Oregon Tech Library Report.pdf

The library aims to be the "intellectual commons" of Oregon Tech, providing a hub of knowledge and learning with a staff committed to excellence and dedicated to the open exchange of ideas.

Key Initiatives:

1. Open Educational Resource (OER) program: Developed to reduce textbook costs for students, resulting in $213,156.50 in student savings in the first year.
2. Library marketing plan: Created to promote library resources and services.
3. Institutional repository: Developed to showcase university research and scholarship.
4. New faculty collection development funds: Pilot program to support new faculty in developing their research collections.

By the Numbers:

4,076 reference, research, and information questions answered
3,212 library visitors per week
88 weekly open hours
282,370 books and ebooks in the collection
1,626 study room checkouts

Information Literacy Instruction: 68 classes taught, reaching over 1,300 students, with a focus on critical thinking and lifelong learning.

Library Spaces: Redesign plan underway to create a more welcoming and functional space, including a cafe and multi-use areas.

Grants and Awards:

$12,000 grant from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) to develop a data science literacy collection
$213,156.50 in student savings from OER program
ACRL Award for Excellence for University Librarian John Schoppert's work on OER

New Initiatives:

1. Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Support for the Catalyze Klamath competition and student entrepreneurs.
2. Digital Collections: Sharing unique collections with the world through digital platforms.
3. Special Collections and Archives: Preservation and sharing of archival collections, including an unfunded grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to create oral histories.

New University Librarian: John Schoppert joined Oregon Tech in Spring 2019, bringing experience in OER and library leadership.