Activity I: Construct and Equip the Global Access Library

The new library will act as the academic hub for Webster University's robust network of campuses. The University faces some important challenges in the next few years. The first involves managing growth. Webster University's headquarter campus in St. Louis manages resources and assures standardization of curricula across the University's worldwide campuses. However, two-thirds of the University's student population, and the overwhelming majority of Webster University's minority students, are now enrolled at campuses outside of St. Louis. As these student populations grow, maintaining equal access to academic resources across the University's national and international network of campuses therefore becomes increasingly costly. In response to this challenge, Webster University has designed and will construct a centralized and technologically advanced Global Access Library to address the issues of access and cost across the network.

Objectives of this new, Global Access Library are to:

• Facilitate the educational process across Webster University's global network of campuses by teaching library patrons how to use and evaluate information resources.
 
• Integrate information technology into all aspects of the University’s curriculum.
 
• Acquire, organize, and preserve print and electronic information within the library.
 
• Monitor and incorporate new information technologies and form cooperative partnerships that facilitate worldwide user access to information. In order to achieve these objectives, the new library combines the dependability, academic grounding, and services of a library with the cost-saving communicability of the Internet.
 

Webster University - because it is global, with sites both real and virtual throughout the world - has an excellent opportunity to take advantage of emerging technologies in the coming century. Webster’s unique practice of providing higher education to both traditional and non-traditional students around the world requires a centralized library that fully supports the philosophy of any time, any place curriculum. 

Because Webster offers three modes of education - on-site at the main campus in Missouri, off-site at siteses around the world and virtual - the university makes a quality education possible for both traditional and non-traditional students. The technology funded through this will help us connect our faculty and students in a “One University Campus” model.

The library, the University's information anchor, is the critical link to reach the diverse off-site and minority student populations described in Section I of this proposal. The library connects all students both to a network of educational resources and to fellow classmates. While Webster University maintains its traditional liberal arts college feel by limiting class size, 90 Webster degree programs are now pursued by more than 17,000 men and women in big cities, little cities, rural areas, military bases, offices and homes across the world. And in Webster's virtual WorldClassRoom®, representatives from nearly every profession and location participate in what is perhaps the ultimate online college experience.

By taking advantage of the technological revolution, Webster is able to rapidly develop its niche in higher education, understanding that the library, as anchor, is crucial to the delivery of consistent, quality services to its global constituency. A new library will provide significant real and virtual resources; teach and train students and faculty to access technology and make sense of the wealth of information that is available today; and oversee the delivery of documents and information to students from Peoria to Shanghai.

Activity I Objectives and Performance Indicators Form, Fund technology in the new library

Major Objectives in Measurable Terms: Activity One

Objective 1: Complete by January 2002, detailed plans for information technology integration in new library.

COMPLETED

Performance Indicators

• 1.1 Audit by national expert documents that 100% of design development for information integration in library is completed.
• 1.2 Library Task plan contains the University's technological communication requirements.

Objective 2: To complete by January 2002, the RFP for construction of new library.

COMPLETED

Performance Indicators

• 2.1 Records show RFP to solicit bids to establish contract received on time
• 2.2 Evaluation and award criteria complete and approved by the Library Committee
• 2.3 RFP review process results in awarding building contract

Objective 3: To complete wiring infrastructure for information technology in the new library.

COMPLETED

• 3.1 Records show wiring infrastructure completed.

Year Two: 2002-2003

Objective 4: To complete construction of new library by August 2003.

COMPLETED

Performance Indicators

• 4.1 Records show construction time-table completed.
• 4.2 Library opens to public by September 2003.

Objective 5: Equip reference/electronic commons, microcomputer lab/café, lecture/conference room, electronic classroom, multi-media listening/viewing center, and technology support areas of new library by September 2003.

COMPLETED

Performance Indicators

• 5.1 Purchase records document the acquisition of all Equipment.
• 5.2 Audit documents reference/electronic commons, microcomputer lab/café, lecture/conference room, electronic classroom, multi-media listening/viewing center, and technology support areas of new library are present.

Year Three: 2003-2004

Objective 6: Equip Instructional Technology Center/Research Room by November 2003.

COMPLETED

Performance Indicators

• 6.1 Purchase records document the acquisition of all Equipment
• 6.2 Audit documents Instructional Technology Center/ Research Room are present.

Objective 7: To validate by September 2004, that opening of library support access to electronic resources such as full text journal, indexes, and Internet resources, electronic access to catalogs with document delivery passports.

COMPLETED

Performance Indicators

• 7.1 Data collected in September 2004 validates:
•     25% increase to electronic resources
•     30% increase to electronic access to catalogs
•     50% increase in electronic reference assistance
•     75% increase in the use of Passports
•     90% of library patrons (clients) rate the library as providing a user friendly interface.