Steely Library Progress Report 2007-2008

Library Collections

  • More than 316,000 volumes.
  • More than 35,000 electronic books.
  • More than 512,000 government documents.
  • 1,579 periodical subscriptions.
  • Almost 4,000 journal subscriptions (83% of these in electronic format).
  • Access to more than 54,000 full-text articles.

Contributions

  • Between one-third and one-half of the book collections have been tagged in our RFID implementation this year.
  • R&IS launched the Blackboard Librarian program.
  • Provided materials to visually challenged faculty and students through a subscription to Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic program.
  • Promoted broader use of the LRC by housing textbook adoption samples and hosting targeted workshops for area teaching professionals in addition to expanding connections to the university's Early Childhood Center by bringing the children to the library for Story Time and other special programming.
  • Celebrated the 50th anniversary of National Library Week with displays of NKU associates on their own "Read" posters.
  • Assisted more than 1,100 new students during the library's annual School Daze booth, which is held the first two days of fall semester.

Document Delivery

  • Filled more than 11,000 request for materials by borrowing or purchasing needed materials for faculty and students.

Facilities

  • Saw a 9 percent increase in the use of building facilities, such as seating and study space, PC/printing access and collaborative study areas, over the previous year.
  • Circulated 41,815 items.
  • Circulated 17 laptops 4,830 times.
  • 2 group study rooms.
  • Recorded 875 uses of the two group study rooms.
  • 3 conference rooms.
  • 1 instruction room.
  • Eva G. Farris Reading Room.

Services

  • 25 total classes with embedded librarian.
  • 34 professional development sessions taught.
  • 291 classes offered through library instruction.
  • 6,450 students reached in these classes.
  • 116 tutorials added to the website.
  • 7,953 information and research assistance transactions.
  • 176 research consultations to faculty and students.
  • 310 library systems service requests.

Recognition

Due to the generosity of university donors Eva G. and Oakley Farris, the library established the Eva G. Farris Reading Area. This area will provide leisure reading materials and comfortable seating for students in addition to display space for student artwork.

Grant Activity Projects Funded for the Year:

"Creative Thinking: Intellectual Property for Teens and Young Adults"
$9,000 from the Cincinnati Bar Foundation, 2008.
"W. Frank Steely Library Digital Project"
$14,047, 50 percent matching Library Automation Subgrant, from the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives, 2008.

Special Collections & Archives

  • Provided research assistance to 276 users.
  • Provided information to 6 classes.
  • Conducted 3 sessions on records management.

Public Engagement

  • Continued to collaborate with Gateway Community And Technical College by ordering, cataloging, and processing more than 300 library materials for their library in addition to providing research assistance and document delivery services.
  • The Friends of Steely Library hosted several special events:
    • Reception for new faculty, August 17, 2007.
    • Author Robert Olmstead, November 15, 2007.
    • Poets R. L. Barth and Frank X. Walker, April 3, 2008.
    • Dedication of the Eva G. Farris Reading Area, July 10, 2008.

Significant Accomplishments

  • Recognized the first graduates of the Library Staff Certification Program, who completed a series of required coursework that allows growth and development in their job performance:
    • Katy McBryan
    • Erin Smith
    • Deborah Stonehouse
  • Completed the first cycle of strategic plan initiatives, which included the creation of two major work teams for marketing and assessment.
  • Released the subject portals, online guides to discipline-specific resources for students.
  • Continued migration of the journal collection from print to electronic, enabling the university community to access content remotely.
  • Began digitization of NKU student theses.

New Resources

  • Added the Elsevier College Edition Collections - Health and Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, and Social and Behavioral Sciences.
  • Added PsycArticles, a database providing full-text access to content from 63 American Psychological Association journals.
  • Created major improvements to the library catalog by offering RSS feeds for new titles and an enhanced search screen.
  • In partnership with Information Technology, Steely Library now offers RefWorks, a research management, writing, and academic collaboration software package, to the university community.

Library Staff

  • 1 administrator
  • 17 faculty
  • 21 staff
  • 1 graduate-assistant
  • 1 development officer

Contact

  • Phone number: (859) 572-5456
  • Fax number: (859) 572-5390
  • Home page
  • Email