Dean’s Note: Investments in Strategic Priorities
When rare opportunities for additional funding present themselves, it’s important to be ready with project ideas that are shovel ready. Such an opportunity presented itself this fall and UC Libraries rose to the challenge. The university is transitioning to a new budget model, which necessitated a spend down of under spent funds, largely the result of hiring delays.
To take advantage of this opportunity, UC Libraries faculty and staff were invited to submit funding proposals for projects that aligned with our Strategic Directions: Enrich Our Collections, Expand Our Impact, Strengthen Our Organization and Support Our Students.
Approximately 20 proposals were received which addressed facilities, staffing, collections and technology. Our leadership team reviewed proposals and approved those that supported our strategic directions and could be completed in the short time frame established.
Facilities related proposals include projects to improve both staff areas (LED ceiling lights in the Preservation Lab, conference room upgrades) and public spaces (additional bottle fillers across all library locations, improved signage, re-upholstered chairs and replacement of broken blinds). Other facilities projects funded include:
- Seating to better define the Starbucks café line in Langsam Library,
- New furniture for the Anne Dorsey Teaching space in Langsam Library to increase utilization of this room,
- Addition of ADA buttons for restrooms and entrances.
The submitted proposals include requests for temporary staffing to complete projects to improve access to library collections. Among those are:
- A collections assistant to begin a survey of College Conservatory of Music (CCM) archival content within the CCM Library and the college,
- A graduate assistant to raise awareness and visibility of the Oesper Collections in the History of Chemistry.
Providing enhanced visibility, discoverability and use of library collections is one of the goals of the Strategic Plan. Numerous funded proposals will help achieve this goal:
- Pilot a method for transcribing video-recorded interviews within the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions, including notable interviewees such as Lucy Oxley, Henry Heimlich, and Albert Sabin,
- Undertake processing for Winkler Center “Small Collections,” which includes medical topics and photographs,
- Development of instruction videos to support patients and their caregivers in the ICU with locating quality health information online,
- Create 3D models of the collection of plastinated specimens at the Donal C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, which can be used for teaching purposes.
Events bring people into the library to engage with the people, services and resources of UC Libraries. One funded proposal will support a hands-on workshop featuring artist and professor Rich Dana on how to create zines, chapbooks, prints and flyers using simple copying techniques.
And lastly, access to technology will be improved with two funded proposals:
- Pilot portable Omnicharge power stations in Langsam Library,
- Technology including microphones, chargers and recorders to lend at The Desk@Langsam,
The proposals funded represent an investment of close to $1M and must be completed by the end of the fiscal year, or June 30, 2025. They will have a positive impact on both UC Libraries employees as well as the students, researchers, faculty and staff who utilize library services and resources to achieve their academic goals. Together, we can work towards UC Libraries vision to be the intellectual center of campus life, a partner within the expanding research and innovation agendas and a catalyst for engaging the greater community.
