We have all worked hard to ready RBD for the Learning Commons.  Most of us have tasted the reward of preparing the space for the Caribou Coffee Shop.  Our Student Advisory Council and the undergraduates who responded to our survey were clear that they wanted such an improvement in food in RBD and I’m pleased we have been able to address a direct request from our users.  I am grateful to each of you for your hard work, to Auxiliary Services for funding and supporting the project, and to Facilities for their willingness to tackle a complex project on a short timeline. 

As we surveyed students, they were clear that they wanted improved study spaces.  We were fortunate that the EBSCO Company agreed that this upgrade was a pressing need for the University.  Many of us have been working all Fall to make the students’ and EBSCO’s vision a reality.  While some of us attended countless meetings, the Circulation and Government Documents departments organized 50 students to move 820,000 books and documents and Cataloging made sure we kept track of   all of them.  Now that the space is prepared and the furniture is ordered, we will all enjoy watching the area take shape as the students begin to use it.  Once again, Facilities has been generous with time and money to make sure the project happens and stays on schedule. 

Your hard work has helped us build a reputation as the central place for our students and faculty.  I know each of us does this because of our commitment to excellent library service.  Over the past few years, we have earned the support of Facilities and several projects have received priority funding.  First, all of our public spaces were painted and the public areas on two floors were recarpeted.  This holiday break, the third floor and staff areas will be recarpeted.  Last year, some of you asked about carpeting for your work areas and I told you we would have to be patient and hope for additional funding.  Facilities has only so much money to spend on these sorts of projects each year.  I hope you are as grateful as I am that they are targeting some of these funds our way right now. 

If you are like me, you have some work to do before we can pack up our office to be ready for the recarpeting crew.  The Events Committee has set aside November 20 as a day for us to tackle the job, have some fun and maybe win some prizes.  It has been designated Clean and Green Day.  At the beginning of the day, we will all get three big plastic bags – One for trash, one for recycling, and one for shredding.  I’m pretty sure I’ll have to ask for additional bags and I’ve only been here 4 and a half years!  At 2:00, we’ll break for a Libraries Forum with Donny Addison and Lindy Biggs joining us to talk about recycling and sustainability programs at Auburn.  The Events Committee will award prizes and we’ll have some snacks as a reward for our hard work. By December 18 when the holidays begin, we will have to have our offices all packed and ready so this will be a good chance to begin to prepare to pack. 

As the holidays approach, we all think about those less fortunate.  We have much to be grateful for with so many friends and colleagues experiencing layoffs, job loss, and furloughs.  It has been hard to go without a raise and to see the funds we have to purchase materials and provide services dwindle as we’ve face prorations but we continue to have our jobs and, thanks to a generous private gift and Facilities support, we are able to undertake some major projects such as the Commons and the carpeting.  I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to work with each of you and provide library service to the Auburn academic community.  I’m looking forward to celebrating the year and all we’ve accomplished with you at our annual Holiday Party on December 8.  I know the Events Committee has planned a delicious menu – I hear rumors of Red Velvet Cake.  I hope you will join me in bringing a toy to support Toys for Tots to the party.   I know these gifts this year will be especially appreciated by families in our community. 

Please mark your calendars for Clean and Green Day and for the Holiday Party.   I look forward to the end of a busy year and to seeing you at these two events.

Until recently, I viewed the Swine Flu as something that happens far away and to someone else.  Suddenly there were out breaks at summer camps across the country.  First, the planning for the Learning Commons was disrupted because one of our partners had a son at camp in Colorado who had been exposed to the flu.  Then the news came that her son had the flu and they had to stay in Colorado with him longer than expected.  Postponing meetings is one thing but then the flu struck again.  My nephew caught the flu at summer camp setting in motion a set of dominos that almost led to the cancellation of a long planned family vacation.  This was starting to strike close to home!  Even before planning for a possible flu outbreak began here at Auburn I had learned firsthand that the flu can disrupt planning at work and personal plans!

Now that our students are back some of them brought the flu with them.  As I write this, Auburn has ten reported cases and has set in motion a planning process.  The Deans have been asked to be flexible and do all we can to assist students and staff if we have a serious outbreak of the flu.  As I learned this summer, it doesn’t take many cases to be disruptive.

I’d like to share some information from the planning meeting: 

• Safety is the #1 concern.  Social distancing is very important in order to control the virus.  In many cases the best prevention is to keep sick and high risk people out of the classroom/lab.
• Auburn is unlikely to face a full closure of the University.
• Auburn may be faced with a large number of absences
• For any individual the H1N1 flu generally runs its course in 5 to 7 days.
• Absences will probably continue through the fall and into the spring term
• For individual student and faculty members this need not be a semester-ending event, but it could be a frustrating and disruptive one.

What can you do:

• Stay healthy by getting regular rest, exercise and a balanced diet.
• Get a flu shot.
• Keep your hands clean.  The University has placed ten hand sanitizer units throughout the Draughon Library.  We’ve purchased hand sanitizers for all units.  Wash your hands.  I’ve heard you should wash long enough to sing Happy Birthday all the way through!
• If you have the flu stay home until you are no longer contagious.
• Be flexible.  If many of us get the flu we may need you to help out in new ways.  This will be an opportunity to learn new responsibilities and help us keep delivering services to our students.
• Be positive.  If you get the flu you won’t feel well for a few days but according to my nephew who lived to tell the tale and go on vacation with the rest of the family, “it’s not that bad after the first day.”

Most of us have been following the news about the economy and the University’s budgets with interest and increasing concern.  There is no doubt that our state and Auburn University will face some lean times and belt tightening as our country slides further into recession.  The University Libraries will have less to spend for the next several years.

So what are we to do?  My firm belief is that we should renew and reshape our goals – and never give up on our aspiration to be a great public university library.  Hunkering down will only guarantee mediocrity.  If I have learned one thing about you over the past four years it’s that you have too much energy, creativity and devotion to excellent librarianship to settle for mediocre. 

We will still have a budget, albeit a smaller one.  We will be able to hire new staff – but we will not fill all open positions.  One thing is certain, we will buy and process fewer books, journals, and documents.  We may have to consolidate and streamline some library services.  But, perhaps this is not a tragedy.

For many years librarians have tied our professional self-image to counting how many thousand new volumes we add to the collections each year.  But really, is this any way to measure excellence or prosperity? I love to say we are the largest library in the State of Alabama but I am even more proud when I talk about how many students we’ve taught and how well we served them, about our efficient and responsive processing units, about our leadership on campus and in the state in technology and digitization, and about our role in supporting the increasing academic and research excellence of Auburn University. 

Quantity may have been a good rough measure of a research library when I started my career – but not anymore.  Counting volumes, or staff, or the number libraries on campus is no way to measure the success of a university or its library system.  For most academic disciplines, the size of the local print collection is absurdly irrelevant to the success of faculty or students.

We can take pride in our great collections – the Auburn community will continue to enjoy the benefit of them for generations to come.  But, today, most of the world’s knowledge and scholarship is created in digital text, images, and multimedia.  Books and monographs are still hugely important to scholarship, but they, too, must be managed and organized in ways that fit with a 21^st century vision of libraries and the university.  We have no choice.  All universities are facings difficult decisions about how best to use their limited resources.  Libraries must adapt to the changing university environment or they will no longer be supported.

The leadership of the University of Wisconsin Libraries has developed a set of principles that they call “Looking Forward.”  I think they are useful for us as we toward the next few years. 

1. Maintain excellence.  We will maintain our commitment to excellence in all that we do.  We will not begin with an assumption that budget cuts necessarily require reductions in library hours, services to users, or access to information.  Indeed, the pressure of budget reductions may allow the library to become more efficient and focused in the way it does its business while improving service to students.
2. Become smaller.  We may become somewhat smaller in staff size and programs.  We can do this by taking a fresh look at how we deliver services, process collections, and manage technology.  The truth is that we can always rethink how we support university teaching and research.
3. Do Cool Stuff.  Nothing will protect the library’s future more than a deserved reputation for creative collaboration with library users.  We have survey feedback from students who say that “the Libraries rock” – primarily because we have worked with them to design services and work spaces that enable them to do their academic work better.  Faculty members appreciate the Libraries’ role in helping them develop new approaches to research and teaching.  This is no time for “back to basics” – the Libraries must innovate or die.
4. Hire for the future.  Our recent experience has shown that we are still able to recruit dazzlingly talented new staff members who can hold their own with the outstanding and dedicated staff of this library.  We must never be afraid to hire people who are more talented than we are.  We need a diversity of talent with the agility and adaptability to excel in a rapidly changing information environment.
5. Strengthen our relationships with friends.  Across the county the best collections were given to libraries – not bought.  Our most innovative services were created in partnership with friends and library users who suggested new ideas for improving the Libraries.  The Libraries are most supported and successful when it is trusted that we will use all of its assets wisely and effectively for the benefit of students and scholars. 

I doubt these are new ideas for Wisconsin.  I know they aren’t for us.  The Auburn University Libraries already follows these principles.  Combined with your energy, hard work and dedication, they account for our success and accomplishments.  I’m grateful to Ken Frazier for permission to use his article “How to Be a Great Library in Hard Times” in The University of Wisconsin-Madison Friends of the Libraries Magazine.  It’s a good reminder for me that even in tough times, we can stay focused on our mission and on a future that is bright and full of promise for ourselves as library workers and for our organization as a critical part of the University.

• There is a disparity between Auburn University’s recurring expenses and recurring revenues. Auburn must act decisively to bring the disparity into balance.
• At the state level, specific budget parameters beyond this year (FY 2009) remain largely unknown, so it is prudent that Auburn plan for a variety of conditions.
• Between 2006 and 2008, Auburn received significant increases in State appropriations during a time of strong economic growth. As a result, budgeted salaries and benefits grew by almost $100 million, investments were made in new programs and services, and Auburn increased enrollment to record highs.
• As the economy began to slow, the level of support Auburn receives from the State declined. The State appropriation was cut by almost $69 million from fiscal year 2008 to 2009, the most significant reduction in Auburn’s history.
• For year one, the $69 million shortfall was covered primarily from adjustments at the central level, allowing most university units to operate close to 2008 levels. Strong budget oversight and conservative fiscal policies through the years helped prevent such measures as employee furloughs and hiring freezes.
• However, Auburn is now facing further projected reductions in State appropriations and increases in some mandatory costs for fiscal year 2010. To balance expenses and revenue, Auburn will phase in reductions over two years.
• All areas of campus will experience budget reductions, and the way those reductions are achieved may vary by unit because of the decentralized nature of budgeting decisions. At minimum, expenses will be cut by slowing the pace of hiring, reprioritizing capital expenditures, improving the way we pay for goods, services and travel, and reviewing ways to decrease healthcare expenses.
• Instructional areas of campus will receive the least reductions to protect students’ classroom experience and maintain academic quality.
• Auburn is working to avoid university-wide layoffs, salary reductions and furloughs and position the institution in a positive way when the economy rebounds.

Over break I had the opportunity to catch up on the many newsletters we receive from libraries all over the country. I am always impressed and energized by the work being done by our ARL colleagues. The University of Iowa Libraries newsletter was a strong reminder both of how important libraries are to the academic community and also of the dedication of library staff. On Friday, June 13, they learned that the river would flood the Art and Music libraries so while continuing to keep their doors open and provide “business as usual” at the Main Library, the entire community was mobilized to save the collection. Passing books from hand to hand, fraternity members, football players, faculty, and library staff worked side by side to save thousands of books. It is an awe inspiring story and a recognition of the value placed on libraries by the community. I hope we never have an opportunity like Iowa’s opportunity to test my belief but I know Auburn University Libraries is valued by our community and I’m even more certain that we are dedicated to our mission and to the goals of the University.

I have to admit I needed some good news. Some days it seems that the news is full of grim news. The economy of our country and many others is in distress and it is clear that Alabama has been severely impacted by these events. With revenues down, there has already been proration and more cuts to education are expected in the coming months. At a recent meeting with the deans, Vice President Large told the deans that we should expect the reduction of 2% he warned us to prepare last year. We took his advice and have planned for that reduction. However, he went further and cautioned us to prepare for an even larger give back in case the economy doesn’t improve and the budget allocation to Auburn continues to shrink.

Even in the face of the challenge of continuing to do our important work with reduced resources, many of you have told me how glad you are to have a job and that we have not had to face some of the budget measures employed by other universities. Our colleagues at Clemson had to take an unpaid furlough right before the holidays and others have faced layoffs. So far, Auburn administrators have assured the deans that such measures are not in our immediate future. However, we are going to have to be even more careful with the money we receive and we may face some further cuts in our budgets. Like many of you, I’m glad to have a job in this economy and in spite of the news, I’m looking forward to the coming year.

I’ve made my personal resolutions and I have a list of goals for the Libraries. I hope you had a good break and are ready to tackle this year’s challenges and opportunities.

I’d like to use my column to answer some questions and share some information.

What is going on in RBD Library? The short answer is: a lot. There is always a lot going in the Libraries! In addition to our usual busy days and nights serving the students and faculty, we’ve been trying to get ready for the hoped-for new carpet in the public areas on the first and second floor.

New carpet! Why new carpet? Most of the carpet in the building as not been replaced since the addition opened in 1991 and a quick glance around the building indicates that it has been thoroughly used. With two million visitors a year, the carpet is showing signs, serious signs, of heavy use.

What is it going to look like? Marcia Boosinger has worked closely with the Student Advisory Council, a designer and consulted many of you to select a new color scheme. The new paint colors and now the new carpet will reflect the new color scheme. The carpet is mostly earth tones with a little bit of blue. We’ll have samples at the holiday party for everyone to see.

How can we afford new carpet when everyone can see in the newspaper that money is tight this year? The University has a special fund for maintaining the buildings on campus. There is never enough money in the fund to maintain all that requires attention on campus. It has taken a long time for the Libraries to rise to the top of the list but this year is our turn.

What about my office? This round of funding is for public spaces. We’ll have to work to find funding to carpet, paint and make improvements in our office areas. For right now, that’s in the future.

What about all the other improvements:

The Newspaper Room? Isn’t it getting new carpet and new furniture? How can we afford that? As you know, the Newspaper Room also serves as the Alabama Newspaper Hall of Honor. We presented a request to the sponsors of the award, the Alabama Press Association, to help us improve the appearance of the room for their future meetings and all our users. We were honored to receive the largest gift they have ever given outside their organization and have worked closely with them to plan for the improvements in the room.

The new Lobby Lab and the improvements in the other second floor class room? Each year, every dean is allowed to make a request to the General Classroom Fund to improve instructional spaces. We were lucky enough to get funded two years in a row. The fact that the rooms are multi-use and available to students around the clock was a big factor in receiving the funding.

The Graduate Student Individual Study Room on the third floor? The Graduate Student Council worked with Marcia Boosinger to request funding for new furnishings from the Concessions Board.

What’s going to happen next? The OIT Help Desk is going to move to the third floor, opening the space it currently occupies for the Service Desk to become more visible. The juvenile books will move to the third floor to improve proximity with the education collections and open space on the second floor for learning commons concepts to be incorporated in the areas near the Reference Desk. The EBSCO company gave us some money to purchase some furniture and make these changes.

What will happen in the next month? We are going to be very busy! We have many books to move. Glenn Anderson and JP Pendleton have already asked for your help in moving books to get ready for the new carpet.

We have to plan to serve our users with the least possible interruption. We will have to close RBD over the holidays so there will be lots of work to plan and get ready to serve our users out of LADC and the Vet Med Library this holiday period.

I hope you are as pleased as I am that we have received funding from the University and our generous donors to make these improvements. I know we all hope that we’ll be able to continuously make the Libraries more attractive and responsive to our users’ changing needs. This progress will definitely be something we can celebrate at our end-of-the-year holiday party.

Holiday Party? Did you say holiday party? Yes, mark your calendar for lunchtime on December 16 when we’ll gather to celebrate the end of a very productive year, collect donated toys for the Toys for Tots program and look forward to another exciting year in the Auburn University Libraries.

Auburn’s plan outlines these strategic priorities:

1. Elevate undergraduate education and enrich the undergraduate experience.
2. Build the foundation for a stronger and larger funded research enterprise.
3. Expand the impact of the University’s extension and outreach activities, better serving our communities and the state.
4. Redouble efforts to support, develop and strengthen our people.
5. Commit to continuous improvement in strengthening our management approaches and increasing our efficiency
6. Continue to dramatically expand the endowment, annual fund, and gifts to the University to support academic excellence and increase scholarships.

The next step for the University is to further refine and develop a list of 34 action steps for the coming year. Each of them will be assigned to someone and in many cases committees and task forces will be formed.

Our plan is similar in structure and seems to support the University’s priorities. The “Strategic Directions” in the Libraries’ plan include:

• Develop, implement, and maintain user-driven services that are responsive, highly collaborative, and broad-based to meet diverse user needs.
• Build and maintain a robust technological infrastructure that is responsive to the changing needs of the Libraries’ users and employees and that will support increased flexibility in the delivery of resources.
• Build and sustain collections that support the university mission and provide convenient, seamless access to information resources in optimal formats.
• Redesign the Libraries’ space to provide a dynamic, comfortable learning environment that is conducive to productivity, yet flexible enough to meet the varied needs of our staff and users.
• Recruit and retain well-trained, diverse and talented staff who are dedicated to the mission of Auburn University and Auburn University Libraries and to the service of the Libraries’ users.

As I’ve met with librarians and staff over the past few months, I’ve asked if they could see themselves in our plan. Is it a framework you can use to guide your contributions to the Libraries and the University. I hope over the coming months it will be possible to refer to the plan as each of you prepares your annual summary of accomplishments and outlines your goals for the coming year in the evaluation process. Only through use will we know if our plan is a good guide to building the future of our Libraries.