Wollongong Library Research Articles

A vision for change leadership: Trust, transparency and accountability at University of Wollongong Library

At the University of Wollongong (UOW) Library, we created a vision for digital transformation through the Future-Ready Library Strategy (University of Wollongong Library, 2018). This was a conscious commitment to becoming a ‘digital-first’ library and with a strategic and disruption-ready mindset already in place at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to apply and accelerate many of our planned initiatives. At the start of the crisis, the library leadership team adopted a business continuity approach to decision making, inclusive of representatives of critical service areas for regular and frequent discussion and action. This approach enabled the sustained delivery of core and critical resources and services while remaining aligned to the vision (University of Wollongong, n.d.). This case study examines the strategies and approaches taken at UOW Library over the past five years and outlines our successes and challenges through change leadership that we believe goes beyond change management and to the heart of our people centred approach to leading in the library.

University of Wollongong Library: Embedding Learning and Development as Part of Our Organisational DNA

At University of Wollongong (UOW) Library we have a long standing and authentic commitment to supporting professional development. A regular series of professional development, learning and sharing sessions are an established part of our staff culture and part of our organizational DNA. Our development activities have often been a vehicle for facilitating organic learning as evidenced by the Digital Dexterity Program for Library Staff. This paper discusses the history and benefits of this program, and its continued evolution toward developing future ready Library staff.

What role for libraries in learning analytics?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the development of an institution wide approach to learning analytics at the University of Wollongong (UOW) and the inclusion of library data drawn from the Library Cube. Design/methodology/approach – The Student Support and Education Analytics team at UOW is tasked with creating policy, frameworks and infrastructure for the systematic capture, mapping and analysis of data from the across the university. The initial data set includes: log file data from Moodle sites, Library Cube, student administration data, tutorials and student support service usage data. Using the learning analytics data warehouse UOW is developing new models for analysis and visualisation with a focus on the provision of near real-time data to academic staff and students to optimise learning opportunities. Findings – The distinct advantage of the learning analytics model is that the selected data sets are updated weekly, enabling near real-time monitoring and intervention where required. Inclusion of library data with the other often disparate data sets from across the university has enabled development of a comprehensive platform for learning analytics. Future work will include the development of predictive models using the rapidly growing learning analytics data warehouse. Practical implications – Data warehousing infrastructure, the systematic capture and exporting of relevant library data sets are requisite for the consideration of library data in learning analytics. Originality/value – What was not anticipated five years ago when the Value Cube was first realised, was the development of learning analytic services at UOW. The Cube afforded University of Wollongong Library considerable advantage: the framework for data harvesting and analysis was established, ready for inclusion within learning analytics data sets and subsequent reporting to faculty.

Developing responsive Resource Sharing services at an Australian regional university: University of Wollongong Library

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an update of Resource Sharing services at the University of Wollongong (UOW) Library two years after a complete review was undertaken to provide a financially viable service relevant to the research support needs of University clients. This paper provides an update of the service two years on. Design/methodology/approach – The UOW Library has been attentive to global changes in the resource sharing industry and document supply services. Unmediated resource sharing options are growing and assuming an increasing portion of requests received from clients. UOW’s involvement in new services has focused attention on the value of its collection, particularly the last national copy of a publication. By ensuring these unique titles remain in the collection indefinitely, they can be shared with other libraries through resource sharing arrangements. Ensuring staff workplace health and safety during the ongoing transformation in the delivery of services is an important element in the continued viability of resource sharing at UOW. Findings – The 2011-2013 review of UOW Library Resource Sharing services has resulted in a viable and relevant service that is adaptable to the changing needs of UOW clients and institutional directions into the near future. Unmediated requesting continues to assume a greater share of the requesting workload, though staff expertise is equally important in supporting this service. A future challenge for the UOW Library is the rising cost of postage for the sharing of loans across institutions. Originality/value – This case study demonstrates how an academic library can transform its resource sharing service for ongoing relevance and cost-effectiveness. Taking a holistic view of the service, in terms of people, costs and services, is important to ensure the overall viability of the service.

Transforming Resource Sharing Services at an Australian Academic Library: The Case of the University of Wollongong

In 2011 the University of Wollongong Library undertook a significant review of its Resource Sharing services. This was prompted by constraints in the systems supporting this service, changes to the Library's key suppliers, Infotrieve Australia and the British Library Document Supply Service, and the need to deliver effective library services within a defined physical and budgetary environment.As a result of the review, the existing Millennium Interlibrary Loan and Ariel software hosting the service were replaced by the Relais ILL system. The most cost-effective and relevant methods for supporting the research needs of the university were achieved through subscriptions with networks characterized by strong unmediated requesting functionalities, including ArticleReach, BONUS+, and RapidILL. To expand the Library's access to international collections, a subscription to OCLC WorldCat Resource Sharing was begun.UOW Library now processes approximately 50% more requests, 76% of which are now processed to some degree without library staff mediation.

Embed and engage! Delivering a digitisation program at the University of Wollongong Library

The digital environment is growing rapidly, through ubiquitous and increasingly powerful personal computing devices, and the demand for information to be accessible. Libraries and archives, as traditional providers and storehouses of content, are adapting to this changing environment by adopting new and innovative digital content delivery mechanisms to unmask their special collections. In 2012, the University of Wollongong Library implemented a comprehensive digitisation program for its unique archival and research collections. Film, photographs, documents, artworks and audio are being made available online through several platforms and delivery tools in combination, complementing the increasingly important role played by the library in supporting research, education, and community engagement. The implementation of a Digital Collections Portal has channelled Australian and international audiences to the library's digital content. Open access to collections is a key library goal, with success measured in part by the amount of material made available and the number of times it is downloaded. With a focus on building collections, prominent issues such as format shifting, metadata production, and methods of open communication have been resolved as the library develops expertise and knowledge in managing an embedded digitisation programme.

Measuring the Value of Library Resources and Student Academic Performance through Relational Datasets

Objective – This article describes a project undertaken by the University of Wollongong Library (UWL) to identify whether a correlation exists between usage of library resources and academic performance.
 
 Methods – A multidimensional approach to systems design was implemented, requiring collaboration between among the library, university administration, Performance Indicator Project team (PIP), and information technology services. The project centers on the integration and interrogation of a series of discrete datasets containing student performance, attrition, demographic, borrowing, and electronic resources usage data. PIP built a cube for the library that links usage of library resources to student demographic data and academic performance (the “Library Cube”). Other cubes will be linked later. 
 
 Results – While initial reports are rudimentary and do not yet incorporate data on e-resource usage, results are favourable in demonstrating the value of using the library information resources in coursework. Based on the data generated to date, students who borrow library resources do outperform students who do not. Early trend data shows up to a 12-point difference in grades.
 
 Conclusion – The Library Cube signals a new milestone in the UWL’s quality assessment journey. Well-established measures of effectiveness and efficiency will be further complemented by measures of impact and value, allowing the library to step even closer to the goal of having effective and valued partnerships with the university community to realize teaching, learning, research, and internalization goals.

A new perspective on client service: From on-the-job to structured competencybased training. The University of Wollongong Library experience, a descriptive case study

AbstractSkilled and knowledgeable staff equipped to respond to change is a key learning and growth goal of the University of Wollongong Library. But how do front line staff develop and maintain their client-centred service skills and behaviours? How do they manage the myriad of diverse needs and expectations from a constantly changing student population, within a volatile technological environment? By challenging established approaches to service delivery training, it was possible to demonstrate a need to be more adaptable and responsive. We recognized that earlier approaches such as on-the-job training were no longer adequate. In 2009 the University of Wollongong Library introduced competency-based training. This represented a new approach to staff training and an opportunity for renewal. Numerous factors contributed to this decision, with the overarching goal being to keep our staff on the cutting edge of service delivery. A systematic approach was used that involved researching competency-based trainin...

Albert Wendt: Bibliography

\^7endt is clearly a leading figure in literary creativity and cultural crit icism in the Pacific region. He is only beginning, however, to get the kind of international attention that equivalent figures from other regions have received. Apart from an honorary doctorate from the University of Bour gogne, recognition of his work has been largely confined to occasional journal articles and general studies of Pacific literatures. There is now, however, a PhD devoted solely to his work and quite a large body of crit ical material. In order to encourage future studies of this important and complex writer, this listing is offered as the most complete reference guide to date. It is not entirely complete, since some details from clippings have defied attempts at verification, but it is comprehensive, and we trust, use ful to others. This work was originally created by Paul Sharrad, and updated by Karen Peacock in January 2003. Readers finding extra infor mation are invited to contact the principal compiler so that an updated list can be established on the Internet: Paul Sharrad, School of English Liter atures, Philosophy, and Language, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong nsw 2522, Australia; fax +61-2-214471; email . Thanks for help with bibliographic searches go to Michelle Keown; Ray Riach and the staff of the New Zealand/Pacific Collection at the Univer sity of Waikato; staff of the New Zealand & Pacific Collection, University of Auckland Library; Mrs Mereani Vakasisikala of the Pacific Collection at the University of the South Pacific (usp) Library; Robin Griffin, archi vist at the Auckland College of Education; staff of the University of Wol longong Library; and the staff of Pacific Collection, Hamilton Library, University of Hawai'i, Manoa (uhm); and to Jan Rensel, editor at the

Quality assessment—combating complacency

In 1996, the University of Wollongong Library secured an Achievement in Business Excellence Award from the Australian Quality Council. The Award recognised progress in the incorporation of Total Quality Management principles into all library activities. Quality management was formally adopted by the library in 1994 as a management framework compatible with established values and previous change programs. Despite considerable goal accomplishment in recent years, new strategies were needed to continue to build on strengths, and to assimilate continuous review and improvement as a means of managing future change. The Australian Quality Council methodology was selected as a recognised external indicator of achievement which would provide valid bench-marking with organisations other than libraries. The process is rigorous and the commitment of staff at all levels is essential for success.

Academic Library Seating: A Survey of Usage, with Implications for Space Utilisation

ABSTRACTBetween June and October 1996 the University of Wollongong Library conducted a survey of patron seating usage with the aims of quantifying such use; and identifying areas where seats could be removed to accommodate the growth of the collection. The survey indicated that maximum usage of the 648 seats available for study was 66%. This supported a conservative reduction of seating numbers by 12%, resulting in minimal impact on patrons. The removal of seats enabled the installation of additional shelving and a compactus. The survey findings have assisted in accommodating collection expansion for a further five-year period.

Using Statistics for Database Management in an Academic Library

ABSTRACTThe collection of statistical data about the usage of databases by library patrons is an important task for librarians. It is necessary for a variety of reasons, including the provision of appropriate access points, the minimisation of costs associated with database licences and the diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses in the training programs provided for the patrons of the library. The collection of these statistics is cumbersome, unless it can be automated as part of the process of accessing the databases. This paper presents a critical appraisal of the development, implementation and evaluation of an automated statistics gathering system at the University of Wollongong Library for the CD-ROM database collection. The authors describe the background to the study and explain the ways in which the use of statistical data can improve the day-to-day management of CD-ROM and database facilities, collection development of CD-ROM databases, and the influence on training and directions given to users i...

Profile of patrons and their use of CD-ROM databases in an academic library

This paper presents a preliminary profile of the users of CD-ROM databases at the University of Wollongong Library, based on the library's statistics gathering system which gathers data about a number of patron characteristics when they log on to carry out searches. Information gathered includes patrons’ place of origin, the faculty they belong to, their type of enrolment, and their reason for using the database. Examples of the reports produced by the system are included, together with an exploration of some observed trends. In addition, some guidelines are given for both setting up and interpreting the data produced by the system.