Perceptions of Canadian Provosts on the Institutional Role of Academic Libraries

Abstract

This study examines perceptions of provosts from Canadian researchintensive universities regarding their institution's academic libraries. Interviews conducted with nine provosts explored how they perceive academic libraries in terms of alignment with institutional mission, how they envision the future of their libraries, and what they interpret as indicators of success. The results suggest that provosts perceive libraries making significant contributions to research and student learning, particularly through the provision of access to information and the evolving role of library as place respectively. Other areas of library expertise, such as scholarly communication, appear somewhat less familiar to provosts, suggesting the need for library leaders to promote new roles within the institutional context. rovosts or academic vice-presidents are crucial stakeholders of academic libraries. At most institutions, libraries report directly to the provost, and the provost's support is essential for ongoing investment. Universities and research libraries are both in periods of rapid change. Fundamental questions are being asked of each, and traditional roles are being reassessed. In this context, it is important that the library community engage in discussions about the future of academic libraries with an awareness of how changes in the information environment interact with fundamental changes in the academy. Provosts' perspectives on these issues are particularly important. As senior administrators who are expected to play the role of chief academic visionary, provosts have a high-level perspective on the strategic directions of the institution and are responsible for guiding the academic mission. Few studies of provosts' perspectives on academic libraries have been carried out. The intent of this research is to investigate how provosts (or equivalent academic administrators) at Canadian research-intensive universities perceive the role of academic libraries in the context of their evolving institutions.Interviews conducted with nine provosts explored how these leaders perceive academic libraries in terms of alignment with institutional mission, how they envision the future of their libraries, and what they interpret to be indicators of libraries' success. This report describes the framing of the project, the methodology, the results, and a discussion of implications. The findings provide insight into how academic research libraries are perceived by senior administrators to be evolving in the context of their institutions.

“This is an Opportunity for Librarians to Reinvent Themselves, but it is about Moving Out of their Areas”: New Roles for Library Leaders?

“…A study of nine Canadian provosts ('chief academic visionary' posts) from researchintensive universities (Robertson, 2015) explored how they perceive academic libraries in the context of their evolving institutions. All respondents saw the library as critical in supporting the research function although the majority see this in traditional terms of preserving and disseminating research.…”

“…There is a lack of recognition of the potential of the Library and a traditional (outdated) view of what libraries can do (Murray & Ireland, 2017;Harland et al, 2017), neither is the potential of the library director always recognised (Hardesty 1991;McAnally & Downs, 1973;Grimes, 1998). However, there is a recognition that libraries provide well used spaces indeed there are suggestions that the success of this space is shared with other services (Robertson, 2015).…”

“…It is notable in the Survey how many library directors have responsibility for student academic support -the fulfilment of the wish in the literature to see the library as a platform for the co-location and collaboration with academic support services (Robertson, 2015).…”

Aligning Library and University Strategic Directions: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study of Academic Library Leadership in Australia and the U.S.A

“…For example, Maddox and Zhao (2017) discuss the development of research performance data as part of university library strategy in a case study of Deakin University Library, Australia. Robertson (2015) examines Canadian university provosts' perceptions of the library's alignment with the university mission. This study finds that Canadian university provosts regard their libraries' expanded roles as having contributed significantly to the university's mission.…”

Creating the Innovative Library Culture: Escaping the Iron Cage Through Management Innovation

“…This budget situation is, in part, due to the university administration having a traditional and limited view of what the library can do. One of the primary responsibilities of the marketing librarian is to communicate with the stakeholders in the university (vice presidents and provosts; Robertson, 2015) and make sure they understand how the academic library can advance the strategy and goals of the university.…”