The Broerplein, heart of the University of Groningen, with the University Library to the right

This is the annual report of the University of Groningen Library for 2011, a year in which the library underwent many changes. An evaluation report on the library’s new organizational structure was published, as well as an integrated collection plan – a mammoth piece of work from the two sectors involved in collection building. At the end of 2011, the Library conducted a Customer Satisfaction Survey within the University. The results of the survey will lead to further improve the level of quality and accessibility of services to which the Library’s target groups are accustomed.

The Library made the news as a result of unexpected mildew in the stacks, the release of the lipdub film, and the introduction of extended opening hours from 1 January 2012.

The vision document ‘Bibliotheek in beweging’ was approved, and sets out the direction for the Library in the years to come. The publieksversie [public version] of the vision document is available for consultation.
The Library has prioritized a number of policy choices from the vision document.

• ‘Optimization of work processes within the University of Groningen Library’ had high priority, and was overseen with the expertise of a professor and postdoc from the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Groningen.
• ‘External communication: how does the Library reach its users?’ focused on streamlining all external communication from the Library to its user groups within and outside the University.
• ‘Redesign of public amenities in the Library building’ was implemented in the autumn of 2011 with the aim of remodelling the public services offered in the Library in order to make them more customer-oriented, efficient and future-proof.

In 2011, a large number of sector-wide working groups were initiated within the Library. The Library received funding for three multi-year IT projects:

• Discovery Tool
• Library support for e-readers
• Learning Grid

The relocation of the Library of Philosophy from the Faculty of Philosophy to the fourth floor of the University Library was completed at the beginning of April. The Faculty has converted its former library into a modern facility with study places and flexible workstations.
The Library has succeeded in realizing the required cost savings (more than €300,000). Staffing cutbacks were continued, and freed up resources for collection-building. This required a great deal of flexibility on the part of staff members. We can be proud that the Library ended the year with a positive financial result.

Clustering
In 2011, the decision-making took place regarding the temporary deployment of a cluster librarian for the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Arts and the three faculties at the Zernike campus.

In the context of the changing financial position of the Library, the working group ‘Clustering Scenarios’ (Financial Planning and Budget, Property and Investment Projects and Library) was asked to produce a report setting out possible savings based on the cost carriers for accommodation, staff and exploitation. The ultimate aim is to continue the annual transfer of funds (€ 115K) from the staffing budget to the collection-building budget in the coming years. The report will describe various scenarios, focussing on the physical clustering of specialist libraries and a reduction in the number of locations. The Library envisages that the number of locations will eventually be reduced to two cluster libraries: a City Centre Library in the main Library building and a Zernike Library in the EBR/WN library. This is our preferred scenario. Decisions with regard to the Central Medical Library (CMB) are made by the UMCG.

Marjolein Nieboer
Director/Librarian

Concentration

With the 2011 Customer Satisfaction Survey, the University Library assessed the perceptions of its users – staff and students of the University – with regard to the importance and image of the library, and their level of satisfaction. The survey was conducted following the reorganization of the Library in 2008-2009. It included questions on new developments, such as the introduction of a learning grid in the main Library building.

The response rate for the survey was good. More than 3,500 respondents returned the questionnaire to the Library. At the beginning of 2012, the results of the survey were set out in an evaluation report for the Board of the University (which commissioned the survey) and for the Library’s internal use. The Library organization hopes that the survey results will enable it to align its services even more closely with the wishes of users. The survey will be repeated in 2013.

Library of Behavioural and Social Sciences

In recent years, more and more e-readers and tablets for reading e-books and articles have been launched in the market. The University of Groningen Library is now purchasing an increasing number of e-books. The e-books come from various platforms. The formats in which the e-books are made available varies considerably: PDF, HTML, via DRM platforms. Some of these formats are more suited than others to reading on an e-reader or tablet.

The aim of the ‘E-readers for the Faculty of Behavioural & Social Sciences’ project was to compile an inventory of user experiences with different types of e-reader and different types of e-book. During the project, three members of the academic staff at the Faculty were asked about their experiences using different e-book formats from the University collection on various e-readers.
These staff members were given three types of e-reader/tablet on loan: a Sony e-reader, an Archos e-reader and an iPad. During the loan period they used the e-reader to consult a selection of e-books in their subject area from various providers: EBL, Ebrary, MyiLibrary, Oxford Scholarship Online and PsycBOOKS. They reported their findings on the platforms and e-readers to the GMW Library.

At the end of 2011, one of the three staff members had been loaned the two e-readers and had the use of the iPad. The second researcher had been loaned the Sony e-reader at that time, and had the use of the iPad. The third staff member was issued with an Archos e-reader.

The results of this trial project are expected at the end of January. The two iPads purchased for the project can then be put to use elsewhere in the Library.

Rienk Withaar

The steering group worked on drawing up a framework for the project. This has now been approved by the MT and communicated within the organization. The framework sets out important principles for the direction of the project, for example: self-service for loans processes where possible, further centralization and integration of service-desk functions, deployment of WIMmers in the front office.

The project plans make provision for a Master’s student from the Faculty of Economics & Business to carry out a user survey. The survey is essential; the literature and experiences of staff in other libraries confirm this. In the period June-October 2011, the project group booked a total of 367 hours, divided among 11 people (excluding the steering group and the project leader).

Klaran Visscher

The Learning Grid project was officially launched on 27 September. The HPU project overlaps with the Learning Grid (LG) project in the sense that it is geared to the completely overhauled interior of the Library building. This has consequences for the location of the LG in the main University building, and for time planning.

At an information meeting held on 11 October, the leader of the LG project gave a presentation to 54 colleagues. A presentation on the HPU project was also given at the meeting.

At the end the 2011, the LG project group began work with background reading. In principle, the group meets every second Friday morning.

Mischa van Delden

NEXT is a series of classical concerts designed to dispel the staid image and conventions (written and unwritten) that are often inextricably linked to the classical music genre. In the concerts, young musicians from the Conservatoire – many of them from outside the Netherlands – experiment with various influences and instruments. NEXT brings classical music to students, with short ‘teasers’ and surprise concerts.

The concerts were a pleasant surprise for the library audience, who gave the musicians an enthusiastic hand.

In the Law Library

Annual Report of the University of Groningen Library

Text:
Frank den Hollander
Gretha Landman
(unless stated otherwise)

Photography:
Pieter Dol
(unless stated otherwise)

Design and technology:
Floris de Jonge, designer

Questions/comments:
communicatie-bibliotheek@rug.nl