Library of the Future
The Gordon Library is at an important crossroads.
The demands placed on its resources are tremendous. Traffic and usage continue to grow at record pace. The rise of digital media offers important new products and services, particularly in research and the sciences, but also places undue pressure on library budgets to just stay current. Facilities are aging and unable to meet well the enormous pressure technologically-savvy users bring every day.
In response to these challenges, Gordon Library and the Library Vision Task Force is actively planning The Library of the Future, with...
... THE RESOURCES you need to succeed
... THE SPACE that inspires creativity
... THE EXPERT STAFF to help guide your research
... THE GORDON LIBRARY. Creating the Library of the Future... Today
News
RSS Feed- Rethinking Library Resources: Sustainable Print Collections in a Digital Age As part of Gordon Library’s future vision, we have invited Rick Lugg of Sustainable Collections Services, LLC, to speak to interested members of the WPI community, and to prepare an analysis of Gordon Library’s print collection. Although library shelves are increasingly full, and more books are being published than ever, surprisingly few books are being [...] >
- Dr. Lisa Spiro to speak on the future of academic libraries What might the future hold for academic libraries and how might we prepare? >
Library of the Future Vision Task Force
To explore these challenges and make recommendations to the WPI Administration, the Library Vision Task Force was created under the direction of the Provost. The members are:
- Tracey Leger-Hornby, Dean of Library Services, Gordon Library
- John Arnold, WPI Alumnus
- Debbie Bockus, Assistant Director for Access Services, Gordon Library
- Lora Brueck, Assistant Director for Collections Management, Gordon Library
- Jessica Colati, Digital Initiatives Librarian, Gordon Library
- Joan Dickert, Administrative Assistant, Gordon Library
- Christine Drew, Associate Director for Research and Instruction, Gordon Library
- Mike Elmes, Professor, School of Business
- Joe Farbrook, Assistant Professor, Humanities and Arts
- Arne Gericke, Department Head and Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Alyssa Graham, Undergraduate Student, Class of 2014
- Mary Beth Harrity, Director, Academic Technology Center
- Art Heinricher, Dean of Undergraduate Studies
- Audrey Klein-Leach, Executive Director, Planned Giving
- Amy Morton, Executive Director, Marketing and Communications
- Roberto Pietroforte, Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Don Richardson, Associate Director for Technology and E-Resource Management
- Tressa Santillo, Access Services Coordinator, Gordon Library
- Bill Spratt, Director, Facilities Operations
- Paul Varadian, WPI Alumnus
- Kristin Wobbe, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies
- Jim Wolken, WPI Journal Editor and Executive Writer
Goals, Objectives, and Outcomes
- Engage WPI community in defining future vision
- Identify and define collections, services, and space goals
- Work with architects and facilities to strategize ways forward to meet identified goals
- Share findings and recommendations with the WPI Administration and community
Actions and Tasks
- Taskforce formed Summer 2012
- Information-gathering and resource-gathering from nationally recognized library and information thought leaders
- Information-gathering among the WPI community, including
- Library self-assessment of needs
- Student input via surveys
- Faculty input from strategic visioning session and focus groups
- Staff input from strategic visioning session and focus groups
- Investigate space needs with architects and WPI Facilities
- Work with consultants to formally assess collection usage
