tag: Library directors
Blog Post
November 3, 2025
Understanding How Academic Libraries Navigate Uncertain Times
Adapting the Library Deans and Directors Survey 2025 for the Present Environment
Today, we launched the Library Deans and Directors Survey 2025. Established in 2010, this triennial survey provides foundational data to the field on the areas of established and emerging importance to academic library deans and directors. Continuing this tradition, the survey now in the field examines the strategic and leadership perspectives of library leaders and seeks to understand the evolution of opportunities and challenges they face in their work. Academic libraries are navigating an exceptional time of change, which has…
Past Event
September 27, 2023
Transforming Metadata
Valuing metadata in changing environments
Transitioning to the next generation of metadata comes at a time of change in the social, political, and economic contexts in which libraries operate. This Transforming Metadata webinar features speakers whose recent publications help us better understand how these forces are shaping scholarly communication and metadata ecologies. Ithaka S+R’s Ioana Hulbert and Tracy Bergstrom share insights from recent studies that track perspectives and priorities among library deans and directors, focusing on challenges for articulating the value of technical and…
Blog Post
March 30, 2023
Findings from the Most Recent US Library Survey
Today, we are publishing our findings from the latest cycle of the US Library Survey, fielded from October to December 2022. This report is designed to provide library and other higher education leaders with a high-level look at how library deans and directors conceptualize the role, strategic alignment, and value proposition of academic libraries on campuses. In this sixth iteration of the project, we continue to explore library strategy, budgets, and staffing. We also introduced new batteries of questions…
Past Event
April 3, 2023
Navigating the New Normal
Findings from the Latest Ithaka S+R Library Director Survey
Ioana Hulbert will present the results of the new Ithaka S+R Library Director Survey at the Coalition of Networked Information (CNI) Spring 2023 Membership Meeting, scheduled to take place on Monday, April 3, 2023 at 3:25 – 3:55 pm MT. The triennial Ithaka S+R Library Director Survey is an established longitudinal research effort that captures issues that are top of mind for academic library deans and directors. Against the backdrop of the Great Resignation/Reshuffle, the pandemic, as well as new…
Blog Post
October 12, 2022
The Library Director Survey 2022 is Live!
We are excited to announce the launch of the 2022 Ithaka S+R Library Director Survey. In order to track high-level strategic and leadership perspectives across the field, we conduct a national survey of academic library deans and directors every three years. Consistent with previous survey cycles, this iteration of the study will provide insights into issues of strategic priorities, budgeting, staffing, and collections, as well as introduce new questions designed to track emerging trends in the field.
Blog Post
July 21, 2022
Gearing Up for the Ithaka S+R National Library Director Survey
This fall, Ithaka S+R will be fielding the sixth iteration of our Library Director Survey. While we ran a special cycle of the survey in 2020 to track pandemic-related decision-making among academic libraries, as well as changing perspectives on diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-racism, this upcoming survey marks the return to our triennial cycle, established in 2010. The Library Director Survey 2022 examines the strategic and leadership perspectives of…
Blog Post
September 9, 2021
How Can the Library Best Support Student and Institutional Success?
Perspectives from a National Survey of Community College Library Directors
For the past three years, Ithaka S+R has explored how student-facing service departments—including academic libraries—are organized, funded, and staffed at community and technical colleges across the country. As part of this ongoing IMLS-funded Community College Academic and Student Support Ecosystem (CCASSE) research initiative, we surveyed community college library directors this past February. Today, I’m pleased to announce the publication of our findings from that national study. In Library Strategy and Collaboration Across the College Ecosystem…
Research Report
September 9, 2021
Library Strategy and Collaboration Across the College Ecosystem
Results from a National Survey of Community College Library Directors
How can the library be best positioned to continue enabling student and institutional success? The Community College Academic and Student Support Ecosystem research initiative seeks to examine how student-facing service departments—including academic libraries—are organized, funded, and staffed at community and technical colleges across the country. In February 2021, we surveyed 321 community college library directors to provide the community with a snapshot of current service provision, leadership perspectives on the impact of COVID-19, and challenges faced in making decisions and…
Blog Post
December 9, 2020
The Impact of COVID-19 on Academic Libraries
New Report
Since 2010, Ithaka S+R has fielded a triennial survey to examine the priorities and strategies of library directors. Historically, the three-year time frame has been appropriate for tracking trends. But after releasing the most recent iteration in April 2020, we recognized that both the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing movements for racial justice were having an immediate impact on academic libraries. To examine the extent of library leaders’ prioritization of equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism…
Research Report
December 9, 2020
Academic Library Strategy and Budgeting During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Results from the Ithaka S+R US Library Survey 2020
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ithaka S+R surveyed library directors nationally to examine the strategic changes libraries have made to continue operating. A total of 638 library directors responded to questions about library leadership and decision making, COVID-19 management, budget allocations and cuts, collections acquisitions, and personnel changes. The questionnaire also focused on racial justice in light of recent protests including the Black Lives Matter movement and the related increased focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion in higher education.
Blog Post
January 23, 2017
Multi-Stakeholder Perspectives on Understanding and Supporting Research Habits
How do various stakeholders in higher education believe that research habits can be best developed and supported? And how important is the role of the library in developing these skills? Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to share findings on these perspectives from Ithaka S+R surveys of students, faculty members, and library directors. In this webinar hosted by NFAIS, I was joined by Lisa Hinchliffe, Professor/Coordinator for Information Literacy Services and Instruction in the University Library at the…