KEY UPDATES IN STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

As me move forward in 2015, we are working to plan and move the Libraries Strategic Plan and communication forward in partnership with the university’s Purdue Moves initiative.

It has already been a busy and exciting new year for the Libraries with the announcement of Purdue University Libraries as the recipient of the 2015 ACRL Award of Excellence (university category) and yesterday’s announcement of the $40 million dollar Lilly Endowment, Inc., of which $5 million that will directly benefit the Active Learning Center, a facility that will fuse classrooms, libraries, and study and collaboration areas into one adaptable space.

Below are some additional strategic communication initiatives to look for in 2015:

2015 VOLUMe
The 2015 edition of the Libraries’ annual publication, VOLUMe has been intentionally delayed to support critical developments with the Active Learning Center, including yesterday’s Lilly Endowment, Inc. announcement. Look for this year’s annual edition to come out very soon with the latest information on key Purdue Libraries research, partnerships, projects and awards.

Increased University Communication
Look for heightened awareness of key Libraries initiatives including the Active Learning Center, IMPACT program and classrooms, unique Libraries faculty collaborations, information literacy and data management initiatives, and many student-centered Libraries activities and opportunities.

Spring Events
A busy spring season is well-underway with many events in the works including: Think Spring Summer Fair (March 5); Outstanding Contribution to Women’s Archives reception honoring Betty Nelson (March 11); Library Scholars Grant (March 23); Computer Science exhibit/reception/book launch (April 13); One Book Higher/Faculty and Staff Award Recognition/ACRL Award Recognition (April 23); Purdue Day of Giving (April 30) and much more. Look for more information with specific details regarding each of these events in the near future.

Additional News
We are also finalizing the Events Planner position vacated by Becky Bunch upon her retirement from the university this past December. An announcement will be forthcoming in the coming days about this position. I would like to recognize and thank Elaine Bahler, development communication coordinator, PRF, for her unwavering commitment to helping support the Libraries’ strategic communication/advancement area during this hiring process — creating a smooth, seamless transition. Thank you, Elaine!

LILY ENDOWMENT GRANT SUPPORTS ACTIVE LEARNING CENTER

Lilly Endowment Inc. announced February 18 a grant of $40 million to support five transformational projects in the colleges of Engineering and Technology as well as Purdue Libraries.

The biggest cash gift in Purdue University’s history will fund initiatives designed to foster ground-breaking research, expand high-tech job growth throughout Indiana as well as nationally and globally, and enhance opportunities for students.

“This is an important moment in Purdue history,” President Mitch Daniels said. “It’s now our duty to turn it into a significant event in Indiana history, by delivering even more world-class engineers, technologists and leaders of all kinds, along with the discoveries, innovations and new jobs that great research produces.”

The Active Learning Center (ALC) will receive $5 million, a facility that will fuse classrooms, libraries, and study and collaboration areas into one adaptable space — an innovation that no other American university offers. The active learning approach encourages students to be more active and engaged in their learning activities and the knowledge gained. Early indications of this new approach are profound: higher student GPAs and decreased number of students who earn a grade of D or F or withdraw from these courses. The facility will consist of 38,000 square feet of study space and 59,000 square feet of classroom space.

The ALC, under construction in the heart of campus at the former site of the Engineering Administration Building and the North Power Plant, will blend and integrate centrally scheduled active learning classrooms, library/information services, formal study spaces, collaborative work areas and informal learning spaces. During the class day, 40 percent of the center will be library/study spaces. During the evening and throughout the night, the study space will expand to nearly the entire building. Inside the center, six libraries currently located at various points on campus will come together to form the Thomas S. and Harvey D. Wilmeth Library of Engineering and Science. Students will be able to tailor the spaces to their own needs, pursuing information on their own or meeting in discussion and study groups.

“The Active Learning Center will enable the growth of an innovative and successful teaching/learning methodology, that is, the individual learning by and through team collaboration, in a facility that supports learning taking place seamlessly between the classroom and library spaces,” Purdue Libraries Dean James L. Mullins said.

Other areas that the Endowment grant will provide funding for include the Innovation Design Center, expansion of the College of Engineering’s Maurice J. Zucrow Labs, the Flex Lab in the College of Engineering, and the College of Technology’s transformation into the Polytechnic Institute.

ONE BOOK HIGHER 2015

Have you worked on an interesting project lately? Has your library or unit implemented a new and innovative service or practice? Share your experience with the rest of your colleagues at the Libraries' 9th Annual One Book Higher poster session!

When: April 23, 10-11:30 a.m.
Where: PMU South Ballroom
Who: All Libraries employees

Additional information on where to sign up for the poster session and deadlines will be sent out soon. If you have any questions contact one of the One Book Higher committee members: Ann O’Donnell (Chair), Elaine Bahler, Lori Bryant, Lil Conarroe, Gene Ann Fausett and Chelsie Schuette.

2015 ONLINE STAFF EVALUATION IS READY

As announced in my February 13 Liball message the 2015 evaluation documents are now available for access by clerical/service and administrative/professional staff members and their supervisors. Therefore, you can now begin using the online system to assist in setting and recording expectations and documenting accomplishments for the 2015 performance year.

The Annual Staff Evaluations page on the website of the Vice President for Human Resources continues to offer useful information, as does Purdue’s Gold Answers for the Performance Management System. For any additional questions or support, supervisors and staff members can email the Leadership and Organizational Development (LOD) staff at LOD@purdue.edu.

To assist staff and supervisors in creating an individualized staff development plan, the “2015 Staff Development Plan Guidebook — Libraries” is now available on the Libraries intranet at https://intranet.lib.purdue.edu/display/HR/Home. The content and format of the guidebook are the same as in the 2014 version; it just has a new date.

Your professional development and the 2015 online staff evaluation document — Steps and tips
The online staff evaluation document includes several items related to “Professional Development,” which understandably creates confusion about where to put what sort of information. Here are the steps to take, as well as some tips along the way, to help make this a smoother journey.

Step #1: Talk with your supervisor about your strengths, interests and career goals, as well as additional knowledge and skills you need to learn to advance the work of your unit and Libraries in 2015. Discuss ways you might gain the knowledge and skills.

• TIP: The “2015 Staff Development Plan Guidebook — Libraries” will help you and your supervisor create an individualized staff development plan. The guidebook is available on the Libraries intranet at https://intranet.lib.purdue.edu/display/HR/Home
• TIP: Learning strategies (ways to gain knowledge and skills) aren’t limited to official staff development activities or formal courses. On-the-job training and online offerings such as Lynda.com and webinars are other examples.
  

Step #2: Use item 2.1 — Potential Development Activities to record the potential development activities you and your supervisor have identified.

• TIP: If you used the “2015 Staff Development Plan Guidebook — Libraries” you can attach it to your online staff evaluation document and then, in item 2.1, simply type “See attached staff development plan.”
  
• TIP: If you and your supervisor come up with more potential development activities during the year, you can add the new potential activities to item 2.1.
  

Step #3: Use item 2.2 — Professional Development Accomplishments to list professional development activities as you complete them during the year.

• TIP: This is NOT the place to write how you applied what you learned. See Step #5 for that.
  

Step #4: Ignore item 2.3 — Professional Development Hours and item 2.4 — Training Investment Libraries Administration has decided not to track hours and costs.

Step #5: Use item 1.3 — Professional Development to make notes during the year, and/or at the end of the year, about the ways you applied the new knowledge and skills you gained from your professional development activities.

• TIP: Remember, professional development is not limited to “official” or “formal” learning opportunities. See Step #1 for examples.
  

Please let me know if you have questions nhewison@purdue.edu.

NOMINATIONS FOR LIBRARIES STAFF AWARDS BEING ACCEPTED

Please submit nominations for the Dagnese, Moriarty and Dean’s Awards by 5 p.m. on March 12. There are many unsung heroes in Purdue Libraries. Take a few minutes to nominate one (or several) of them.

Be sure to explain how the nominee meets the criteria, bullet points are fine if you wish, and then email the nomination form to me before the deadline making sure to include your name at the bottom of the form as nominator. You can also send nominations via campus mail to arrive by the deadline.

The nomination form and the criteria for the various awards are listed on the Libraries intranet: https://intranet.lib.purdue.edu/display/HOME/Libraries+Awards

Please let me know if you have questions. jcarow@purdue.edu.

Awards will be presented at the 11th Annual Libraries’ Staff Awards Luncheon on April 23 in the PMU South Ballroom from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Dean of Libraries Jim Mullins is pictured with the 2014 recipients. Front row: Amy Storms, Joette Hutchcraft, Catherine Fraser Riehle, Jeremy Garritano, Sue Ward, Teresa Balser. Back row: April Maybee, Heather Oakley, Sue Long, Matt Riehle, Bonnie Douglas.

AROUND THE LIBRARIES

Presidents Day Display
On display in the Hicks Library is a collection of books and movies that focus on two of the men we honor each President’s Day, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Both born in February, they are known as remarkable leaders throughout some of the most difficult periods of American history. If patrons would like to learn more about their trials and achievements, they can ask at the iDesk to borrow any of the titles on display. The display will remain up through March 6. If you have questions please contact Ann O'Donnell at atodonne@purdue.edu.