Report released on recent discussion of library's future

Faculty, students and administrators of Western Washington University participated in a discussion Feb. 12 on the future of the library. The event, "Building the Future of the Library: A Dialogue," was developed based on so-called "LibQUAL+ Summits" conducted by other university libraries.

A summary report that contains excerpts from the dialogues was distributed to the participants, Senate Library Committee and library staff April 15. That document, in PDF form, is now available to the campus community on the Western Libraries website.

In the event, Western Libraries gathered stakeholder comments and concerns by asking participants to address questions relating to data gathered by the 2010 LibQUAL+ Survey of user perceptions and expectations.

The 50-plus participants were divided into seven small groups. These groups were provided with three discussion questions connected by the over-arching theme that students and faculty have different expectations of the library. Given the difficult fiscal future the university and library faces, the Western Libraries believes that this type of candid conversation can inform planning and future directions.

Comments made by student and faculty participants alike indicated a great deal of appreciation for the opportunity to speak with each other and to the Libraries about the discussion questions that were provided, as well as other concerns.