Gelman Library System 2006-2007 Annual Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In Fiscal Year 2007, the Gelman Library System continued its efforts to balance user
demands for broader, more sophisticated technology services, stronger collections, and
improved facilities with the challenge of securing funding to meet those demands.
Underpinning this balancing act is GLS’s obligation to ensure that all library employees
have the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to sustain Academic Excellence and
that internal processes and workflows support it in the future. Unsurprisingly, GLS’s achievements during FY 2007 fall into four major areas of
library operations: (1) strengthening collections to support the eight new signature
programs of Academic Excellence, (2) developing new models of service and facilities
for faculty and students, (3) redesigning internal processes to streamline workflows and
improve the delivery of service, and (4) acquiring the funding to continuously maintain
further growth and improvement in the first three areas.
Stronger Collections
GLS raised the quality and strength of several collections that support signature
programs associated with global development and international relations. Factors contributing to this achievement
include a gift of $100,000 from the government of Taiwan to staff and operate the
Taiwan Resource Center; a $90,713 grant to support the China Documentation Center;
and the acquisition of two major collections of broad and historical significance: the
PNC/Riggs Bank Archive and the Jack Anderson Papers. To further support selective
academic excellence, the Library System has put into place
a strategy for officially opening in July 2007, the GLS Global Resource Center (GRC), a
unique collection of multi-disciplinary resources that focus on and promote
interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty. The GRC will contribute to building GW’s
unique institutional identity and sustaining current programs of academic excellence.
New Models of Service and Facilities
To address the current and growing student and faculty need for additional research
and study space, the Gelman Library System renovated
several major sectors of the first, third, and sixth floors of its Foggy Bottom facility. The
University’s investments in capital projects through matching funds made it possible for
GLS to construct two new state-of-the-art electronic classrooms; open three additional
group study rooms; increase shelf space by more than 2,000 square feet; and expand
public seating in reference and periodicals.
Improved Processes and Workflows
In FY 2007, GLS successfully initiated a major assessment and reorganization of
mission critical internal processes and workflow. A contributing factor in that success
has been our evolving relationship with GW’s new Chief Human Resources Officer, Val
Berry. A fresh HR philosophy and an updated approach to implementing GW personnel
policies and procedures have given GLS the impetus it needed to move forward quickly
with a review of dozens of new and existing position descriptions and the realignment of
several library departments. These efforts have resulted in higher standards of
operations and service delivery throughout the organization.
New Funding
As a new strategy for revenue generation for the library, GLS
established a partnership with the George Washington Alumni Association, making
possible a long-desired goal of providing remote access to three significant databases
free of charge to GW alumni. The GWAA provided one-half of the funding for this pilot
program. To sustain future academic excellence initiatives, the GLS Advancement
Office instituted a number of library-specific fund-raising initiatives
and developed a marketing strategy that brought in gifts and pledges totaling
$6,517,006.42 for fiscal year 2007, including a spontaneous contribution by one donor
of $107,000 to build two assistive technology group study rooms for visually-impaired
readers. These achievements are the direct result of the creative energy and fundraising
style of the new Director of Library Advancement, Susan Hyatt, and her staff.
Copies of the full are available for download in Word or PDF formats.
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