Threats Summary 1/9/08

Threats
Under-prepared students
Large numbers of speakers of limited English
Technology changes so rapidly that we have difficulty keeping up/learning fast enough to stay proficient.
Students who lack the computer skills to do college coursework
Increasing number of students with visual difficulty
Lack of sufficient study spaces (students sitting on floor)
Unknown status of digital preservation
Lack of a district Systems Librarian
Fast pace of technological innovations
Lack of funding
Public perception of libraries
Escalating cost of print and electronic resources
Large number of adjunct faculty makes communication difficult
Administrators do not realize the importance of/impact of information literacy
Students expect immediate results with minimal effort
Students do not evaluate search results for quality
Electronic databases and e-books lack interface uniformity
Current inability of funding agents to understand the nature of the use and disuse of expensive database subscriptions
Instability of our outside funding model (Texas State Library, Texas Legislature)
Current publishing pricing models are in flux and unsustainable
How do we sustain the culture and high standards of the Richland Library as long-term librarians retire? Lack of faculty status for librarians who teach information literacy classes
Lack of space.