Library and information service
We live in an age of convergence – with technology driving connections that link people and ideas in unprecedented ways. In this dynamic environment, research libraries are poised to redefine themselves and the way they create, access and preserve knowledge.
At DMU Library, we accelerate the research process through our collaborations with college and students. We promote scholarly expression by championing open access and other initiatives that bring the world’s knowledge to DMU, and connect DMU’s knowledge to the world. At the core of all we do is our commitment to user-centered service that advances teaching, learning and research excellence.
The Library, and the expertise vested within it, must both lead and adapt to face the challenges posed by our information-intensive age. Over the next five years, we will continue to develop our digital collections, and safeguard the knowledge legacies of the past, while ensuring accessibility for the future. We will harness new tools for information creation and discovery, and configure our services and spaces to meet our users’ needs.
Approaches Used in the development process of the strategic Plan
The University uses the Balanced Score Card approach to develop the grand five year strategic plan. This approach is an improved strategic planning process for focusing on the most important things, and proved to be the most effective strategic management system for aligning day-to-day work to an organization’s vision and strategy.
This Strategic Plan was developed to enable the university to be proactive and to actively shape its own destiny. Particularly, it will guide and facilitate the effective management and development of the University. As a matter of strategic planning elements the long-term vision of UoG are updated and the mission is re-rewritten. To realize the vision, strategic themes are developed; well-thought objectives to realize the themes are formulated and integrated corporate objectives that align these objectives are formulated. To collect necessary inputs for the formulation of the plan; the previous strategic plan, BPR documents, the newly enacted Higher Education Proclamation, National Policies and Strategies, higher education relevance and quality assurance agency (HERQA) audit team reports, charter of the university and its organizational structure were reviewed and considered. Deep attention was also given for stakeholders’ needs and expectation and hence a well thought customer value proposition is developed.
By considering the university’s structure of developing and monitoring the strategic plan, library and information service has developed its own five year strategic plan as cascaded from the university strategic plan.
Increasingly, the Library will exist as both a physical and virtual space. This allows academic staff and students to research and study where, when and how they wish. Library staff will facilitate this by providing them with easy access to electronic, print and audiovisual resources and by helping them to become more self-sufficient in finding and evaluating the information and other services that they require for their learning.
The document begins with a reiteration of the LIS mission, vision and core values. This is followed by the main section which describes how we will deliver our mission over the planning period. Five focus areas have been identified, which flow directly from the university Strategic Plan. The plan has a five year time period i.e., June 2003/2011 –May 2007/2015
Mission, Vision and Values
Mission
Library and Documentation Services will continue to innovate and transform service delivery, ensuring that the LDS are integral to, and enablers of, the University’s continued success. For the individual user, our mission is to make creating, storing, sharing, finding & using information simple and pleasurable.
The mission of Library and Documentation Services is to support teaching, learning and research throughout the University, in collaboration with staff and students, by providing:
- information resources in a range of formats,
- environments that facilitate study and learning in a variety of ways, and
- Support for the development of information literacy to enable students make the best use of learning resources.
In addition, DMU Library advances research, learning and teaching excellence by connecting communities, within and beyond the University, to the world’s knowledge.
Vision:
Debre Markos University library and documentation service strives to be one of a globally influential academic and research library, inspiring knowledge creation, exploration, discovery and dissemination in East Africa by 2025
Values
Values Amongst other matters, the Library values:
- Service excellence-LDS Services will creatively and within constrained budgets, build on existing great services and grow new ones to meet/anticipate changing demands.
- Intellectual freedom and the pursuit of knowledge
- Collaboration with colleges and community partners – both with our colleagues within DMU to foster a rich information environment, and with external partners in the local community, across whales and internationally for the benefit of the University
- Stewardship of collections and institutional resources
- Innovation and creativity – to exploit emerging technologies and be innovative in our service delivery to meet changing educational and institutional priorities
- An open, inclusive, respectful work environment
- Transparent & equitable services
- Professionalism in service delivery
- Inclusiveness and respect for the individual to make services as accessible and useable as possible
- Accountability for our actions, decisions and to manage risks, providing the University with full value for the money invested in the service by managing and deploying our human and financial resources in a cost-effective manner