Annual Report, 2004/2005

North Carolina State University Libraries

I.  PROGRAMS

A.  Changes in Scope of Activities

This year the NCSU Libraries made significant progress in meeting the ambitious goals of its compact plan, expanding services and collections, and beginning a $1 million project with the Library of Congress through the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program. Several library exhibits and events provided opportunities for the campus and the surrounding community to explore new ideas and to interact with stimulating speakers.

Much of the year was occupied by preparations for the upcoming renovation of the East Wing of D. H. Hill Library.  Service points migrated, collections were relocated to other areas, and staff moved either within D. H. Hill or to swing space on Brickhaven Drive.  In spite of this upheaval, students and faculty experienced minimal disruptions.

The Libraries received national attention when Library Journal named Vice Provost and Director of Libraries Susan K. Nutter as the 2005 Librarian of the Year for her “outstanding accomplishments in transforming academic librarianship.”   The fast-paced year ended with the news that the Libraries had advanced from #32 to #27 in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) index.  Since it derives in part from one-time collections allocations during fiscal year 03/04, the #27 position may be short-lived.  Rankings aside, the 2004/05 annual report amply illustrates the Libraries’ commitment to achievement and innovation in action.

B.  Volume of Activities: NCSU Libraries Statistics (03/04, 02/03, 98/99, 93/94)

          Collection Statistics

          Library Services

          Library Services (continued), Expenditures, and ARL Ranking

For footnotes, see Appendix A at end

C.  Special Achievements of Significance (see also Section II, Compact)

• Collaborated with DELTA and the Information Technology Division in the development of a technical solution for controlling use of copyrighted images distributed over the Internet.  This “downstream control” technology is critical for distance education and for supporting faculty who wish to take advantage of the TEACH Act to make images available in their online courses.
• Provided affidavit information developed by Scholarly Communication Librarian Peggy Hoon, in conjunction with DELTA, that was instrumental in the D.C. Court of Appeals’ May decision to overturn the “broadcast flag” regulation adopted by the FCC.  The regulation would have prevented copying of transmitted programming for teaching and consumer use.
• Acquired the web-based citation management tool, RefWorks, which allows users to export citations from bibliographic databases and to format those citations according to most citation formats.
• At the request of the Director of the University Honors Program, developed and delivered a pilot seminar course (Academic Research Strategies & Contexts).
• Launched the Business Information Network (BIN) website.  BIN offers a comprehensive package of current business and financial news, local business events, and library services customized to meet the needs of students and faculty in the College of Management.
• Raised approximately $2,583,000 in private monetary gifts and in-kind donations.
• Awarded Dr. Richard H. Bernhard, professor of industrial engineering, the 2004 NCSU Libraries Faculty Award for his many contributions to the library’s mission over the course of twenty-five years.
• Drew upon University Archives and the Special Collections Research Center to mount Transforming Society: The GI Bill Experience at NC State.  The exhibit documented the impact of that landmark legislation on the development of the university and on the lives of individuals.  On November 12, the Libraries presented a symposium featuring keynote speaker Milton Greenberg.
• Hosted two traveling exhibits from the Smithsonian: Vietnam: Journey of the Heart, Photographs by Geoffrey Clifford, 1985-2000, and Booming Out: Mohawk Ironworkers Build New York.  Clifford and John Balaban, professor of English and poet in residence, spoke about their experiences in Vietnam and their collaboration on the project.
• Sponsored a stellar array of speakers through Friends of the Library, including: former United States Senator Bob Dole, author of One Soldier’s Story: A Memoir; Tom Wolfe, best-selling author of numerous fiction and non-fiction works; Professor of English Elaine Orr, author of Gods of Noonday, A White Girl’s African Life (fall luncheon); Timothy B. Tyson, author of Blood Done Sign My Name (spring dinner); and Bob Cairns, author of V & Me: Everybody’s Favorite Jim Valvano Story.
• Featured Blaise Cronin, dean of the School of Library and Information Science and Rudy Professor of Information Science at Indiana University, for the 2005 I. T. Littleton Seminar.

D.  Special Program Reviews, Studies, or Plans: 

Staff prepared and reviewed numerous plans related to the D. H. Hill East Wing renovation project, and facilitated the three-year assessment of the Hill of Beans coffee bar by the University Library Committee’s Hill of Beans advisory committee.

II.  COMPACT PLAN

Critical Space Needs of the NCSU Libraries  (Initiative 1)

• In preparation for the D. H. Hill East Wing renovation, the Libraries moved over 50 library staff members to swing space, relocated the main Reference service point, relocated the collections of Reference and the Special Collections Research Center, and publicized these moves to library users.
• The Libraries’ space crisis continues to escalate, affecting both services and collections.   With D. H. Hill Library operating at more than 53 percent over capacity and the Satellite Shelving Facility at capacity, the library must continue to rent storage space at the Duke University Library Service Center to house valuable collections.

• After three years in rank #32 in the ARL Index, the NCSU Libraries moved to rank #27 for 2003/04.  This improvement reflects special, one-time allocations of approximately $1,000,000 in 2003/04 to enhance digital collections and programs. 

• Efficient stewardship and one-time appropriations to enhance digital collections and programs partially mitigated the effects of cuts to the collections budget over the past two years and the negative impact of inflation.  The Libraries added over 2.5 million electronic journal articles and 150,000 electronic books to the research collection.
• The Special Collections Research Center acquired seven new manuscript collections, including the papers of the world-renowned golf course designer and NC State alumnus, Willard Byrd.  Endowment funds supported the purchase of E. A. Seguy’s Papillons.  This stunning portfolio of pochoir prints will support instruction in both entomology and graphic design.
• NCSU librarians continue to play leadership roles in NC LIVE, a statewide electronic resource project.  The General Assembly appropriated an additional $1.5 million for NC LIVE, and the new slate of licensed resources will be available in January 2006.

• With active promotional efforts and a growing reputation for excellent service, the use of the Digital Media Lab and the Collaboratory increased by 15% in 2004/05.
• The Libraries developed and administered an assessment survey for Collaboratory users, working with the University Assessment Director, in accordance with the LITRE Quality Enhancement Plan.

• The Libraries’ proposal for a thin-client computing initiative received funding at the minimum feasibility level of $50,000 from Education and Technology Fee (ETF) funds.  Thin-client terminals were subsequently installed in temporary public service areas of D. H. Hill Library.  Since these terminals require less power than conventional computers, more seats could be accommodated.
• Plans for a Learning Commons, developed in consultation with faculty and students, include service points; new technologies and software applications; space for group work and presentation practice; and access to important print resources.  The Learning Commons is part of the D. H. Hill Library East Wing renovation and has been included in the Libraries’ Capital Campaign.

A Library Faculty that Reflects a Diverse University Community (Initiative 6)   (See also Section III)

As part of its ongoing efforts to recruit outstanding individuals to academic librarianship, the Libraries:

• Continued the Fellows program and named the first Cyma Rubin Libraries Fellow. The Fellows program, begun in 1999, targets the best new librarians with potential for science, engineering or digital librarianship; with an interest in library management; and from underrepresented populations.  The Cyma Rubin Endowment supports the professional development of Fellows.
• Welcomed a Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) Post-Doctoral Fellow, a program that helps prepare individuals with doctoral degrees in the humanities for professional library positions.
• Augmented the Scholarly Communication Center with the appointment of a Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN) Doctoral Fellow.  The program, funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), combines doctoral course work in library science with a research project in a TRLN library.

• The NCSU Libraries entered into a cooperative agreement with the Library of Congress to complete a $1 million project through the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program.  The Libraries is partnering with the North Carolina Center for Geographic Information and Analysis to collect and preserve digital geospatial data resources from state and local government agencies.  The project is expected to serve as a demonstration model for other states.
• The InsideWood project, now in its second year of NSF funding, has developed the largest known database for modern dicot wood anatomy with over 5,500 records representing 8,000 species.  This collaborative effort between an internationally recognized faculty member and library/information science specialists has attracted contributions from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas.  A grant proposal for $243,000 has been submitted to NSF to extend the coverage to fossil woods.
• The NCSU Libraries has begun to establish a digital repository to manage and provide access to materials unique to this university, including electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), selected research and technical reports, and scholarly publications by faculty members.  ETDs will be the first collection to be placed into the repository.
• A steering committee and six task forces worked together to develop a new web site design, which will include new tools for browsing the collection by subject and a more powerful search engine.  The new site will be unveiled in August 2005.  From June 2004 through May 2005, users retrieved over 11,903,000 pages, an 8.6% increase over 2003/04.

• The addition of another Data Services Librarian and a Geospatial Initiatives Librarian will allow the library to enhance its GIS and numeric data services.

• Library staff worked collaboratively with Environmental Health and Safety and the Office of the Provost to implement a set of security improvements based on recommendations from the Campus Security Task Force and the University Library Committee.  These improvements focus on security awareness, communication, training, and infrastructure.

• Diversity programming this year focused on educating staff about the needs and interests of the diverse student population at NC State.  Packfacts—The Students We Serve and What Contributes to Their Success featured Dr. Karrie Dixon, Assistant Vice Provost for Student Diversity, Dr. Tracey Ray, Director of Multicultural Student Affairs, and a panel of student leaders from minority interest groups. Exploring Middle Eastern Cultures brought trainers from the Office of International Services and a panel of Middle Eastern students to discuss cultures, values, and beliefs.
• The Libraries developed a series of Resource Guides related to diversity and featured them on the home page throughout the year.
• Terry Hill and Jacquie Samples were selected for the Minnesota Institute for Early Career Librarians.  The Institute, designed for librarians from racial and ethnic groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in the library profession, provides hands-on training and networking opportunities.
• The majority of librarians hold degrees in the humanities or social sciences, so recruiting and retaining librarians with science backgrounds is an important and challenging goal for the NCSU Libraries.  The Libraries was particularly successful this year in recruiting science librarians: two of the three newly appointed NCSU Libraries Fellows have academic backgrounds in the sciences, and the new Reference Librarian for the Physical and Mathematical Sciences holds degrees in physics and astronomy.
• Data for combined EPA/SPA hires in 2004/2005 show that 15% of appointments to permanent positions were made to persons from underrepresented populations.

IV.  STAFF

A.  Major New Appointments

Steven Mandeville-Gamble (formerly Asst. Head of Special Collections at Stanford University) as Head of the Special Collections Research Center; Rob Rucker (formerly Head of Distance Learning Services, NCSU Libraries) as Head of Research and Information Services.

B.  Kudos, Professional Activities and Recognition

The NCSU Libraries won the 2004 Outstanding Library Program Award from the Southeastern Library Association for its 2003 exhibition covering Pulitzer Prize-winning photography as well as related programming.  Individuals received the following honors:  *Library Journal named Susan K. Nutter as 2005 Librarian of the Year.  Nutter is the 16th recipient of this prestigious national honor and was chosen from a field of professional librarians from throughout North America.  *Kristin Antelman won the 2004 “Best of LRTS Award” for her article, “Identifying the Serial Work as a Bibliographic Entity.”  *The Chemistry Division of the Special Libraries Association presented the 2005 Marion E. Sparks Award for Professional Development to Hilary Davis.  *David Goldsmith was selected by the Association for Research Libraries Leadership Fellows Program, designed to prepare the next generation of directors at large research libraries.  *Tamika Barnes McCollough won the Special Libraries Association’s Diversity Leadership Award.  *Tito Sierra was awarded a Digital Library Federation Forum Fellowship for Librarians New to the Profession.  *Suzanne Weiner was selected for the UCLA Senior Fellow program—a program that brings together fifteen leaders in the academic library field for a three-week summer institute focusing on the advanced study of topics key to research library administrators.

V.  RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCERNS FOR THE FUTURE

• The renovation of the East Wing of D. H. Hill Library will not solve the critical space problems that affect users and collections.  A new, additional building on the Centennial Campus as described in the Libraries’ approved Master Plan is the most effective long-term solution to meeting current and future enrollment needs and providing a technology-rich environment.
• Bids for the East Wing renovation came in higher than budget, resulting in a $2 million shortfall.  Even with a redefined scope and active fundraising, the Libraries anticipates it will have to reduce spending in critical areas over the next two years in order to provide furniture and equipment for the space.
• Consecutive budget cuts and severe inflationary pressure have eroded library purchasing power for the collections by 8 to 10 percent ($500,000+) every year for the past five years.  New sources of funding must be found if the university is to maintain the strength of the collections, which are valued highly by faculty and students and are integral to the success of the university’s mission.
• Although the Libraries has been successful in attracting outstanding talent through various Fellows programs, recruitment and retention of information professionals, particularly in the sciences and in underrepresented groups, continues to be a challenge.  In order to improve in peer salary rankings, funds are needed to implement salary adjustments for retention and to offer competitive salaries for recruitment.

Appendix A: Footnotes to NCSU Libraries Statistics

a) includes NC LIVE resources
b) includes circulation of reserve materials, both print and (beginning in 1998/99) electronic
c) excludes benefits