«*EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
June 2011
Executive Summary
-------
This page intentionally left blank
-------
Table of Contents
Message from the CIO 1
Introduction 2
Drivers for Change 3
Library Network Mission and Vision 3
Network Guiding Principles 3
Network Priorities FY2012-2014 4
Network Governance 4
Library Services 5
Electronic and Physical Collections 5
Library Network Communications, Outreach and Training 5
Implementation Plan 6
-------
Message from the CIO
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Chief Information Officer, I am committed to making
sure we provide access to quality environmental information. One of the Agency's most important and
valuable information resources is our National Library Network (Library Network). The Network provides library
services to both EPA employees and the public to ensure they can access information they need to make
informed environmental decisions. Advances in technology have provided boundless opportunities to access
information sources more readily through electronic means. The Library Network has embraced this trend
by digitizing EPA publications in the library collections, providing access to materials online, and answering
questions through the "Ask a Librarian" chat reference service.
EPA will continue to build on the Library Network's successes to ensure that EPA employees and the public
receive exemplary library services. To guide the Network toward its future vision, the Agency developed the
EPA National Library Network Strategic Plan FY2012-2014. This Plan sets the foundation for the Network's future
and provides library customers with a picture of where the Network is going and how the Agency plans to get
there.
The Strategic Plan lays out goals in four key areas—Library Network governance; services; electronic and
physical collections; and communications, outreach and training. The core of the Library Network is its
collaboration; and through this coordination, the Network will work to achieve the goals laid out in the Plan.
The Network libraries cross geographical and programmatic boundaries and serve a myriad of customers, and
they will continue to use collaboration and the leveraging of individual expertise to provide EPA staff and the
public with the information services they need to conduct their work.
I am confident that through the implementation of the Library Network Strategic Plan, the Agency will improve
our library services, continue to grow our electronic and physical library collections, ensure ongoing and
consistent funding for the Agency's libraries, and make certain EPA employees are knowledgeable about the
services available to them and how to access them. I am committed to service quality; and I know, through the
implementation of this Plan, the Agency will enable customers who rely on the Library Network to continue to
obtain the resources they need to protect human health and the environment.
Sincerely,
Malcolm D. Jackson
Assistant Administrator for Environmental Information
and Chief Information Officer
EPA NATIONAL LIBRARY NETWORK STRATEGIC PLAN - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - FY 2012-FY2014
-------
Introduction
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
(EPA) National Library Network (Library Network)
provides Agency staff and the public with access
to accurate, objective and timely environmental
information to facilitate decision-making. The
Library Network is composed of libraries
and document repositories located in
EPA's Headquarters, Regions, field offices,
research centers, and specialized
laboratories. In addition to professional
library staff and physical (paper)
collections, the Library Network supports
and makes available virtual library
resources that provide Agency staff and
the public with access to EPA information
and library services.
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, EPA developed the
EPA National Library Network Strategic Plan
FY2012-201'4, which provides a roadmap for
building a robust network of libraries serving the
information needs of EPA staff and the general
public. The EPA National Library Network continues to
evolve to a fully-distributed and coordinated community
to function in today's environment of greater user expectations
for faster electronic delivery of services, ever-increasing digital resources and rapidly-changing technology.
To embrace these opportunities while addressing shrinking resources, EPA formed a cross-Agency workgroup
to develop a strategic plan that ensures EPA's Library Network provides its customers with the services and
resources they need to conduct their daily work and make informed environmental decisions.
EPA's distributed and coordinated Library Network will enable the Agency to leverage the expertise and
resources of the geographically diverse libraries to improve access to collections and ensure that core
information services of reference/research, interlibrary loan (ILL)/document delivery, and access to electronic
library services are available at all local Network libraries. At the same time, a collaborative Library Network
enables individual libraries to streamline operations and reduce redundancies. Through coordination across
the Library Network, each library will function as both a convenient, local facility meeting the needs of local
customers, as well as a Network node providing integrated, Network-wide access to its collections, and
knowledgeable reference and research services to EPA and public customers.
The EPA National Library Network Strategic Plan (Plan) outlines a three-year strategy (FY 2012-2014) for building
on the Library Network's successes and accomplishments to provide EPA employees and the public with
convenient and timely access to environmental information. EPA's vision of an enhanced National Library
Network exemplifies the principles of the One EPA Initiative which seeks to incorporate increased cooperation
and collaboration into the Agency's operational culture.
EPA NATIONAL LIBRARY NETWORK STRATEGIC PLAN - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - FY 2012-FY2014
-------
Drivers for Change
In developing the EPA National Library Network Strategic Plan, EPA analyzed the recommendations from the
following three key reports:
• Information Needs Assessment Report (August 17, 2009) - Determined the future information needs of an
increasingly mobile workforce and found ways to leverage technology to serve EPA library customers.
• 2010 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report entitled Environmental Protection Agency: EPA
Needs to Complete a Strategy for Its Library Network to Meet Users' Needs - Assessed the status of EPA's
overall strategy for its Library Network, the status of EPA's plan to reopen its libraries, EPA's efforts to
digitize Agency documents, and EPA's efforts to communicate with staff and other stakeholders about its
Library Network.
• Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) analysis - Conducted with the Network
librarians and other internal stakeholders in December 2010 to highlight additional drivers for change.
Library Network Mission and Vision
The Plan supports the realization of the Library Network's vision and mission.
mission
vision
The EPA National Library Network is an essential
information partner with EPA staff and the public to
support decision making, environmental awareness,
and protection of human health and the environment.
The EPA National Library Network supports EPA staff
and the public by providing timely and accurate
information in appropriate formats at the point of need.
Network Guiding Principles
The Plan is built upon the following guiding principles. The guiding principles drive all the work the Library
Network does on a day-to-day basis. The Library Network will:
• Strive to provide all EPA staff with access to services and collections regardless of location.
• Provide the public with information services and access to Agency information.
• Respond to all library requests in a timely manner and in the most appropriate format.
• Provide library services in alignment with Agency and local missions and priorities.
• Maximize the use of resources and technologies.
EPA NATIONAL LIBRARY NETWORK STRATEGIC PLAN - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - FY 2012-FY2014
-------
Network Priorities FY2012-2014
Based on the guiding principles and the future direction of the Library Network, the priorities for FY 2012-2014
are:
• Educate stakeholders on the value and the day-to-day activities of the Library Network.
• Utilize a responsive and collaborative organizational structure to provide effective library services to
customers.
• Increase coordination and collaboration among Network libraries to improve services and make efficient
use of expenditures.
• Strengthen the Library Network governance structure to increase stakeholder input and support.
• Meet increasing demands from users for accurate and timely information.
• Leverage technology to deliver point-of-need access to library services for EPA staff and the public.
• Provide fully accessible collections and resources in the most appropriate format to support the mission
of the Agency.
In order to achieve these priorities, the Plan outlines the strategic goals and actions the Library Network will
undertake in FY 2012-2014. The goals and actions are organized around four strategic improvement areas: 1)
Library Network Governance; 2) Library Services; 3) Library Network Electronic and Physical Collections; and 4)
Communications, Outreach and Training.
Network Governance
The Library Network's governance process provides oversight for the overall operation of the libraries and
ensures coordination across the Network. In FY 2012-2014, the Library Network will implement and formalize
governance processes to ensure the most effective management of the Network and its resources through
three specific goals:
• Goal 1: Increase and establish formal mechanisms to obtain senior-level and stakeholder points-of-view
and expertise in library governance.
• Goal 2: Formalize and stabilize library resource allocation.
• Goal 3: Increase coordination and participation in Library Network operations in keeping with the One
EPA concept to improve service delivery while building on existing strengths and maximizing use of
resources.
EPA NATIONAL LIBRARY NETWORK STRATEGIC PLAN - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - FY 2012-FY2014
-------
Library Services
The Library Network provides services to both EPA employees and the public. The Library Network's FY 2012-2014
goals for library services include:
• Goal 1: Increase coordination and collaboration among Network libraries in providing services to users,
and ensure access to information for all EPA staff while making efficient use of Agency expenditures.
• Goal 2: Enable internal and external users to access information independently by creating and
enhancing tools and resources.
• Goal 3: Ensure quality and timeliness of services across all libraries.
Electronic and Physical Collections
Library Network collections provide valuable information to EPA staff and the public through physical and
electronic resources. In FY 2012-2014 the Library Network will work to complete the inventory and cataloging
of collections, increase electronic access through digitization, and improve coordination of collection
management and cataloging across its more than 313,000 unique titles in its physical collections. The three
goals to improve the overall coordination and management of the Network's collections include:
• Goal 1: Complete the inventory and cataloging of all library collections.
• Goal 2: Increase electronic access to EPA publications through digitization.
• Goal 3: Coordinate Library Network collection management to ensure an appropriate and balanced
mix of electronic and physical collections.
Library Network Communications, Outreach and
Training
The Library Network currently communicates about its resources and services to internal and external users;
however, the Network will work to expand awareness of EPA Library services and resources to EPA staff and the
general public. There are two goals to improve the Network's overall communications, outreach and training
efforts:
• Goal 1: Increase awareness of the Network libraries' offerings through outreach efforts.
• Goal 2: Expand training opportunities.
EPA NATIONAL LIBRARY NETWORK STRATEGIC PLAN - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - FY 2012-FY2014
-------
Implementation Plan
Over the next three years, the Library Network will work to implement the goals and actions laid out in the
Strategic Plan. There are many external factors—resource allocation, ongoing day-to-day operations of
Network libraries, evolving Agency priorities, and new requirements from external sources—that may affect the
Library Network's ability to implement the activities articulated in this Plan. Therefore, the Network's National
Program Manager and the Library Network coordination team will ensure that the implementation of this Plan
is managed closely and that the schedule is monitored and updated to ensure the actions are implemented
effectively. The Network Coordination team will meet at least every six months to evaluate the progress in
meeting the actions laid out in the Plan and will adjust the project plan as needed. The Program Manager will
also update EPA senior-leadership every six months on Plan implementation.
In conjunction with this Plan, EPA also developed a detailed document entitled EPA National Library Network
Strategic Plan FY2012-2014 that provides additional discussion of the activities for each goal and lays out
the phased approach to the Plan. This phased approach to implementing the EPA National Library Network
Strategic Plan FY2012-2014 will ensure that actions are implemented effectively and that Library Network
customers are able to access and receive the information needed to make informed environmental decisions.
EPA NATIONAL LIBRARY NETWORK STRATEGIC PLAN - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - FY 2012-FY2014
-------
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Environmental Information
Office of Information Analysis and Access
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 260-S-11-001
www.epa.gov/libraries/
strategic plan.html
June 2011
------- |