Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures, tables and case studies
- Editors and contributors
- Introduction
- PART 1 A review of the landscape
- PART 2 The agile librarian
- 3 Librarian as partner: in and out of the library
- 4 Novice to expert: developing digitally capable librarians
- 5 Lean in the library: building capacity by realigning staff and resources
- PART 3 Digital spaces and services
- PART 4 Communications and social networking
- Index
5 - Lean in the library: building capacity by realigning staff and resources
from PART 2 - The agile librarian
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 June 2018
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures, tables and case studies
- Editors and contributors
- Introduction
- PART 1 A review of the landscape
- PART 2 The agile librarian
- 3 Librarian as partner: in and out of the library
- 4 Novice to expert: developing digitally capable librarians
- 5 Lean in the library: building capacity by realigning staff and resources
- PART 3 Digital spaces and services
- PART 4 Communications and social networking
- Index
Summary
Introduction
The body that represents the university sector in Australia, Universities Australia, has identified digital scholarship and operational efficiency as two key drivers for change in the Australian higher education sector. The strategy statement for 2013 to 2016, titled A Smarter Australia, recognizes ‘the emergence of the digital economy and new technology, globalisation and the Asian century, economic and industrial restructuring and the need to improve productivity’ (Universities Australia, 2013, 9).
In this strategy statement it situates digital scholarship within the context of the wider economy and government agenda for Australia:
The digital economy and technology are transforming higher education, just as they have transformed media, retail, entertainment, finance and administration … These changing practices and cultures bring challenges and opportunities that change university teaching, research, structure and business models, and responding to them has been urged by both senior Labor and Coalition [Government] frontbenchers.
(Universities Australia, 2013, 52)In response to the drivers of the digital economy, including digital scholarship, and the need for greater productivity in the Australian university sector, it has adopted the policy principle that
Universities need to continue to look for new ways to increase productivity and operational efficiency, including external benchmarking and innovative uses of new technologies.
(Universities Australia, 2013, 49)The strategic plan for Macquarie University has been formulated in response to extensive consultation conducted with staff and students after the arrival of the new Vice-Chancellor in 2012. As well as the drivers outlined in A Smarter Australia, the Macquarie University aspiration and vision is to be
a university of service and engagement. We serve and engage our students and staff through transformative learning and life experiences; and we serve and engage the world through discovery, dissemination of knowledge and ideas, innovation and deep partnerships.
(Macquarie University, 2013, 7)There are strategic priority areas that support this vision. Strategic priority number seven in the plan is ‘improving those aspects of our support services to realize this aspiration and vision’ (Macquarie University, 2013, 23). This priority was designed to improve the University support services to enable research and teaching to deliver their potential for the institution and was formulated in response to staff feedback during the consultation phase, which identified that the University's processes and approaches were not sufficiently modern or efficient to support their academic purpose.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Developing Digital ScholarshipEmerging practices in academic libraries, pp. 81 - 102Publisher: FacetPrint publication year: 2016