Roger C. Schonfeld
Director, Library and Scholarly Communications
Ithaka S+R
How are library leaders making investments in the future of their organizations? What kinds of strategies are they pursuing in support of research, teaching, and learning? And what constraints do they recognize as limiting their ability to pursue these strategies? In fall 2016, Ithaka S+R surveyed academic library deans and directors across the US on these key topics and several others. With a response rate of 49%, the project offers a wide array of perspectives on the opportunities and challenges currently facing academic libraries and higher education more broadly. Our analysis by Carnegie Classification and by years in office shows some of the different needs and perspectives that directors manifest at different institution types and at different stages in their tenure. Comparisons with previous cycles of the Ithaka S+R Library Survey demonstrate the evolving strategies that libraries are implementing in response to the changing landscape of higher education. Comparisons with the Ithaka S+R US Faculty Survey 2015 point to a number of differences between faculty members and library directors on key issues. The full report of findings, co-authored by Christine Wolff and Roger Schonfeld, will be made publicly available in April 2017 in conjunction with the CNI meeting. This session will be designed to generate a rich discussion on the implications of the survey findings and potential follow-on projects.
http://www.sr.ithaka.org/publications/us-library-survey-2016/