Goals and Projects 2014-15

ILS goals are developed annually based on strategic directions and current needs of the college. Highlights of FY 2015 goals include:

 

Teaching, learning and research

  • Look for new and innovative ways to help students learn the library and technology skills they need to succeed at Bates. Includes development of short learning modules, expanded outreach for EndNote (scholarly documentation) and Etna (research data storage) training, technology workshops and work with First-Year Seminars and other classes.
  • Expand the work of DIGIN, the ILS digital initiatives group of library, archives and technology staff. Provide a more unified way to find Bates digital content. Continue to digitize key materials such as the Bates Student or the older recordings of the Bates Dance Festival. Work to improve metadata for collections to improve discoverability. Seek external funding opportunities for this work.
  • Implement preservation protocols for Bates digital content with Preservica
  • Implement a system for web file share for research data
  • Support faculty experiments related to innovative pedagogy

– Work with faculty members to integrate digital and computational methods into multiple courses
– Expand research and data management support to the broader campus community
– Expand support of high performance computing

  • Continue to use the newly remodeled Digital Media Studios in Pettigrew Hall as a launch pad for publicizing the opportunities it makes available in teaching and learning.
  • Continue building on ways to invigorate the weblog, Twitter, campus bulletin and other communications options as both informational and instructional tools.

 

Technology for the entire campus

  • Continue campus network upgrade project:

– Complete Carnegie and Dana network upgrade. Complete Olin upgrade by the end of summer 2015.
– Continue to plan and implement changes in campus network occasioned by the Campus Avenue project
– Complete the project to remove all outdated routers and switches to assure consistent network performance
– Continue to improve redundancy between the Pettengill and Commons computer rooms for business continuity and disaster recovery effectiveness
– Enhance the phone system to provide alternate carrier links to locations in addition to the main connection in Lane Hall. Improve redundancy for IP phones
– Continue to test the Bates offsite hosting environment – move the Bates website if possible

  • Work with Dean of Students and related staff members to assess technology needs in this area. Begin to identify and implement systems, and to develop a plan for further improvements.
  • Support fundraising planning and implementation efforts in Advancement
  • Continue to review all procedures and update all documentation in light of the combined CBB library catalog. Complete the integration of CBB cat with Banner for patron records and fines.
  • Implement Luminis portal to provide single sign-on for most campus technology services
  • Remove personally identifiable information from Banner when it is no longer needed
  • Begin the transition to replace Hyperion with Argos, a new reporting solution
  • Complete implementation of online reader routing system for Admission and datamart for Advancement
  • Continue to work with BCO and Dean of Faculty’s office on directory/database of faculty expertise
  • Working with staff of the Grants Office, implement SmartGrant to improve management of grant information for the college
  • Continue to expand the web-based video conferencing into classrooms and presentation spaces on campus
  • Continue to support and expand class capture for both curricular and event needs
  • Continue to refine support for streaming events and work with Athletics in their interest in moving to HD video streaming

 

Mobile connectivity on and off the campus

  • Work with student leaders to continue to assess needed coverage and make needed improvements in wireless coverage on campus
  • Continue to look for opportunities to work with cellular providers to improve coverage on campus
  • Begin to implement Ellucian Mobile suite to provide mobile versions of Garnet Gateway services
  • Work with Bates Communications Office to implement responsive technology and other improvements to the Bates website to enhance performance on mobile devices

 

Management and partnerships

  • Complete external review of ILS (September 2014) and learn from the results
  • Work with key campus constituencies to develop a refined process for assessing the priority of systems development projects for the campus
  • Develop revised governance structure for CBB library collaboration. Explore with CBB leadership the option of creating a formal agreement or legal entity.
  • Continue to refine the CBB library acquisitions plan to reduce unneeded duplication, expand coverage, and look for opportunities to incorporate ebooks
  • Work with partners in NExpress to extend patron generated borrowing and lending to ConnectNY
  • Continue to seek solutions for emerging critical storage space needs for the Archives, especially for college records