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    Library as the ‘centre for everything’ Placing the library at the strategic heart of the community


    Murphy, Hugh (2016) Library as the ‘centre for everything’ Placing the library at the strategic heart of the community. Sconul Focus (66). pp. 49-51. ISSN 1745-5790

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    Abstract

    The significance of the academic library in the university campus can be manifest in a variety of ways – through the physical location, the housing of significant collections, the variety of services and as a cultural hub and active partner in university strategy. The idea of the academic library as the ‘centre for everything’, while having obvious strategic attractions, also brings with it serious hazards which may ultimately be counterproductive to core values. In recent years Maynooth University (MU) Library has actively worked to ensure that its position as a centre for first-class collections and services has been enhanced and its role has been perceived to be more nuanced – acting as a nexus for a myriad of activities on campus. This progression has been achieved through several key strategies, ranging from an organisational review and strategic leadership to the harnessing of new technologies and the promotion and embedding of new services. All of these have a demonstrable impact, which has created a virtuous circle, and brought the library closer to becoming ‘the centre for everything’. This article will explore how this has happened, reflect on some of the pitfalls and, importantly, consider the risk of moving from being ‘valued’ and ‘involved’ to being ‘overcommitted’ and, ultimately having a diluted focus.

    Item Type: Article
    Keywords: library; libraries;
    Academic Unit: University Library
    Item ID: 7612
    Depositing User: Hugh Murphy
    Date Deposited: 16 Nov 2016 16:59
    Journal or Publication Title: Sconul Focus
    Publisher: Sconul
    Refereed: No
    URI:
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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