After hearing from the University Librarian and Directors Jenny Ellis and Donna McRostie participants formed three groups.

These groups considered the more than 70 questions asked by the discussion paper. The groups selected those questions relevant to the Library.

During the week beginning 15 June focus groups will work on developing a Library response to those questions.

To comment on the dicussion paper, or on any aspect of the Library’s involvement in the University community, simply click in the box below and start typing.

Please remember that we do have a blogging/commenting policy for this blog.

There have been significant changes in the world, and within the University, since the original Growing Esteem 10-year strategy was adopted in late 2005. The “Refining Our Strategy” consultation process is an opportunity to review progress thus far, and to fine-tune the University’s priorities for the next 3-5 years.

The University Library will make a written submission to the review, and we need your help to do it.

Library staff are invited to attend an introductory forum today, 2.00 pm to 3.00 pm, in the tutorial room, ground floor, Baillieu Library. At this session we will identify which aspects of the discussion paper the Library ought to address in its response.

• View the presentation slides from the 11 June forum (Microsoft Powerpoint 1.2 Mb)

Over the next few weeks there will be other opportunities for you to contribute to the Library response.

To stay in touch with what’s happening, subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed or keep an eye on the Information Futures home page.

Many thanks to everyone who submitted a written response, commented via this blog or attended a meeting or focus group session during the last fortnight.

The written submissions are available from the main Information Futures web site.

Over the next 10 days we will revise the strategy and seek further input from the University’s senior executives and from the Information Futures Commission’s Steering Committee.

The completed strategy will be presented to the 26 June meeting of Academic Board for endorsement, then to the 14 July meeting of University Council.

An implementation plan will be presented to the Planning and Budget Conference at the end of July.

1. Progress Report from the Commission’s Steering Committee
2. Melbourne’s Information Future: one possible strategy

The documents outline the Commission’s work to date and describe some long-term options for the University’s library, archive and cultural collections; research data management; IT support for research activities; collections of information created for learning and teaching purposes; scholarly outputs such as theses and journal articles; and the support services and human capabilities required to create, acquire, use and manage all of these.

The documents are available for downloading from the main Information Futures web site, or in a ‘commentable’ format on this weblog (see the “Progress Report” and “Draft Strategy” links in the navigation bar at the top of this page.)

We encourage you to read and comment on the documents.

Of particular interest are the five “strategic questions and difficult choices” identified in the Progress Report:

1. What type of library or libraries should we have?
2. What should be in the libraries?
3. Who can use our libraries?
4. How ‘open’ do we want to be?
5. How should we organise ourselves to achieve our aspirations?

Ways to respond

• Read the Draft Strategy on this blog and leave your comment/s on the relevant pages
• Download the documents from the main Information Futures web site (where you will also find lots of background information about the initial consultation phase and its results)
• Send your comments to the Commission’s project team
• Invite a member of the project team to speak to your committee or group meeting

Deadline for comments

The review period ends on Friday 6 June.

What happens after 6 June

Your feedback will be used to refine a 10-year strategy for the University’s scholarly information and technologies.

The revised strategy will be presented at the June meeting of Academic Board and the July meeting of University Council.

A funding proposal will be submitted to the Planning and Budget Committee’s mid-year conference.

It ended at close of business on Friday 9 May 2008.

In the intervening two-and-a-bit months,  more than 300 people joined the Information Futures conversation in some way:

• filling in a survey
• writing or contributing to a submission (we received 66!)
• emailing or phoning to offer their ideas
• attending an Information Futures Forum
• attending a student-staff consultation forum
• inviting the Commission to attend a committee meeting
• requesting an individual meeting or briefing

So — what’s next?

This week the project team is drafting an interim report, drawing together the main themes that have emerged during the consultation period. The interim report includes a draft strategy for the University’s scholarly information and technologies.

The draft report will be:

• discussed at a Steering Committee meeting on Wednesday 14 May
• presented at Academic Board on Thursday 22 May
• released for review and comment on Friday 23 May

The final review period will run for two weeks, from Friday 23 May to Friday 6 June.

During the review period, a range of staff and students will be invited to attend focus groups to discuss detailed aspects of the draft document.

As well, we will seek input from all interested members of the University community, including our friends from Victoria, interstate and overseas.

Once finalised, the interim report will become three documents: a report, a strategy and a plan. These will be submitted to the June meeting of Academic Board, then the July meeting of University Council.

First, we are hosting two student-staff consultation forums. Hosted in lecture theatres that seat up to 200 people, these events are a chance for you to ask questions about issues raised in the consultation paper.

The first student-staff consultation forum will be held at lunchtime on Tuesday 15 April 2008 — see the main Information Futures Commission web site for details and to RSVP for this event.

Second, we are inviting students and staff to participate in an exploratory workshop during the week Wednesday 23 April to  Wednesday 1 May 2008.

The workshops are organised around the strands of the triple helix:

• research and research training
• learning and teaching
• knowledge transfer

There will also be two workshops about the student experience — how students find, use and share scholarly information, and what kinds of services and support they expect from the University.

Members of the Expert Panel will attend the workshops, and the conversation will centre around the role, value and potential  strategies for scholarly information and technologies to support the triple helix.

Workshop seats are strictly limited — register early to secure your place :-)