Establishing Shared Purpose: Developing Unit Specific Mission, Vision, and Values in an Academic Library

Shelly Hypes,Ryan Harris,Stephanie Otis

doi:10.5860/llm.v34i2.7401

Abstract

In a large, public university library, the leadership team for Public Services wanted to provide a solid foundation for communication, collaboration, and shared decision making. In pursuit of that goal, the two groups within Public Services undertook to develop mission, vision, and values statements to highlight their unique purpose and provide direction for their work. Each group developed a unique and self-directed process of brainstorming and consensus building workshops and meetings; respecting and honoring the differences between the groups was an essential step in establishing shared values and successful cross-unit communication. These smaller group processes will later come to inform the work and collaborations of the unit as a whole and have already led to productive conversations and improvements in group communication. Reflecting on the process and products has allowed the unit as a whole to find and focus on commonalities in their values and work. This experiential report will provide definitions and guiding questions to serve as models for those working in academic libraries that wish to guide the development of these defining statements within their own particular context.

Highlights

The Public Services unit in an academic library is often comprised of diverse professionals doing complex, user-focused work in a rapidly changing environment
The Director of Access Services and the Head of Research & Instructional Services (RIS) were charged with the task of having their teams develop mission, values, and vision statements, not for the products alone, but using the process to strengthen collaboration and camaraderie within each area and across Public Services
The predominant elements of the newly written mission statement for Access Services at Atkins were clearly articulated in the Access Services Interest Group (ASIG) definition

Summary

Introduction

The Public Services unit in an academic library is often comprised of diverse professionals doing complex, user-focused work in a rapidly changing environment. The Director of Access Services and the Head of RIS were charged with the task of having their teams develop mission, values, and vision statements, not for the products alone, but using the process to strengthen collaboration and camaraderie within each area and across Public Services. Throughout this process, the Public Services leadership team wished for a concise formula to provide quick definitions and guide the creation of mission, vision, and values It is the hope of the authors that this experiential report will provide definitions and guiding questions to inform colleagues working in academic libraries that wish to lead the development of these defining statements within their own contexts

Access Services

Research and Instructional Services

Reflection and Outcomes