By: Dr. Elaine Sloan
Atlanta University Center Interim Director

An external review of Atlanta University Center's Library ultimately led to the decision to hire SOLINET consultants to help the library improve its services and make its operations more efficient.
SOLINET was selected because of its good reputation among the Robert W. Woodruff Library staff. The other benefits were that SOLINET could quickly identify qualified consultants, would conduct reviews in an open and participatory manner, and could coordinate multiple reviews in a short period of time.

The Woodruff Library at the Atlanta University Center (AUC) is an attractive 220,000-square-foot facility built in 1982. It is the library for Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, and the Interdenominational Theological Center, historically black institutions of higher education in southwest Atlanta.
An external review commissioned by the library's Board of Directors indicated that Woodruff Library's governance structure needed to be updated. An interim director was named, who began the process of rebuilding confidence of the user communities and administrations in the library, according to the report.
To help make these other improvements in the library, SOLINET consultants were called in.

During fall 2002, these consultants reviewed technical services, circulation, information technology, and public services and collections. The library received well documented reports from each of the con sultants before the end of January 2003. The draft reports were discussed in staff meetings before the final reports were formally accepted by the library. All staff received copies of all final reports.
The recommendations in the consultants' reports formed the agenda for change. Five librarians were appointed to the Library Planning Team and charged with overseeing next steps. The Planning Team created Task Forces, called ATMOs ("Action Teams Mobilized for Opportunity"). ATMO reports recommended that some changes take place immediately, and the teams were empowered to make the changes; in other cases, the ATMO reports recommended next steps.
Open staff meetings were held to discuss ATMO reports. Many changes, large and small, resulted from the Planning Team's work. Among the major changes was the decision to move from PALS to Voyager as the library's local cataloging system and to reorganize technical services and public services.

During the spring of 2003, while the Planning Team was at work, the library embarked upon developing a strategic plan. The strategic planning process reached beyond the library to engage the Atlanta University Center academic community. By the end of the academic year, a new vision and mission had been articulated and strategic objectives identified.

Next Steps

The library began the 2003/04 academic year preparing for a new governance structure, a new library management system, and an in-depth service improvement program.
SOLINET returned to conduct a series of customer service training sessions.
Since the suggestions that came out of SOLINET's consultants' work were implemented, use of the library has increased. Faculty, students, and administrators in the AUC express more positive attitudes about the library. And the library staff is better prepared to continue to change. The stage has been set for a promising future.

Sloan, Dr. Elaine, "The Atlanta University Center's Strategy for Change",
Solinet Solutions, Volume 1:2, Page 5, March 2004, Retrieved April 1, 2004 from:
Solinet's Website | http://www.solinet.net/emplibfile/SolutionsMarch2004.pdf