Other UBC Library milestones

Spring 2012

Indigenous Knowledges at UBC

UBC Library hosted the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Presidential meeting April 12-14. Indigenous Knowledges: Local priorities, Global contexts provided an opportunity for those interested in Indigenous and traditional knowledge to better understand the local and global issues under discussion by many types of international cultural, heritage and community organizations.

UBC Library announces change management plan

As part of its strategic plan and budgetary forecast, UBC Library announced a number of collection and service consolidations at various campus branches and sites. The transformative changes began in May and will take three years to complete, allowing the Library to strengthen its position as a valued partner in research, teaching and learning on campus. The driving factors behind the Library’s changes were highlighted later in the year in a Ubyssey feature article by student reporter Andrew Bates. 

Summer 2012

UBC Library Staff Award Program recipients

In 2012, UBC Library launched a Staff Awards Program, designed to acknowledge the many ways in which staff contribute to their workplace through creativity, innovation, excellence and customer service. The program helps support the Library’s aim of fostering an exceptional workplace by honouring the talent and contributions of its employees. Initiatives such as the Library Staff Awards Program are key to improving workplace culture, as identified by the Workplace Experiences Survey results, conducted at UBC by Ipsos Reid in November 2011.

Robson Square Library closes in current form

As part of the significant changes underway at UBC Library, the Robson Square branch closed on August 31. Two of its most popular services – online access to Library collections, and book and article deliveries – continued, as did online reference services. The Robson Reading Series, a collaboration between UBC Bookstore and the Library’s Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, continued until the end of March 2013.

Fall 2012

Chinese Canadian Stories kiosks unveiled

Interactive mobile kiosks that feature historical stories of Chinese Canadian communities debuted in October as part of UBC’s Chinese Canadian Stories (CCS) project. The kiosks offer compelling narratives in three languages (English, Chinese, French). The CCS project, a partnership between UBC Library and Simon Fraser University Library, received grant money from Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s Community Historical Recognition Program (CHRP) in 2010. The kiosks launched in Vancouver, and are stationed across Canada in various libraries and public institutions.

Hospital libraries survey results released

As part of its branch consolidation plans, the Library considered the potential closure of two hospital library branches – the St. Paul’s Hospital Library and Hamber Library (at BC Children’s and Women’s Health Centre). A working group was struck to review and recommend other physical and virtual service models, and their research included a survey from the user community at the two hospital library branches as well as the Biomedical Library Branch at the Diamond Health Centre. Survey results were released online in the fall and provided to senior administration at the Faculty of Medicine and the University Librarian for consideration.

Winter 2013

Library users complete LibQUAL+ survey

In February, UBC Library released the LibQUAL+ survey to a random sample of students and faculty. The LibQUAL+ survey measures user satisfaction with Library services, and helps the Library better understand and respond to student and faculty expectations. The survey was released a month earlier at the UBC Okanagan campus and was open to all students and faculty. Results are expected to be shared by fall 2013.

Music Library moves collections to Irving K. Barber Learning Centre

As part of the Library’s change management plans, discussions with the School of Music began during the fall of 2012 on relocating the Music Library collection to the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. In February 2013, the School of Music issued a statement on its website confirming the move. A plan for the third floor of the Learning Centre has been developed with Music faculty and student input, including new furniture and equipment. The collection move is expected to take place in the latter half of June 2013.