Library Philosophy and Practice Vol. 7, No.

2
(Spring 2005)
ISSN 1522-0222

The History of Academic

Libraries in the United
States: a Review of the
Literature
Sharon Gray Weiner

Director,Peabody Library
#325 Peabody College
230 Appleton Place
Vanderbilt University
Nashville Tennessee 37203

Introduction

Academic libraries have a close relationship with

learning and research and have influenced these things as
well. Their history is one of evolution and change that
parallels the history of their parent institutions. Leaders and
innovators championed features of libraries that are now
taken for granted. Responsiveness to student and faculty
needs, quality of service, and resilience have been
hallmarks of academic libraries in the US. A chronological
review of the literature demonstrates these characteristics.
This paper is divided into the major periods of the history
of US academic libraries: the Colonial period, the
Nineteenth Century, and the Twentieth Century.

Included in this review of the literature are journal

articles, books, and dissertations published between 1980
and 2003 that discuss historical aspects of the library in
four-year colleges and universities in the United States.
Histories of individual libraries are usually omitted.
Histories of libraries in two-year colleges, architectural
history, conference proceedings, and editorials have not
been included; nor have publications on specialized
libraries in academic institutions such as medical, law, or
music, or research collections that are not a part of an
academic institution (Library of Congress, Center for
Research Libraries). Citations were identified by
exhaustive searching of theLibrary Literature, ERIC,
America History and Life, Digital Dissertations, and
WorldCat databases. Bibliographies of those citations were
reviewed to identify additional sources. Key authors were
identified and author searches were then performed in the
databases listed.

Mirror of Higher Education

That the history of academic libraries mirrors the

development of higher education implies a process of
growth, assimilation, and diversification (Shiflett 1994).
The role of the library has evolved as the priorities of the
institutions have evolved. At the same time, academic
librarianship has developed into a distinct profession with
its own set of ideals, objectives, and commitments within
the academic community (Wiegand 1983). Shiflett's work
on the origins of academic librarianship is a classic and an
excellent summary of the literature and research on this
topic that was published before 1980. He states that it is
necessary to understand the history of American higher
education to truly comprehend American academic
librarianship. The library "prospered or suffered in
proportion to its value to the college" (Shiflett 1981). and
the status of the librarian was directly related to the
library's place in the college. He concludes that academic
librarianship has failed to become fully defined because it
lacks a body of theory and research (Shiflett 1981).

Libraries "can be viewed as information systems

that both reflect and influence, and even help to create,
paradigms and authority, for they set limits in various ways
on the ideas and information available to users" (Dain
1990). Due to a process calledtransparency, in which an
entity is taken for granted and not well understood, the
contexts and institutional structures of libraries are for the
most part explored only in the library literature by
librarian-historians. It is a disturbing indicator of the
relative invisibility of libraries in higher education that
there are few articles or books about them in the literature
of that discipline. Their role in acquiring and producing
knowledge within intellectual, institutional, and social
contexts needs to be developed with a research base and
disseminated in the literature of disciplines that are related
to and affected by them.

Colonial Libraries

Until the American Revolution, most books were

imported from England. Local presses produced materials
such as pamphlets, school texts, newspapers and business
or legal forms. From 1639 to 1776, they produced about 60
books per year. After 1776, there was an increase in
publications produced in America. An 1804 catalog listed
1,338 American publications in print (Hanson 1989).

When John Harvard donated approximately 300 of

his books to Harvard University, he created the first
academic library in the colonies. The colonial college
libraries were characterized by small, eclectic collections
of donated books. There was no funding from parent
institutions to systematically purchase materials to
supplement the colleges' programs. Libraries were
vulnerable to fire because the buildings were made of
wood. They were open for only a few hours per week and
were operated by a professor who was assigned to be
caretaker of the library as part of his teaching
responsibilities. In some colleges, he had to pay for books
that disappeared from the inventory himself.

Since a classical curriculum was fixed, there was

little need to read anything but textbooks (Shiflett 1994).
Most books in libraries were theological works, as well as
some classics and standard treatises in philosophy, logic,
and history. There was no standard way to categorize
books so they were arranged either by size, donor, subject,
or author until the adoption of the Dewey Decimal
classification scheme in 1876. The library usually consisted
of one or two rooms of books located in the main building
or in the chapel. Harvard constructed the first freestanding
library building in 1841 (Hanson 1989). Before the late
19th century, "academic libraries, with the exceptions of
Harvard and Yale and a few others, were as
undistinguished and arid as the colleges themselves" (Dain
1990).

Nineteenth Century

Changes in scholarship and learning during the late

nineteenth and early twentieth centuries greatly affected
libraries. The emphasis on publishing results of research
during this period led to a proliferation of journals and
scholarly monographs and the need for primary source
materials (Shiflett 1981). Serial publications gained in
importance in the early 1800s. There were fewer than 100
periodicals other than newspapers published in 1825; by
1885, there were 9,000. Due to the difficulties inherent in
such business ventures, they had a life expectancy of about
three years (Hanson 1989).

First Endowments

Harvard and Yale were the first libraries to

establish endowments during this period. This created a
more stable financial base for those libraries. John L.
Sibley began working in Harvard's library in 1841 and
"was indefatigable in building the collections, enormously
resourceful in attracting gifts and had never a doubt as to
the vital importance of amassing the published and written
record of all events and discoveries, great or small"
(Hamlin 1981). He increased the library hours from one
hour per week for freshmen and sophomores and two hours
per week for juniors and seniors to seven hours daily
Monday through Friday.

Literary Society Libraries

College libraries during this period were not

adequate for the students due to their limited hours of
operation and limited collections. From 1800 to 1880,
literary society libraries flourished. Members paid dues that
supported their libraries and selected the books that were
bought for the collection. The books were in English and
encompassed fiction, drama, history, political science,
biography, and travel. They were scholarly and classical
and included encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other
reference works. The libraries were open to all students and
faculty and sometimes to alumni and townspeople. These
libraries could be considered the predecessors of present
day undergraduate libraries (Dain 1990). The literary
societies declined when the natural sciences became more
prominent in the curriculum, graduate instruction
increased, and the course elective system came into
existence. As literary society libraries declined in
importance, college libraries correspondingly increased.

When Johns Hopkins University was established,

faculty used the German seminar method for instruction
instead of the recitation method. This created new demands
for library services and materials. The librarians responded
by keeping the library open longer, building stronger
collections with primary and secondary sources, providing
bibliographic instruction and reference service, and
erecting multipurpose buildings designed to accommodate
people as well as services (Wiegand 1983). As a result,
there was a tremendous growth in collections. College
libraries assimilated the student literary society libraries
and gifts increased. Departmental libraries, rather than one
centralized college library, predominated. The metaphor of
the library as the "heart of the university" is assumed to
have been first stated by Charles Eliot, long-time President
of Harvard, in 1873.

Growth in Collections

The number of volumes in the collection at Harvard

increased by an average of 63% per year from 1856 to
1876; from 1776-1856, the number had only increased by
7.5% per year. This occurred concurrently with the course
elective system, an expanded curriculum, the rise of
graduate schools, and new instruction methods. "By the
end of the nineteenth century the typical small college
library could be characterized as containing 6,000 to
20,000 volumes comprised mainly of donations. Emphasis
was primarily on supporting the curriculum rather than
research" (Hanson 1989).

Improved Use

At the end of the nineteenth century and into the

twentieth, there was a definite shift in emphasis from
conservation and protection of books to making them
accessible and encouraging students and faculty to use
them. There was recognition of the need to provide
effective and personalized service as well as instruction in
the use of the library and reference materials. It became
accepted that books should be classified according to
subject and not according to fixed shelf locations. Each
book was to be listed with an adequate bibliographic
description and this information was to be made easily
available to users by author and subject. Cooperation with
other libraries was seen as advantageous for borrowing
materials (Hamlin, 48-9). Hours were extended and
facilities improved to provide a comfortable work
environment for students from early morning to late
evening on weekdays and for some hours on weekends.
Financing the library became an accepted responsibility of
the parent institution. Placing books on reserve for use by
students in a particular course was a new practice. Book
catalogs of materials held by individual institutions or by
groups of libraries were published to facilitate the sharing
of resources (Dain 1990).

Gender Bias

Almost all research university library directors were

male, as were most deputy and assistant directors. This
demographic only began to change in the 1970s (Dain
1990); however, a noteworthy regional phenomenon
occurred in the Midwest. Bailey discusses the great
increase and influence of female academic librarians in the
Midwest during the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
Students from this period required better library resources
to support the changes in curriculum and teaching methods.
The Midwest accepted coeducational institutions before
other parts of the country. "The availability of college-
educated women in conjunction with the low status
accorded academic librarianship enabled women to enter
college and university library work in growing numbers"
(Bailey 1986). Faculty wives sometimes served as
librarians because they were seen as "cultured,
conveniently available, and an inexpensive source of labor"
(Bailey 1986). Some of the dedicated women who led these
libraries founded state library associations or published
articles and books. One-third left their jobs when they
married; one-quarter remained in their jobs for 20 years or
more. Although not formally trained in library practices,
they learned by observing other libraries, attending
conferences, and reading the professional literature (Bailey
1986).

Beginnings of Research Libraries

Wiegand believes that the role the research library

assumed in the scholarly communication system fostered
by the modern American university in the last quarter of
the nineteenth century in large part determined the way the
research library profession defined its responsibilities to the
research community (Wiegand 1990). He explains that the
ideology of reading at the time was that it should be done
for a purpose and it should be done systematically. There
were many lists of recommended reading. Because
institutions and their instructors did not regard independent
reading very highly, college librarians felt little pressure to
build large collections. Instead, they merely guarded
collections donated from estates of deceased faculty
members or alumni (Wiegand 1990). After the publication
of Darwin'sOrigin of the Species and the establishment of
land grant colleges, education adopted a philosophy of
scientific inquiry. As universities became interested in
finding and communicating new knowledge, libraries
began to build supporting collections.

Collection Building

Competitive collection-building was characteristic

of academic libraries of the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries. Yale's library was the second largest
and third oldest in the country. Yale was the first American
college to award a Ph.D. in 1861. An 1871 faculty report
emphatically states the importance of a comprehensive
library and so the library participated in the transformation
of the college into a university (O'Connor 1987). Since no
library could have a "complete" collection of all published
works, libraries began to specialize. Libraries in large cities
could cooperate with each other in acquiring and sharing
materials; however, Yale was an institution that was
isolated from other research libraries and so tried to acquire
as comprehensive a collection as possible. Rare books were
acquired through alumni donations (O'Connor 1987).
Libraries achieved distinction because of donations of
unique or rare collections. They were evolving from
storehouses to workshops for research (O'Connor 1987).

Leaders in Librarianship

Several highly influential and innovative figures in

academic librarianship appeared during the nineteenth
century. Justin Winsor was appointed head librarian at
Harvard in 1877. He served in this capacity for twenty
years and brought about evolutionary changes and a new
role for the library. Winsor is said to have humanized the
library. He was recognized as a scholar, innovator, national
leader in professional concerns, and builder of the Harvard
library (Hamlin, 50-56).

Archibald Cary Coolidge became director of the

Harvard Library in 1910. He had been a chair of the history
department and had traveled extensively, all the while
formulating a vision of what the library should be. He
identified his priorities as finding space for the collections
and research, addressing a patchwork cataloging and
classification system, and building a quality collection. He
provided vision and leadership and also encouraged
teamwork and shared responsibility (Byrnes 1982). He
aggressively built an outstanding collection of foreign
research materials and donated much to the library himself.
Because of his efforts, the Widener Library was
constructed, which "remains the physical and spiritual
center of the university.a base and a center for research and
instruction at Harvard." Coolidge "helped make the library
an essential part of the university organization.an
intellectual symbol of the university. The skill with which
Coolidge anticipated future needs of the collection and the
library as a whole created a magnet that has helped
Harvard to attract and retain scholars and thereby to make
it a great university" (Byrnes 1982).

In 1883, Melvil Dewey became head librarian at

Columbia University. His approach there was described as
"revolutionary" (Hamlin, 49). Some of the changes he
implemented were: extending library hours from 10 per
week to 84; permitting students to access the shelves;
invention of the card catalog system for locating materials;
lecturing on the use of the library; organizing the first
reference department to "counsel and direct readers;"
making available writing paper and ice water for the
students; setting aside an area of the library where readers
could talk; instituting a suggestion box to obtain feedback;
and hiring six female Wellesley graduates as library
assistants (Hamlin 1981). During his tenure, the
acquisitions budget doubled, the personnel budget
quadrupled, and book circulation increased by 500%. "His
initiatives were being copied by other academic (and
public) libraries across the country and around the world"
(Wiegand, 1996; 108).

In 1887, Melvil Dewey opened the first library

school at Columbia University with seventeen female and
three male students. Before this event, academic librarians
learned their profession by trial and error or by learning
from other librarians. He moved the school to the New
York State Library in Albany in 1889 because Columbia
objected to admitting female students (Wiegand 1996). By
1900, a library school degree or certificate was necessary
to be a chief librarian of a university. Students who
graduated from Dewey's school formed small enclaves in
different parts of the country to share professional training.
Some of these developed into library schools (McElderry
1976).

Twentieth Century

By World War I, most academic libraries had

reference departments. Their purpose was instruction and
guidance of the library user. The goal of reference work
was to foster the independence of the user in locating
research information. There was a trend toward
specialization in reference service by subject (i.e., art
librarian), type of material (i.e., rare books librarian;
government documents librarian); and function (i.e.,
reference librarian or cataloging librarian) (Wiegand 1996).
Library services to undergraduates were a focus. In 1947,
Harvard opened the first library building dedicated to
undergraduate services. Shortage of seating and collection
space combined with the difficulty in accessing and using
large research collections accelerated this trend. In the
1970s, more than 40 institutions had separate
undergraduate libraries. That number has decreased to 25
in 1987 primarily due the cost of duplicating collections
and services (Person 1988).
 Evolving Criteria for Library Performance

From 1906 to 1941, the Carnegie Corporation of

New York gave grant funding to 248 college libraries to
develop book collections for undergraduate students and to
108 institutions for library buildings. The foundation
decided to award funding only to those institutions that
were willing to support their libraries adequately. Data
gathering done by the foundation staff determined that
teachers' college libraries were especially deficient and so
they had priority for funding. Several significant
publications resulted from the work of the Corporation. As
a result of the influence of the Foundation's Advisory
Group on College Libraries, a list of recommended books
for undergraduate libraries was developed and became a
measure of the quality of library collections. This
authoritative guide to purchasing books became known as
the "Shaw List" and was a "landmark of the greatest
importance" (Radford 1984). The Advisory Group then
tackled the issue of defining standards for college libraries.

Library Innovators

Louis Shores was a significant figure in academic

librarianship in the twentieth century. His comment to a
colleague, "You're too worried about the what and the
where of libraries when you should be thinking about why
libraries matter" is an indication of his philosophical
perspective (Shiflett 1996). He was a leader in the area of
reference librarianship, in his advocacy and development
of the concept of "bibliographic instruction," and as a
library educator. He became the director of the Fisk
University Library in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1928 and
attempted unsuccessfully to establish a library school for
African American librarians there. He was a supporter of
racial integration. He became head of the library school at
Peabody College for Teachers in 1933 and received a Ph.D.
from Peabody College for Teachers in 1934. His
dissertation on the history of the colonial college libraries
became a "cornerstone in the historiography of American
library history" when it was published as a book (Shiflett
1996). He was influential in the launching of theJournal of
Library History in 1966. He was the founder of the
innovative Library College movement of the 1960s. This
was an attempt to "mate librarianship and education to
produce a hybrid that would be greater than either"
(Shiflett 1996). He believed that library-centered education
was necessary for a good undergraduate education. In this
model, teachers would work with students in the library
during time that would have been spent in the classroom.

Evolution of Staffing

Orne reviewed the evolution of staffing in the

academic library. He relayed a historic desire by librarians
to be accepted equally by faculty, but concluded that
"acceptance of librarians by the academic community has
not improved very much" (Orne 1980). The first instance
of union participation by library staff was in 1940 at the
Library of Congress. Whether scholarship should be a
required qualification for a library director is an unresolved
issue (Hamlin 1981). Academic librarians have struggled
with their professional role in colleges and universities.
There has been ongoing debate about whether librarians
should have faculty status and whether they can claim the
same academic freedom rights as teaching faculty
(DeVinney 1986). College library work in the 1970s was
described as simple, traditional, and changing little. In
university libraries, complex organizational dynamics
resulted in "a progressive reduction of the ability to obtain
hard decisions on matters having to do with improved
performance" (Orne 1980).

Organizational Models

Kaplan's review of the history of participative

management in academic libraries revealed a 40-year delay
from the time that the concept originated in the business
world to its adoption by libraries. "Pioneer" librarians
during the latent period published articles that tried to
convince colleagues of the benefits of participative
management. But the idea did not gain the attention of the
profession until the social upheavals caused by the
egalitarianism of the New Deal and the rebellious sixties
occurred. Even then, the hierarchical structure of libraries
was so strongly entrenched that widespread change in
management style occurred slowly (Kaplan 1988).

The twenty-five year history of a successful model

of management at Dickinson College Library described
collegiality and flexibility with a rotating chair. It is based
on a group decision-making model with shared
responsibility. In 1975, a holistic model of librarianship
was implemented that eliminated artificial barriers between
technical and public services. Librarians were expected to
be highly competent in a number of areas. Although
considered radical at the time that it was adopted, the new
model is now described as a system that works very well in
a small to moderate size academic library (McKinzie
2000).

Growth in Research

After World War II, federal funding stimulated

increased research. Libraries had to deal with a great
increase in the volume of published materials. As a result,
the government provided support for research libraries to
build their collections. The Cooperative Acquisitions
Project for Wartime Publications resulted in the purchase
of almost two million European books (Dain 1990). The
Farmington Plan was a program of cooperative acquisition
of foreign publications that was established by the
Association of Research Libraries in 1948 and terminated
in 1972. Its original goal was that at least one copy of every
newly published book that had research value would be
acquired by at least one American library. This was the
result of the recognition of a need for information during
World War II and the corresponding dearth of foreign
publications in the U.S. Agents in each country acquired
monographs and distributed them to the appropriate library.
There was an underlying assumption that library
collections were a resource of value to the country, not just
the parent institution (Wagner 2002).

Consortia

Library consortia have a long history of cooperation

in sharing collections or technical processing. They
experienced their greatest growth in the 1960s and 1970s.
Their greatest advantage is economy of scale. Certain items
did not need to be purchased by every library. Consortia
have led to different relationships with vendors and
publishers and have redefined library collections and
services (Bostick 2001).
 Resilience and Creativity

Miller's review of issues related to electronic

resources cited the serials pricing crisis of the early 1980s
as the catalyst for a new model that favored access to
materials rather than ownership of them. She believed that
librarians must continually reassess what they do and why
they do it, creatively move forward, and set standards, not
merely react. She said that the literature showed that
librarianship is "impressively resilient" and is willing to
question, to reorganize, to build on its past, and adapt to
change (Miller 2000).

The library of the Din College, a Navajo tribal

college, is an example of this resilience and creativity. The
library addressed an information need and the desire to
make accessible a source of knowledge that is not in a
standard written form. Hurley (2002) describes the issues
in collecting and preserving knowledge of the Navajo
Nation. Communication of history and tradition through
oral stories is common to North American Native people.
Providing access to those stories is a challenge because
there may not be a written form of the language and
because different people tell different versions of the same
stories. Capturing the stories in a static document loses the
dynamic, context-driven, and fluid aspects that are essential
(Hurley 2002). The library is determining how to make this
rich source of information available while respecting the
concerns and communication preferences of the tribe.

Libraries in Historically Black Colleges and

Universities

The story of the libraries of nine historically black

colleges in Texas concluded that black academic libraries
never became the "heart" of the institution. They were not a
priority for the college administration "and almost never
catalyzed the intellectual life of their communities. As
adjunct activities, library operations failed to figure
prominently in institutional reports." The librarians did not
have allies among the faculty who could influence
improvements because of high turnover among the
professors (Olbrich 1986). The first free-standing library
was built in 1907; the others followed after World War II.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary
Schools began requiring relatively stringent quantitative
library standards. Owens stated that there have been no
comprehensive in-depth analyses of the libraries of
historically black colleges and universities or of the quality
of the collections (Owens 2001).

Computerization

The Ohio College Library Center (OCLC) was

founded in 1967 by the colleges and universities in the
state of Ohio. Its purpose was to develop a computerized
system that would allow the libraries of these academic
institutions to share resources and reduce costs (OCLC
website). In 1972, OCLC offered online cataloging data to
subscribing libraries. OCLC began as a shared cataloging
resource based on a central catalog for the Ohio college
libraries. It was also highly useful as a union catalog for all
member libraries (Maciuszko 1984). The OCLC database
now includes the holdings for almost every library in the
country and also some international libraries. Interlibrary
loan requests are sent electronically to libraries that are
listed as owning the material, saving time and providing
great efficiency. The database is called "WorldCat" and can
be searched by anyone in subscribing institutions. It is an
unparalleled resource for finding citations to published and
much unpublished material including books, journal titles,
newsletters, audiovisuals, theses, government reports, and
conference proceedings.

Future of Libraries

A review of articles that predicted the future of

libraries from 1990-2000 included sections on the issues of
envisioning and planning the future of libraries; visions of
digital libraries and new theories for information
management; access/ownership and the transformation of
scholarly communication; the arrival of the information
society in 2000; and the Internet and new meanings for
library collections. There were many articles that
speculated on the future of libraries during the period from
1975 to 2000. This was evidence of a changing and
uncertain profession. The author finds that by 2000, there
were few articles that predicted the demise of traditional
libraries (Sapp 2003). A possible area for further analysis
was postulated by Dain, who speculates that libraries tend
to reflect rather than create intellectual trends. She states
that it would be interesting to study the intellectual origins
and impact of library collections and operations through
time and across disciplines and institutions (Dain 1990).

Summary

The literature on the history of academic libraries

was explored for three important periods in the evolution of
higher education in the United States. Libraries in the
Colonial period were minimal and peripheral to the college
function and mission. In the nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries, academic libraries developed a formal structure
and became more integral to the mission of the university,
serving students and faculty in supporting more diversified
curricula and research. These trends blossomed following
World War II when increases in funding allowed libraries
to acquire larger collections and become important
resources in research and teaching Changes in technology
beginning in the 1970s caused major changes in
availability and use of electronic resources. Since the
1980s, increased economic pressures on university
administers has caused some to question the role and
function of the traditional library. Throughout U.S. history,
libraries have changed in response to external influences.
As they find ways to connect with the mission of their
parent institutions, the academic library will continue to be
considered the "heart" of the university.

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Wiegand and Donald G. Davis. New York: Garland.

Shiflett, Orvin Lee. (1981).Origins of American Academic

 Librarianship. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing.

Wagner, Ralph D. (2002).A history of the Farmington

Plan. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.

Wiegand, Wayne A. (1983).Leaders in American academic

librarianship, 1925-1975: Beta Phi Mu.

Wiegand, Wayne A. (1990). Research libraries, the

ideology of reading, and scholarly communication, 1876-
1900. InLibraries and scholarly communication in the
United States: The historical dimension, edited by J. Y.
Cole. New York: Greenwood Press.

Wiegand, Wayne A. (1996).Irrepressible Reformer: A

biography of Melvil Dewey. Chicago: American Library
Association.

http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/~mbolin/weiner.htm

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Print

Thinking Boldly! College and University

Library Mission Statements as Roadsigns
to the Future
by Stephanie Rogers Bangert
Saint Mary's College of California

Abstract

The future of libraries as both a physical and a virtual place is integral to the success of academic
institutions. While speculation about the future viability of libraries is evident, it has been
difficult to identify the directions libraries intend to go. New roles for academic librarians have
been suggested in the literature, however, it has not been clear if these roles connect with
expressed library mission and vision. In this study of California academic library mission
statements, a content analysis of language reveals that the future academic library will blend
traditional professional practice with an increased external response to the larger institution and
community. Roadsigns for the future are suggested by a close examination of fifty-eight formal
statements of purpose. These academic libraries describe through expressed language how
multidimensional and complex the future is being defined. While boldness and imagination is
evident, the research suggests that continuous revision and refinement of focus is needed.

Introduction

Within institutions of higher education, academic libraries stand as physical--and at the same
time virtual--places for learning. Libraries contribute to learning in many ways: by the intelligent
collection and arrangement of resources, through the teaching of how knowledge is organized,
and in the creation of environments which foster reading, inquiry, and critical thinking. Yet, the
role and function of an academic library within a college or university is not often understood.

The impact of technology and social change in the last several decades has affected institutions
of higher education. Allen Veaner described the nature of change for academic libraries "in a
transformational age" by summarizing factors which have impacted colleges and universities.(1)
Examples are the impact of television and computers on communication and productivity; the
impact of national public policy on governance and legislation; and the impact of economic
shifts due to a declining tax base. An increasingly diverse population suggests rethinking the
ways curricula are taught where language and cultural experience vary.

These technological, economical, and social factors are external to campus environments, yet
they influence expectations regarding the value of a college degree. Academic libraries are a part
of the perceived value of a college education so it would follow that the nature of future library
planning is critical to institutional mission and success.

We are able to describe the nature of change in our institutions and libraries, but seem less
prepared to describe how we intend to respond to that change. Sheila Creth suggests that the
challenge of responding to change is not technical but rather personal; the roles and
responsibilities of academic librarians need redefinition, and that knowledge, skills, and attitudes
have to be reconsidered and reconstructed to meet future needs.(2) Librarians who are "bold and
imaginative", in Creth's view, are needed to transform future academic libraries. To what degree
are academic librarians thinking boldly and imaginatively?

Approaching a new century is a symbolic time where reflecting on the past, examining the
present, and envisioning the future is evident. Thinking about the future is appropriate for
institutions of higher education so that educational programming is adapted or transformed to
provide a relevant learning experience useful in a changing and complex world. If the work of
academic librarians contributes to the educational mission of an institution, how is it defined and
what will it look like in the future? How do academic librarians see their roles in the 21st
century? What values will shape directions for the future?

The purpose of this research project was to study how academic libraries describe their present
and future contributions to college and university education so as to "chart" directions for the
library of the next century. Choosing our future requires an examination of where we are, and
where we intend to go. This study examines a sample of California college and university library
mission statements as formal expressions of purpose and intended direction. Content analysis
was employed to determine in what ways college and university library mission statements
suggest or imply future roles for academic librarians, and future directions for the organizations
they serve.

Why Study Mission Statements?

Usually derived from planning, the mission statement has been identified by researchers and
practitioners as the most common form of communication to express organizational purpose,
vision, and values. Mission statements are thought to be an essential component of forward-
looking organizations.(3) While organizational purpose, vision, and values may be articulated in
other internal documentation, the mission statement appears to offer the most succinct summary
of mission and future forecasting. Research also suggests that the lack of a mission statement
may indicate organizational ineffectiveness.(4) Patricia Jones and Larry Kahaner note in their
compilation of 50 Corporate Mission Statements that Hit the Mark:
...mission statements were not just concepts and philosophies...[they] were well-thought out
ideas that had helped [the companies] meet and exceed their financial dreams, treat their
employees well, break free of a crisis, and stake out a piece of "the right thing to do". They were
road maps for the high road.(5)

Academic libraries have initiated planning processes which yield mission statements, goals and
objectives, long range budgets, and other documents which describe intended future direction.
While not the definitive authority for library vision, academic library mission statements suggest
current emphasis in purpose and the scenarios being contemplated for the future.

The Study

As previously noted by the author, research was conducted in 1995 to study California
university, college, and specialized institutional library mission statements to examine stated
mission (purpose), vision, and values language. A research sample was analyzed for language
content as follows:

The mission statements of four year college, university, and specialized institutions of higher
education were solicited. Two year institutions were not included in the study. Of the one
hundred four (104) mission statements requested, sixty-five (65) libraries responded. Fifty-eight
(58) mission statements were received with seven respondents indicating that no mission
statement existed for their organizations.(6)

Table 1 notes the distribution of mission statements received by institutional category. Sixteen
(16) university library mission statements were received, nine from research universities and
seven from doctoral granting universities. Thirty-two (32) college library mission statements
were received, twenty-three (23) from masters granting colleges and nine from baccalaureate
granting colleges. Ten (10) specialized institutional library mission statements were received.
(See Appendix A for Carnegie Classification institutional definitions.)

TABLE 1

RESEARCH SAMPLE

California College and University Library Mission Statements Studied

(N=58)

Universities Colleges Specialized Institutions

(N=16) (N=32) (N=10)

CARNEGIE
Total Subtotal Total Subtotal Total
CLASSIFICATION

Research 9
Research I 9
Research II 0

Doctoral 7
Doctoral I 2
Doctoral II 5

Masters 23
Masters I 20
Masters II 3

Baccalaureate 9
Baccalaureate I 4
Baccalaureate II 5

Specialized - Religious 1

Specialized - Art & Design 2

Specialized - Health 1

Specialized - Other 6

Requests For Missions Statements in 1995 = 104

Number of Responses = 65 (7 Libraries indicated no mission statement existed)
Percent of Sample = 62.5%

The method of the study was to identify language, in phrases, which conveyed distinct ideas or
concepts expressing library purpose (or mission)*, vision, and values as stated in the fifty-eight
(58) mission statements received. Each distinct idea was noted, and the number of mission
statements in which that idea was found was tallied. Because mission statements do not define
terms, judgment was used to categorize language when variations in wording was evident.

* Purpose rather than mission is used throughout the paper so as not to be confused with mission
statement.

Results

Tables 2 and 3 present the language used to express purpose and vision in fifty-eight (58)
California academic library mission statements by type of institution, e.g. university, college, or
specialized institutions. (Specialized institutions participated in the sample where they were
identified as colleges or universities offering baccalaureate, masters, or doctoral degrees in a
single discipline.) The frequency of mention and the percentage of institutional category is
indicated. Tables 2, 3, and 4 rank language in descending order by frequency across all three
library types. Since mission statements express any number of ideas, the analysis of language
provides a generalized picture of what academic libraries are stating about purpose and vision.

TABLE 2
Language Expressing Purpose In All California Library Mission Statements
Sampled

Universitie Specialized
Colleges
s Institutions
(N=32)
(N=16) (N=10)

# % # % # %

Supports Curriculum 9 57 14 44 4 40

Provides Access 7 44 15 47 5 50

Teaches Information Skills 5 31 13 41 2 20

Improves Institutional Outcomes 6 38 10 31 4 40

Serves as Gateway to Global Information 7 44 9 28 2 20

Integrates Print & Electronic Resources 2 13 12 38 4 40

Develops Collections 4 25 10 31 3 30

Facilitates Learning 5 31 10 31 2 20

Supports Research 9 57 5 16 1 10

Provides Physical Environment 5 31 5 16 2 20

Contributes to Quality of Campus Life 2 13 8 25 1 10

Develops Partnerships in Resource Sharing 3 19 5 16 2 20

Provides Students Personalized Attention in
1 6 6 19 0 0
Complex Information World

Provides Continuing Education for Staff 1 6 4 13 0 0

Provides Cost Effective Service for Institution 2 13 2 6 0 0

Serves as Community Resource 1 6 1 3 2 20

Prepares Students for Changing Workplace 0 0 2 6 0 0

TABLE 3

Language Expressing Vision In All California Library Mission Statements

Sampled

Specialized
Universities Colleges
Institutions
(N=16) (N=32)
(N=10)

# % # % # %

Intellectual/Knowledge Center 7 44 11 34 2 20

Major Contributor to
4 25 9 28 1 10
Information Literacy
Electronic Locus/Virtual Library 3 19 5 16 1 10

Empower Students in Information Age 2 13 6 19 0 0

Cultural Resource Center 1 6 4 13 1 10

Sociocultural Responsiveness 3 19 2 6 1 10

Locus for Knowledge Management 2 13 4 13 0 0

Produce Leaders for Next Century 3 19 2 6 0 0

Teaching Library 1 6 4 13 0 0

Connector/Bridge to Distance Learning 0 2 6 2 20

Library Without Walls (Integrate Library 3 19 0 0 0 0

Resources with other Campus Resources)

Table 4 provides a summary of the five most frequently noted expressions of purpose and vision
for comparison across institutional categories. Values language referenced from another study by
the author is also included. For purposes of organization, concepts mentioned in an equal number
of mission statements which are also mentioned by other institutional categories were included in
Table 4. In sum, Table 4 serves as a superficial index to the language most frequently expressed
while the other tables provide the complete listing of language expressed by number and
frequency.

TABLE 4
Summary of Frequently Expressed Purpose, Vision, and Value Language in
California Library Mission Statements

Specialized
Universities Colleges
Institutions

Supports Research Provides Access Provides Access

Supports Curriculum Supports Curriculum Supports Curriculum

Teaches Information Improve Institutional

Provides Access
PURPO Skills Outcomes
SE
Gateway to Global Integrates Print and Integrates Print and
Information Electronic Resources Electronic Resources

Improves Institutional Improves Institutional

Develops Collections
Outcomes Outcomes

Intellectual/Knowledge Intellectual/Knowledge Intellectual/Knowledge

Center Center Center

Contributes to Contributes to Bridge to Distance

Information Literacy Information Literacy Learning

VISION Electronic Locus/Virtual Empower Students in Contributes to

Library Information Age Information Literacy

Sociocultural Electronic Locus/Virtual Electronic Locus/Virtual

Responsiveness Library Library

Produces Leaders Cultural Resource Center Cultural Resource Center

 Quality/Excellence
Lifelong Learning Lifelong Learning
(Teaching/Service)

Quality/Excellence
Lifelong Learning Diversity
(Teaching/Service)
VALUE
Public Service/Common Quality/Excellence Effective Use of
S4
Good (Teaching/Service) Resources

Critical Thinking Innovation Adult Learning

Public Service/ Common

Scholarship Diversity
Good

Analysis of Language Expressing Library Purpose

General Observations

When analyzing the language content across the university, college, and specialized institutional
library mission statements as illustrated in Table 4, supporting the curriculum, providing access,
and improving institutional outcomes are the purposes expressed 40% or greater by the three
institutional types. (However, beyond these three stated purposes a wide variety of language was
used yielding no clear pattern of frequency or ranking across the three institutional categories.)
College and specialized institutional libraries both identify integrates print and electronic
resources as one of the top five stated purposes as indicated by 38% and 40% of the respective
samples. The remaining most frequently mentioned purposes noted in Table 4 occur as distinct
emphasis for each of the institutional categories. For example, support of research and gateway
to global information are frequently expressed purposes found in university library mission
statements, but not found as frequently in those for colleges and specialized institutional
libraries. The teaching of information skills was noted as a frequently mentioned expression of
purpose for college libraries only. Specialized institutional libraries frequently included develops
collections in their mission statements not so frequently noted by university or college libraries.

While analysis is offered below for each institutional library category, some generalizations are
suggested when comparing use of purpose language across the three library types. It would
appear that for all academic libraries studied, the historical and time-honored support of the
curriculum remains a fundamental element of library mission. Providing the campus access to
resources also remains a core purpose. Interestingly, the study revealed that for all libraries
regardless of size and institutional mission a relationship to larger organizational outcomes is
stated as an explicit library purpose. That this is stated so frequently, and by each type of
academic library, strongly suggests that academic librarians intend a more externally focused
role in the future.

In general, all three academic library categories frequently use language in mission statements
which on the whole stresses a program-based connection to the educational environment, i.e.
supporting curriculum and outcomes, rather than a traditional resource-based connection, i.e.
developing collections. While the development of collections was expressed in seventeen of the
fifty-eight mission statements studied, its prominence as a critical and overarching library
mission appears diminished.

Since integrating print and electronic resources was mentioned frequently, the role of
technology was noted in the study as a fundamental aspect of library mission in all three
institutional categories. For university libraries, serving as a gateway to global information was
noted among the top five most frequently mentioned technology related purposes. These factors
combined with the frequent occurrence of providing access suggests that academic libraries have
identified a more external (networked) focus in their relationship to resources than the more
traditional internal (repository) focus.

TABLE 2.1
Language Expressing Purpose in California University
Library Mission Statements (N=16)
# %

Supports Research 9 57

Supports Curriculum 9 57

Promotes Access 7 44

Serves as Gateway to Global

7 44
Information

Improves Institutional Outcomes 6 38

Facilitates Learning 5 31

Provides Physical Environment 5 31

Teaches Information Skills 5 31

Develops Collections 4 25

Develops Partnerships in
3 19
Resource Sharing

Integrates Print & Electronic

2 13
Resources

Contributes to Quality of
2 13
Campus Life
 Provides Cost Effective Service
2 13
for Institution

Provides Students Personalized

Attention in Complex 1 6
Information World

Provides Continuing Education

1 6
for Staff

Serves as Community Resource 1 6

Prepares Students for Changing

0 0
Workplace

University Libraries

Table 2.1 provides the frequency of language used to express purpose as studied in sixteen
university library mission statements. The largest number of university library mission
statements, fifty-seven percent (57%), emphasized both support of research and the support of
curriculum. These factors are consistent with the institutional research mission. However, it was
interesting to note that the purpose expressed as develops collections, once a prime university
library mission, was only mentioned in four of the sixteen university library mission statements,
or 24% of the sample. Rated higher were the concepts of facilitates learning, teaches
information skills, and providing a physical environment.

TABLE 2.2
Language Expressing Purpose in California College
Library Mission Statements (N=32)
# %

Provides Access 15 47

Supports Curriculum 14 44

Teaches Information Skills 13 41

Integrates Print & Electronic

12 38
Resources

Improves Institutional Outcomes 10 31

Develops Collections 10 31

Facilitates Learning 10 31
 Serves as Gateway to Global
9 28
Information

Contributes to Quality of
8 25
Campus Life

Provides Students Personalized

Attention in Complex 6 19
Information World

Supports Research 5 16

Provides Physical Environment 5 16

Develops Partnerships in
5 16
Resource Sharing

Provides Continuing Education

4 13
for Staff

Provides Cost Effective Service

2 6
for Institution

Prepares Students for Changing

2 6
Workplace

Serves as Community Resource 1 3

College Libraries

Table 2.2 provides the frequency of language used to express purpose as studied in thirty-two
(32) college library mission statements. College libraries represented the largest response rate in
the research study, twice the response from university libraries, and three times the response
from specialized institutional libraries. The high response rate from college libraries may
indicate an increasing use of mission statements to communicate the distinct mission and values
of college education as compared to university education.

Consistent with the teaching mission of colleges, over 40% of the mission statements from this
institutional category stressed supports curriculum and the teaching of information skills in
addition to the basic core purpose of providing access. Providing students personalized attention
in an information age, mentioned by 19% of the college mission statements, was expressed more
frequently than noted for university or specialized libraries. This appears consistent with college
marketing of their commitment to provide students more one on one attention within a smaller,
less complex institution. Not as consistent, however, is the observation that college library
mission statements did not mention provision of physical environment as often as did university
or specialized institutional libraries. The notion of place (e.g. location, size, beauty, or safety of a
campus) is usually associated with how an institution characterizes the learning environment it
provides. The infrequent mention of physical place in colleges appears not to promote this
institutional characteristic.

TABLE 2.3
Language Expressing Purpose in California
Specialized Institutional Libraries Mission
Statements
(N=10)

# %

Provides Access 5 50

Supports Curriculum 4 40

Improves Institutional Outcomes 4 40

Integrates Print & Electronic

4 40
Resources

Develops Collections 3 30

Teaches Information Skills 2 20

Serves as Gateway to Global

2 20
Information

Facilitates Learning 2 20

Provides Physical Environment 2 20

Develops Partnerships in
2 20
Resource Sharing

Serves as Community Resource 2 20

Supports Research 1 10

Contributes to Quality of
1 10
Campus Life

Provides Students Personalized 0 0

 Attention in Complex
Information World

Provides Continuing Education

0 0
for Staff

Provides Cost Effective Service

0 0
for Institution

Prepares Students for Changing

0 0
Workplace

Specialized Institutional Libraries

Table 2.3 provides the frequency of language used to express purpose as studied in ten (10)
specialized institutional library mission statements. With institutional mission emphasis on
baccalaureate through doctoral degrees in a single discipline, the frequently stated purposes of
integrates print and electronic resources and develops collections may suggest a continuing need
to remain resource conscious. Like the college library, a specialized institutional library can not
benefit from the resources of a larger institutional system. Mission statement emphasis for this
institutional category on developing partnerships and gateway to global information suggests the
importance of sharing resources.

While university and college library mission statements expressed all but one of the same stated
purposes by varying frequency, it was interesting to note that the specialized libraries sampled
did not mention several concepts expressed in the other two institutional categories: provide
students with personalized attention in an information age, continuing education for staff,
provide cost effective service, and prepare students for a changing workplace. The independent
culture and graduate level focus of these institutions may explain why particular attention to
students and staff were not highlighted. The lack of mention of preparing students for a
changing workplace was surprising in that these institutions value lifelong and adult learning as
noted in Table 4.

Analysis of Language Expressing Library Vision

General Observations

The examination of library mission statements sampled reveal forward-looking visions of the
future where both academic and technologic roles are implied. The language expressed in these
mission statements offer "roadsigns" for charting future directions for academic libraries.

The most striking observation in reviewing mission statement language is the occurrence across
all three institutional categories of the vision of future libraries as intellectual/knowledge centers.
This vision is broad and universal in its nature, consistent with the purpose language expressing
the importance of connection to curriculum and institutional outcomes. The library as cultural
resource center was also mentioned by some college, university, and specialized libraries. It is
interesting to note that library as information center--a vision of the 1990s--was not mentioned in
the sample. Clearly, the academic library of the next century is imagined to play a role beyond
the providing information and resources.

As was noted in the analysis of purpose language, vision language also expressed that the future
library would be shaped by technology. All three institutional categories referred to their library's
future as electronic locus or virtual library and major contributor to information literacy.
Specialized institutions expressed a particular emphasis in a vision of the library as connector or
bridge to distance learning. While the development of academic programs based on distance
learning technology is evident in many institutions, for specialized institutions that
predominantly serve working adults this vision is especially relevant.

Finally, the examination of mission statement language for vision yielded indicators showing
intentions to connect the library to the greater community. This was particularly true for the
language used in university library mission statements where sociocultural responsiveness and
contributions toward producing leaders for the next century were frequently mentioned. The
notion of empowering students for an information age noted above falls into this generalization
as an additional example of how academic libraries imagine their role in shaping future
generations of students.

TABLE 3.1
Language Expressing Vision in California University
Library Mission Statements (N=16)
# %

Intellectual/Knowledge Center 7 44

Major Contributor to Information

4 25
Literacy

Electronic Locus/Virtual Library 3 19

Sociocultural Responsiveness 3 19

Produce Leaders for Next

3 19
Century

Library Without Walls (Integrate

Library Resources with other 3 19
Campus Resources)
 Empower Student in Information
2 13
Age

Locus for Knowledge

2 13
management

Cultural Resource Center 1 6

Teaching Library 1 6

Connector/Bridge to Distance
0 0
Learning

University Libraries

Table 3.1 provides the frequency of language used to express vision as studied in sixteen (16)
university library mission statements. The future university library as intellectual/knowledge
center was noted in 44% of the sample. Playing a role as major contributor to information
literacy was the second most frequently mentioned expression of vision, or 25% of the sample.
However, the concept of teaching library, a futures-based vision developed initially by
university libraries during the past decade, was only mentioned in one university library mission
statement. Because connection to institutional outcomes emerged as an important element of
university library mission, this vision language may indicate that the library's role in information
literacy may take on a broader curricular emphasis within the institution rather than continue as a
characteristic of traditional library instruction.

Of the six out of fifty-eight (58) library mission statements which mentioned sociocultural
responsiveness, university libraries had the highest percent of frequency, or 19% of the sample.
With this same percent of frequency, university libraries also noted their contribution to
producing leaders for the next century. These indicators of future emphasis may be closely
associated with university commitment to serving the public, and contributing to the common
good.

TABLE 3.2
Language Expressing Vision in California
College Library Mission Statements
(N=32)

# %

Intellectual/Knowledge Center 11 34

Major Contributor to Information

9 28
Literacy
 Empower Student in Information
6 19
Age

Electronic Locus/Virtual Library 5 16

Cultural Resource Center 4 13

Locus for Knowledge

4 13
management

Teaching Library 4 13

Sociocultural Responsiveness 2 6

Produce Leaders for Next

2 6
Century

Connector/Bridge to Distance
2 6
Learning

Library Without Walls (Integrate

Library Resources with other 0 0
Campus Resources)

College Libraries

Table 3.2 provides the frequency of language used to express vision as studied in thirty-two (32)
college library mission statements. As with university libraries, college libraries stress a future
vision of intellectual/knowledge center, not the current trend of the teaching center. This
suggests that college libraries, like university libraries, are perhaps thinking more broadly and
institutionally. While colleges are best described as having teaching missions, only 13% of the
college library sample mentioned the teaching library concept as compared to the 34% which
mention the intellectual/knowledge center.

A new roadsign for future library directions emerged in the vision language expressed as library
as cultural resource center. College library mission statements included this concept in the top
five frequently expressed vision language where this concept was mentioned only once by
university and specialized institutional libraries respectively.

Technology is a solid element of future directions for college libraries. Specifically, to empower
students in an information age and the library as electronic locus/virtual library received
frequent mention (19% and 16% of the sample respectively).

TABLE 3.3
Language Expressing Vision in California Specialized
 Institution Library Mission Statements (N=10)
# %

Intellectual/Knowledge Center 2 20

Connector/Bridge to Distance
1 10
Learning

Major Contributor to Information

2 20
Literacy

Electronic Locus/Virtual Library 1 10

Cultural Resource Center 1 10

Sociocultural Responsiveness 1 10

Empower Student in Information

0 0
Age

Locus for Knowledge

0 0
management

Teaching Library 0 0

Produce Leaders for Next

0 0
Century

Library Without Walls (Integrate

Library Resources with other 0 0
Campus Resources)

Specialized Institutional Libraries

Table 3.3 provides the frequency of language used to express vision as studied in ten (10)
specialized institutional library mission statements. The library as intellectual/knowledge center
and the library as connector/bridge to distance learning received the highest frequency of
mention, or 20% of the sample for both concepts. Cultural resource center, contributor to
information literacy, electronic locus/virtual library, and sociocultural responsiveness were each
mentioned once for this institutional category. Table 3.3 illustrates how several expressions of
vision language were not mentioned by specialized institutional libraries at all. With this modest
sample size, it appeared that specialized institutional library mission statements do not express as
many distinct vision concepts as those found for college and university libraries.
Library Values

The relationship of the values expressed in library mission statements to institutional

distinctiveness has been discussed by the author in a separate publication using this same sample
of California academic libraries.

When examining these college and university library mission statements for values language in
the aggregate, libraries as organizations appear to have a rich and complex array of values or
beliefs which inform their structures. However, when mission statements are examined by
institutional category, or institution by institution, it is less clear how mention of certain values
communicate a particular philosophy about its unique "theory of the business".(7)

Table 4 summarizes the most frequently mentioned values organized by institutional type.
Lifelong learning, and quality service and teaching are identified by all three institutional
categories as key values for their libraries. Diversity was frequently mentioned as a core value
for college and specialized institutional libraries, but not for university libraries. Beyond these
similarities, values expressed as critical thinking, innovation, and effective use of resources occur
respective to one institutional category.

Implied Roles for Academic Librarians

Academic librarians have described through mission statements how their libraries contribute to
the colleges or universities they serve. But because these mission statements illustrate the many
and varied roles that librarians play, and the many services that libraries provide, a critical role
for academic librarians is to more effectively define, synthesize, and communicate library
purpose and vision in the context of institutional mission and culture.

Envisioning a future where librarians are active participants in the life of their campus, the nature
and the value of how library programming makes a significant contribution to student learning
must be articulated and understood. Without understanding, academic libraries will continue to
be challenged by limited resources and political influence to garner the support required to attain
the best in vision and future achievements.

As noted in this study, contribution to institutional outcomes is a clear choice in future library
directions. This would imply that librarians need to be knowledgeable about institutional
outcomes, and be responsible for integrating this knowledge into learning outcomes which
mutually serves classroom and library programming. Linkage to institutional outcomes also
suggests a rethinking of skill-based assessment to knowledge-based assessment.

The implication for the role of academic librarians where libraries become more program than
resource based suggests that librarians need to be more active players in curriculum
development, faculty collaboration, and institutional planning. This suggests a de-emphasis on
collections expertise and an emphasis on curriculum expertise. Strengthening knowledge and
skill in the art of teaching and pedagogy would position librarians to carry out future focus.
Roadsigns for the Future

his study of California academic library mission statements revealed that purpose, vision, and
values language reflects the multifaceted and multidimensional nature of libraries. The libraries
studied provided a picture of blended purpose: commitment to internally-focused professional
practice related to the organization of information and collections, and an externally-focused
response to the larger institution and community. While a clear and definitive path to the future
was not presented by one institutional category or across all three, the study suggests that many
emphases have emerged for library futures:

active participation in the intellectual life of the institution;

increased connection to successful learning outcomes;
explicit contribution to student education;
commitment to information technologies which enhance study, teaching, and
research;
development of programs consistent with institutional and professional
values; and,
renaissance of library as cultural center.

Conclusion

The future of the library as both a physical and a virtual place is integral to the success of
academic institutions. While speculation about the future viability of libraries is evident in the
literature, the popular press, and in informal conversations at professional meetings, it has been
difficult to identify future library scenarios as intended or planned.

Future directions for academic libraries as summarized above answer Sheila Creth's question
posed earlier: librarians are thinking bolding and imaginatively. Library purpose and vision have
been expressed in this study as dynamic and outwardly focused. Academic librarians are thinking
of the future in new and exciting ways. The array of concepts described in these mission
statements demonstrates the complexity of the roles libraries play on college and university
campuses. So does it also demonstrate the need for continuous revision and refinement of focus.

Appendix A. Definitions of Institutional Categories

(from A Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, 1994 edition, The Carnegie

Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.)

Research Universities I

Offer full range of baccalaureate programs; committed to graduate education through the
doctorate; give high priority to research; fifty or more doctoral degrees awarded per year; receive
$40 million or more in federal support per year.

Research Universities II
Offer full range of baccalaureate programs; committed to graduate education through the
doctorate; give high priority to research; fifty or more doctoral degrees awarded per year; receive
$15.5 to $40 million in federal support per year.

Doctoral Universities I

Offer full range of baccalaureate programs; committed to graduate education through doctorate;
at least forty doctoral degrees awarded per year, in five or more disciplines.

Doctoral Universities II

Offer full range of baccalaureate programs; committed to graduate education through doctorate;
at least ten doctoral degrees awarded per year, in three or more disciplines, or, twenty or more
doctoral degrees in one or more disciplines awarded per year.

Master's (Comprehensive) Colleges & Universities I

Offer full range of baccalaureate programs; committed to graduate education through the
master's degree; forty or more master's degrees awarded in three or more disciplines per year.

Master's (Comprehensive) Colleges & Universities II

Offer full range of baccalaureate programs; committed to graduate education through the
master's degree; twenty or more master's degrees awarded in one or more disciplines per year.

Baccalaureate (Liberal Arts) Colleges I

Primarily undergraduate colleges with emphasis on baccalaureate degree programs; forty percent
or more of baccalaureate degrees are awarded in the liberal arts fields; restrictive in admissions.

Baccalaureate Colleges II

Primarily undergraduate colleges with emphasis on baccalaureate degree programs; less than
forty percent of baccalaureate degrees are awarded in the liberal arts fields; less restrictive in
admissions.

Specialized Institutions

Offer baccalaureate, master's, or doctoral degree programs; fifty percent or more degrees
awarded in single discipline; common discipline specializations are fields of religion and
theology, medicine, other health, engineering and technology, art, music, and design, law; other
specializations.
NOTES

1. Allen B. Veaner, Academic Librarianship in a Transformational Age: Program,

Politics, and Personnel (Boston, Massachusetts: G.K. Hall & Co., 1990).
2. Sheila Creth, "A Changing Profession: Central Roles for Academic Librarians",
in Advances in Librarianship, ed. by Irene Godden (San Diego, Ca.: Academic
Press, 1995), 19:85-98.
3. Sharon Nelton, "Put Your Purpose in Writing", Nation's Business, 82 (Feb.
1994): 61-64.
4. R.Duane Ireland and Michael A. Hitt, "Mission Statements: Importance,
Challenge, and Recommendations for Development", Business Horizons, 35
(Mar.-June 1992):34-39.
5. Patricia Jones and Larry Kahaner, Say It and Live It: the 50 Corporate Mission
Statements that Hit the Mark (New York, N.Y.: Currency/Doubleday, 1995).
6. Stephanie Rogers Bangert, "Values in California College and University
Mission Statements: A Search for Distinctive Beliefs, Meaning, and
Organizational Culture", accepted for publication in Advances in
Librarianship, ed. by Irene Godden (San Diego, Ca.: Academic Press, 1997).
7. Ibid.

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