by Associate Professor Gregory Grieve, and coordinated by Beth Filar Williams, Interim Head of the Digital Media Commons (DMC). Support from Lindsay Sabatino, Director of the Digital ACT Studio housed in the DMC along with the financial support College of Arts and Sciences, Lloyd International Honors College, Undergraduate Studies, and University Libraries made the lab possible.        With the opening of the Gaming Lab, UNCG is following scholar­ship and...

You may have noticed a few changes to the library catalog recently. The new public catalog, using a product from long-time library system supplier OCLC, is known as WorldCat Local. In addition to supporting a user in finding books and other materials held here in Jackson Library, this Worldcat local catalog now searches collections of thousands of other libraries worldwide, and most of our electronic content such as e-journals, databases, and e-books. It also replaces our old Journal Finder product with a Journal A-Z list to help you find electronic journals available to UNCG users. While it is mostly transparent to those who use the catalog, we have also moved our library operations to OCLC’s WorldShare Management Services (WMS) to manage the ordering, processing, and circulation of library materials, along with holds, book renewals, print reserves, and similar user services. Why did we make these changes? Several years ago we realized that our old library systems were not being d...

How do the University Libraries make decisions?   Rather than doing what we’ve always done or what we just think is a good idea, we try to base our priorities on good data that indicate a need for the project.   Then we follow up with assessment.   Some recent examples of how we used data to make decisions or implement programs include: Marketing to UNCG Staff A survey of UNCG staff in 2009 indicated that most were not aware of Libraries’ services and resources.   We developed a marketing plan that included developing a brochure just for staff and including the Libraries in New Staff Orientation.   Staff checkouts more than doubled between 2009 and 2013 Journal cancellations Faced with budget cuts in 2011-12 we conducted a data-intensive analysis of our academic journal publisher packages.   Using these objective data points, we developed a draft list of journal cancellations that was widely shared with faculty for their expert input.   As a...

Tickets for the Friends of the UNCG Libraries dinner with Nikki Giovanni on March 6 are now on sale from Triad Stage at 336-272-0160 (toll free 1-866-579-8499) or online .  Proceeds support the University Libraries. Nikki Giovanni is a world-renowned poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. Over the past 30 years, her outspokenness, in her writing and in lectures, has brought the eyes of the world upon her. One of the most widely-read American poets, she prides herself on being "a Black American, a daughter, a mother, a professor of English." Giovanni remains as determined and committed as ever to the fight for civil rights and equality. Always insisting on presenting the truth as she sees it, she has maintained a prominent place as a strong voice of the Black community. Her focus is on the individual, specifically, on the power one has to make a difference in oneself, and thus, in the lives of others. Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and gr...

How does an organization best position itself for the future?   How do we insure that our decisions remain true to who we are and what we believe in?   Those of us working in the University Libraries have recently spent some time coming to consensus on what our values are as a Library. Values represent our guiding principles: our broadest motivations, influencing the attitudes we hold and how we act.   Perhaps not surprisingly we came to pretty clear consensus, and the results are described here To move forward, though, those values need to be reflected in our priorities in a difficult budget environment, and a list of those priorities is found here . Readers may not always care too much about the details of things like our library systems, for example, but we hope that you will appreciate the care and effort that goes into the choices we make about which to use and how we prepare ourselves to use them to serve you better.   Over the coming days, we will post s...

At its annual retreat last summer, the Administrative Advisory Group to Dean Rosann Bazirjian established the following priorities for this academic year.  As the second semester begins, it is appropriate to review those priorities.  Subsequent postings in upcoming days will link the priorities to our values, and explain some of those priorities in greater detail.  Feel free to post questions. Create a data driven strategic plan for collections Collaborate with partners to continue developing effective learning spaces Support  continuous learning and professional development for all Libraries’ staff Establish budget priorities and manage them effectively Foster a culture of grant and donor development Increase advocacy of scholarly communication and open access on campus Support a culture of staff recognition and appreciation Create a strategic plan to lead the Libraries’ diversity initiatives Craft  a  sustainable computing environment  De...