Subject: Collection Development & Doctoral programs
From: Susan Payne <spayne_at_CSM.edu>
Dear all,
Please excuse any cross-posting. A similar question was posted to
collib, but this e-mail expands my questions related specifically to
developing the library collection.
Background Information:
My institution is in the process of getting a PhD in Health
Professions Education approved by the Higher Learning Commission. To
do this, we have completed a self-study and institutional change
document that demonstrates the institution can support a doctoral program.
In response, the Higher Learning Commission has identified three major
focus areas and the Library is at the top of the list. Specifically,
they want to know how the Library has prepared for the advanced
degrees, what the current holdings are, and they would like to meet
with me.
Strategic Planning:
I am in the process of drafting a response to their question (they
want written answers as well as face-to-face meeting times). I am
focusing on the library's strategic plan for the next three years,
which includes funding support from grants to expand holdings in
books, journals, and databases.
What other things would you recommend including focusing on? I'm
specifically interested in hearing from libraries who have made the
shift from undergraduate libraries to also supporting doctoral
programs. For those of you who have added doctoral programs, how much
have you developed your collection before the program and syllabi were
even approved and completed? I feel like I'm in a chicken and egg
situation.
What we've done so far:
-Upgraded from Academic Search Elite to Academic Search Premier.
-Completed a collection analysis of the health care collection for
books, journals, and databases to identify strengths and weaknesses.
-Using the weaknesses identified in the collection analysis paired
with information about the new doctoral program, began to buy books
for the library collection.
-We are investigating the ProQuest Electronic medical books and also
looking into Docutek for e-reserves since the program will have some
hybrid distance learning components.
Any other ideas of what we might do that we haven't thought of?
Feel free to reply off-list if you prefer for privacy reasons and I
will summarize.
Thanks!
Susan Payne
Library Director
College of Saint Mary
Omaha, NE
Received on Thu Mar 23 2006 - 02:20:24 EST