Digital Commons Network^™

In this time of often precarious funding at many colleges and universities, any case that can be made to illustrate how a department strategically fits into the overall university mission is not only worth merit, but an essential survival technique. This “strategic credibility” within the university is a vital form of currency in determining institution-wide resources prioritization, collaboration opportunities between organizational units, and overall direction of departments. This poster presents the results of an analysis of academic special collections and archives in the Northwest and examines the methods these departments use to demonstrate value to the university. This poster considers …

Strategic credibility within the university is a vital form of currency in determining institution-wide resources prioritization, collaboration opportunities between organizational units, and overall direction of departments. This poster presents the results of an analysis of the strategic credibility of circulation and reference departments in academic libraries in the Northwest. Outcomes of this research include a potential methodology for library departments to assess their strategic credibility and suggestions on how to communicate this value to others.

In this time of often precarious funding at many colleges and universities, any case that can be made to illustrate how a department strategically fits into the overall university mission is not only worth merit, but an essential survival technique. This “strategic credibility” within the university is a vital form of currency in determining institution-wide resources prioritization, collaboration opportunities between organizational units, and overall direction of departments. This poster provides a case study of academic special collections in the Northwest and examines the methods these departments use to demonstrate value to the university. This poster considers how well do special …