April 10, 2006

To:               President Deborah Stanley

From:            Provost Susan Coultrap-McQuin, Chair, Library Visioning Committee

Re:               Vision 2020:  A 21^st Century Vision of Penfield Library at SUNY Oswego

On behalf of the Library Visioning Committee, I am pleased to submit to you the results of our committee’s work.  Last spring your charge to the committee was to:  study current thinking and planning for forward-looking libraries, promote campus dialogue on the future of Penfield library, and recommend a vision for our library’s future.  The attached document includes our brief description of the 21^st century context for libraries, our vision for Penfield Library, and a list of some of the ideas for library renovations that came to the committee during the visioning process.

 The vision being submitted to you is the result of our studies and of widespread consultation with the campus on the role and future of the library on our campus.  Members of the committee read many articles on contemporary libraries and visited several that have been recently remodeled.  Approximately 400 students, faculty, staff, and administrators participated in focus groups and/or on-line surveys to help shape the vision.  All of the ideas gathered were discussed and evaluated by the committee members in the process of creating this vision.

Since our task is completed, we recommend that you now appoint a Library Planning Committee to work during 2006-2007 to

·         Recommend activities and renovations for implementation of this vision in Penfield Library;

·         Work on a program planning document either with internal facilities personnel or an external consultant.

We recommend that the committee include representative faculty, staff, students and administrators from the visioning committee, the library staff, Library Council, the student body, CTS and facilities.

I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the dedication and collegiality of the other members of the Library Visioning Committee:  Mary Beth Bell, Ian Cuthill, Doug Deal, Richard Hughes, Greg Ketcham, Faith Maina, Brian McDonald, David McQuin, James Nichols, Joe Rial, and Sara Varhus.  They met regularly since last spring to accomplish their task.  I have appreciated their commitment to this project.

If we can answer any further questions for you, please do not hesitate to contact us.

c.  Library Visioning website