Excellence in the Stacks

4

Fast-forward: the transformation of excellence

Carla B. Tracy

Abstract:

Long before receiving the 2006 ACRL Excellence award in the College category, the Thomas Tredway Library at Augustana College (Illinois) served not only as a traditional library but as the College’s default student center, the place on campus for students to study, grab a quick meal in the coffee shop, and generally “see and be seen.” In 2010, an administrative initiative that would combine the library, student activities, and a new dining hall required the library staff to alter their customary incremental approach to change and to quickly re-examine their core mission and values. This chapter describes that examination and some of the challenges in planning a unique ...