Operating and Project Plan Summary FY 2011-12

An ongoing legislative focus on higher education library automation continues to significantly impact CCLA's operations and services. Working toward the goal of expanding access to resources in the most cost-effective way possible, the 2011 Florida Legislature has tasked the Chancellors of the State University System and the Florida College System with development of a plan to establish a joint library organization that addresses the needs of academic libraries in both systems, replacing both CCLA and Florida Center for Library Automation (FCLA).

The plan will be submitted to the Executive Office of the Governor and the Legislature by January 1, 2012, and will include the following components:

• Proposed governance and reporting structure for the joint library organization.
• Recommended staffing for the joint library organization, including roles and responsibilities.
• Recommended process and schedule for the acquisition of a next-generation library management system, discovery tool, and associated products to be provided by the joint library organization.
• Proposed schedule for the consolidation or decommissioning of any current CCLA/FCLA computing and data center resources no longer required by the new organization.
• Proposed operational budget of the joint library organization that is more cost-effective than separately funding CCLA and FCLA.
• Proposed substantive and fiscal policy changes needed to implement the joint library organization.
• Recommended timeline and implementation strategies for establishment of the new organization.

This legislation has introduced uncertainty and another level of complexity to CCLA's annual planning and resource allocation processes at a time when resources are already limited in a number of areas. The goals of our planning efforts this year had to include the added dimension of assessing the value provided to the anticipated new organization by any given project or effort.

To assist them with the preparation of their plan for a new joint library organization, the Chancellors will draw on the support of the Vice Chancellors of both systems; the Task Force on the Future of Academic Libraries in Florida; representatives from Florida's 39 publicly funded institutions of higher education; independent consultants; and staff from CCLA and FCLA.

Clearly, this legislation and the associated planning efforts will shape the use of CCLA's resources to a large extent for the coming year. CCLA anticipates working closely with the Task Force on the Future of Academic Libraries and other participants to support the planning process, provide information as needed, and help represent the needs of the Florida College System as the plan for the new organization is developed. Once the Chancellors finalize the plan, CCLA's focus will shift to planning for the transition of services to the new organization, working to ensure that FCS institutions experience as little disruption in services as possible throughout the process.

Throughout these planning and transition efforts, CCLA's priority will continue to be providing high-quality service to LINCC libraries through the maintenance of existing products and services and completion of work on major projects started in 2010-11. Development of new products and services will be impacted by the upcoming transition and anticipated budget reductions, with all proposed activity evaluated on a case-by-case basis for long-term practicality.

Guiding all activities is our mission: to provide service and leadership in automated library and information resources to enhance the educational experience at Florida's colleges. This mission is accomplished by providing access to shared information resources; ensuring effective use of technology through training, support, and consultation; researching and implementing suitable new technologies; and providing library advocacy for issues of concern to college libraries.

LINCCWeb

A large portion of our available resources will be directed toward the continued maintenance of LINCCWeb and its underlying resources. Activation of the updated LINCCWeb user interface based on Primo version 3 and Primo Central at remaining colleges will be a key activity during the coming year. Currently, more than half of Florida's 28 colleges have activated the new interface for their users. Entering FY 2011-12, we project that a total of 23 colleges (over 88 percent of the Florida College System's FTE) will be using the new interface.

We will continue to refine LINCCWeb based on input from our advisory process, direct feedback from the broader LINCCWeb user community, user testing, and through student and faculty focus groups. As more information becomes available regarding discovery tool selection for the new joint library organization, we will be able to more effectively plan for potential enhancements.

Other key LINCCWeb-related activities planned for 2011-12 include examination of the impact of LINCC library use on student success; ongoing enhancement of LINCCWeb's points of access in the areas of mobile devices, social networking sites, and local course management systems; and continued implementation of the LINCCWeb single sign-on functionality within local course management systems for interested colleges.

eResources

Due to the CCLA Advisory Board's prudent management of LINCCWeb's statewide eResource portfolio, CCLA's anticipated 3 percent budget reduction will have minimal impact on the collection. Funding should be sufficient to retain all current subscription offerings if the Advisory Board chooses to do so. We will continue to work with the CCLA Advisory Board to ensure that available statewide funds are used to obtain the eResources that best meet the information needs of students at all colleges. As budget reductions at the local institutional level are also likely, we will continue to offer our eResource group licensing service to help colleges obtain maximum cost savings on eResources that meet the needs of local students and programs.

We will also continue to collaborate with FCLA and Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF) on the cooperative discussion and shared pricing of eResources, building on the success of last year's joint licensing efforts. A full joint negotiation process is planned for the coming year in which the colleges will offer participation in their statewide licenses to the universities, and the universities will in turn offer the colleges participation in their statewide licenses. The ICUF schools will also be included in the discussion. That process will move forward once the impact of budget reductions on current core eResources and local institutional library budgets is finalized and analyzed.

Library Management System (LMS)

CCLA will continue to maintain current levels of service for LINCC's Library Management System, while evaluating potential enhancements for practicality as plans for the new joint library organization emerge. We will continue to offer full LMS support, including product documentation and statistical reports to meet the needs of college libraries. Enhancement of interlibrary loan services between the college and university systems is planned as a key LMS-related activity for the coming year.

While the process for the selection of a library management system to be used by both the college and university systems has not yet been established, CCLA will continue to monitor the technological landscape to ensure that LINCC libraries are well positioned for the future.

User Education and Consultation

We will continue to offer comprehensive training and consultation services to help Florida college libraries optimize their use of the LINCC system. Library Services Consultants will maintain close contact with college libraries throughout the year, continually working to address the unique needs of each institution. We will also continue to provide technical services evaluations to help interested institutions identify potential workflow efficiencies.

CCLA will maintain its library staff education and training program, LINCCLearn, to ensure that college library staff have the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver LINCC services to their students. While online training remains the most convenient, cost-effective training method in the current budget climate, CCLA will also continue to offer instructor-led, onsite training wherever the demand is warranted.

We will continue to provide opportunities for LINCC library staff to collaborate and share information about library trends, new technologies, and other LINCC-related issues through both virtual and face-to-face means, including discussion lists, regional user meetings, and the Talking Tech webcast series.

Communications

CCLA will continue to communicate with stakeholders in a timely and effective manner in 2011-12, paying close attention to the development of the plan for a new joint library organization and its projected impact on Florida College System libraries. We will continue to gather input on the development of CCLA/LINCC services through the user-centered design process, the advisory process, webcasts, service call analysis, surveys, discussion list topics, site visits, and the annual LINCC User Meetings. CCLA will also proactively monitor environmental and marketplace changes in the educational, library, and technology worlds, and communicate about how these changes will impact the LINCC community.

LINCC Maintenance, Operations, and Support

LINCC and CCLA operations and technology infrastructure will be kept current, secure, and optimized for users. We will maintain and support our central computing facility, LINCC software, databases, and various web sites at their current levels, while identifying opportunities to enhance these services as resources permit. We will also continue to offer essential support services, including the CCLA Service Desk; library consultation services; library staff training; user resources and tools; and timely, accurate communication with users, funding sources, and the general library community.

CCLA's Planning Process

Typically, CCLA uses input from its advisory process, surveys, and contacts with users to shape its annual plan. As noted above, our planning process this year has been complicated and restricted due to legislative activity.

Other sources providing input to CCLA's annual plan include the CCLA Advisory Board, its Executive Committee, and its standing committees. These groups participate in a structured advisory process for LINCC implementation, reflecting the interests of college libraries through annual goals, objectives, and ongoing counsel. CCLA staff gain insight into library needs and priorities through ongoing service-related contacts. The Department of Education's Division of Florida Colleges and the Florida College Council of Presidents provide direction in areas related to resource management, as well as administrative and governance issues. CCLA's collaborative relationships within the Florida library community have resulted in significant insights and opportunities. CCLA staff provide input on user needs, workplaces, resources, and information marketplace issues.

The Products and Services User Satisfaction survey administered by the Advisory Board helped to guide CCLA in creating the annual plan. As always, our core mission, along with user input, has been an important part of developing areas of focus for the coming year's activities.

Strategic Priorities

Preparation for the transition to a new joint library organization necessitates a flexible organizational environment that will leave both LINCC libraries and CCLA staff well positioned for the significant changes and opportunities that lie ahead. Our plans for the upcoming year reflect that focus. CCLA's planning for the continued maintenance of established services during 2011-12 has been guided by the following strategic priorities:

LINCC Services and Products

• Provide LINCC information resources that keep pace with user needs.
• Ensure that LINCC information resources are discoverable and deliverable at the point of user need as an integral component of the educational process.
• As resources permit, enhance CCLA/LINCC services and products with state-of-the-art features and functionality to increase user satisfaction.

CCLA's Role and Responsibilities

• Continue to fulfill CCLA's statewide leadership role as set forth in the organizational mission statement.
• Actively explore and respond to the evolving information and technology marketplaces in support of innovative learning environments.
• Build mutually beneficial partnerships on behalf of CCLA's user communities.
• Support the efforts of the Chancellors, the Task Force on the Future of Academic Libraries in Florida, and other participants as they create a plan for a new joint library organization.

CCLA Organizational Environment

• Create a collaborative and agile organization based on CCLA's values, with appropriate resources to ensure that CCLA is optimized to serve its user community.
• Develop and expand relevant staff expertise and use resources effectively to ensure the success of CCLA and its staff.
• Implement strategies that promote excellence in CCLA's organizational performance.