WSU Libraries
Message from Dean Sandra G. Yee
In 2008, the Library System continued our commitment to Wayne State¹s strategic goals of excellence in teaching and learning, remaining a premier research university and enhancing our urban mission and commitment. I am pleased to report that the Library System, with the support of its many partners on campus and around southeastern Michigan, nationally and internationally, continues our progress in the face of difficult economic times.
Our emphasis on excellence in teaching and learning led to the creation of a new liaison services coordinator position, giving renewed emphasis to the librarians¹ relationships with academic departments, faculty and students. We are developing tools to make the integration of library resources in courses more convenient and to instruct students in accessing and making use of the tools we own.
Librarians are involved with introductory classes in the school of business administration and in the communications department, and have successfully created online instruction for these students. Some librarians are now holding office hours where our faculty teach and our students attend classes. Because of the many electronic resources now available, it is possible to offer mobile services to better meet our clients¹ needs. This commitment to electronic resources once again made us a leader in the ARL Statistics in percentage of acquisitions dollars allocated to electronic resources.
In this challenging economy, we are working to provide opportunities that match the needs of today¹s students. The all-online MLIS degree allows students from across the United States to take classes and earn a professional degree that will open doors for them in the future. We are also preparing our LIS students to work in a variety of settings and places. After the Urban Librarian Summit in September, in which we established our definition of urban librarianship, we renewed our commitment to underserved populations by crafting a new concentration in urban librarianship that will be implemented in fall 2009. The School of Library and Information Science continues to grow with innovative new programs and continued commitment to our core traditions.
We look forward to many new developments in the coming year, particularly
the completion of a renovated Purdy Library reference area and the grand
opening of the Richard J. Mazurek Medical Education Commons complex, which
will house the Shiffman Medical Library. I encourage you to visit us and
enjoy our new and renovated spaces!
Sandra G. Yee, Dean of the Wayne State
University Library System