Add as a preferred source on Google

New White Paper from CLIR Explores Challenges and Opportunities for Library and Information Services

  • 09/22/14

WASHINGTON, DC — Rapidly evolving digital technologies and services, coupled with a changing economy, are profoundly influencing the financial model supporting many colleges and universities. Institutions that rely solely on a traditional business approach are unlikely to thrive; they must identify and seize new opportunities in pursuit of their mission.

A new white paper from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), The Changing Landscape of Library and Information Services: What Presidents, Provosts, and Finance Officers Need to Know, explores emerging opportunities for colleges and universities, and the key role of library and information technology services (LITS) organizations in realizing that potential.

The report is based on a workshop organized by the CLIR Chief Information Officers (CIOs) group, comprising individuals from liberal arts colleges and small universities that have merged their library and information services organizations.

CIOs Richard Holmgren and Gene Spencer draw on the workshop discussions to summarize the key challenges and opportunities facing LITS organizations and academic institutions. Developments of the past decade — from the ubiquity of cell phones to the growth of virtual server infrastructure and the maturation of open-source software support models — have created new opportunities for LITS organizations to improve student outcomes, increase revenue, and manage costs. The authors discuss these opportunities and identify the core competencies that LITS organizations will need to support positive institutional change in the decade ahead.

Richard Holmgren is vice president of information services and assessment at Allegheny College. Gene Spencer is chief information officer and leader of a merging library and information technology organization at Ursinus College.

The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) is an independent, nonprofit organization that forges strategies to enhance research, teaching and learning environments in collaboration with libraries, cultural institutions and communities of higher learning.

Featured

  • Illinois District Boosts Security at High-School Stadium

    Richmond-Burton Community High School in Richmond, Ill., recently announced that it has completed the redesigned entrance to its high school stadium with a new focus on school security and community engagement, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects and Engineers on the project as part of District #157’s year-long facilities master plan.

  • UNT Dallas Holds Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for $100M STEM Building

    The University of North Texas at Dallas in Dallas, Texas, recently celebrated the opening of its new, $100-million STEM Building, according to local news. The ceremony on Dec. 2 preceded the first day of classes in the facility on Jan. 12, 2026.

  • Malibu High School Campus Completes $102M Phase 1 of Construction

    Malibu High School in Malibu, Calif., recently announced that it has completed phase 1 of construction for its new campus, a news release reports. The first phase consisted of developing and modernizing the site of a former elementary school into a new, 70,000-square-foot, two-story facility.

  • FAU Starts Construction on Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building

    Florida Atlantic University recently began construction on a new academic building for its campus in Boca Raton, Fla., according to university news. The Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building will stand two stories, measure in at 22,000 square feet, and play home to the university’s Holocaust education and Jewish studies programs.

Digital Edition