Library Units Overview
Access and Engagement Unit (AEU)
Overview and Objectives: This unit encompasses both Access Services and Reference Services focusing on connecting patrons to library resources and providing comprehensive reference assistance across physical and virtual spaces. Their objectives include facilitating course reserves maintaining physical collections providing reference services ensuring library access and investigating new reference models.
Fall Update: Fall 2024 updates showed significant impact with 89 instructors utilizing Course Reserves across 103 courses resulting in estimated student savings over $474000. The unit handled 1691 reference questions and served 122527 Main Library visitors while also conducting extensive collection maintenance reviewing A-G call number ranges and identifying 500+ missing/lost items.
Spring Update: Spring 2025 continued strong course reserves utilization with sustained high usage levels and significant student cost savings. The unit maintained excellent reference service delivery while completing additional collection maintenance projects. Staff successfully managed high visitor volumes and maintained quality service delivery across all access points and reference modalities throughout the busy spring semester.
Final Outcomes: Over the last year, Course Reserves were utilized by instructors across more than 40 subjects, demonstrating broad impact across campus curricula. Physical circulation maintained steady levels while digital resource usage continued growing. The unit successfully balanced traditional access services with evolving digital needs, maintaining high service quality standards while adapting to changing patron expectations and technological developments.
Members
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Jylisa Kenyon (lead)
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Suzie Davis
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Aarika Dobbins
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Hanwen Dong
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Haley Hunter
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Victoria Kerr
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Pam Martin
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Alisa Melior
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Kelly Omodt
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Diane Prorak
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Tyler Rodrigues
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Rochelle Smith
Digital Scholarship and Open Strategies Unit (DSOS)
Overview and Objectives: This unit serves as the hub for digital scholarship and open education initiatives housing key programs like the Center for Digital Inquiry and Learning Open Access Publishing Fund and Think Open fellowship program. Their objectives center on facilitating infrastructure for open publishing both on campus and worldwide through various platforms and initiatives.
Fall Update: During Fall 2024 the unit made significant strides in their Pressbooks service improving presentation and documentation while publishing new projects. The CollectionBuilder program saw notable success with their LIS Student Program receiving over 70 applications from 25 different schools and the OAPF program demonstrated high demand closing early in period #1.
Spring Update: Spring 2025 saw DSOS support the creation of 6 new digital collections, moving 4 through the collection launch process while maintaining ongoing projects. The unit continued developing Pressbooks infrastructure, supported various open access initiatives, and maintained strong demand for OAPF funding. CollectionBuilder program continued expanding reach with sustained high interest from library science programs nationwide.
Final Outcomes: After significant personnel changes in the previous year, 2024-25 saw DSOS add a new faculty member and stabilize operations across all major programs. The unit successfully expanded digital scholarship support, maintained robust open access publishing infrastructure, and achieved strong growth in both CollectionBuilder adoption and OAPF utilization. Key accomplishments included launching multiple new digital collections and sustaining high-quality support for campus open scholarship initiatives.
Members
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Evan Peter Williamson (head)
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Kevin Dobbins
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Maryelizabeth Koepele
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Leesa Love
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Marco Seiferle-Valencia
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Andrew Weymouth
Discovery and Acquisitions Unit (DA)
Overview and Objectives: This unit is responsible for acquiring maintaining and making accessible a wide variety of library resources managing everything from print and media to e-resources and government publications while also facilitating interlibrary lending and borrowing services. Their objectives focus on four key areas: timely acquisition and processing of resources strategic management of electronic collections assessment of print resource usage and efficient fulfillment of patron requests.
Fall Update: Fall 2024 showed substantial activity in resource management with the creation of over 760 purchase order lines across various formats. The unit completed a major EBSCO ebooks clean-up project reducing the collection from 5000+ to 359 items and achieved significant cost savings by reducing expected inflation by $57220 through strategic cancellation of underperforming subscriptions.
Spring Update: Spring 2025 continued intensive resource management activities with sustained high levels of acquisition and processing. The unit maintained efficient workflows for purchase orders across all formats while implementing new assessment strategies for electronic collections. Strategic collection management continued with additional subscription evaluations and optimization of resource accessibility for patrons.
Final Outcomes: The unit continued refining reports for the Collections Team, editing, creating, and sunsetting Analytics reports as needed. Discovery and Acquisitions successfully managed substantial acquisition volumes while implementing strategic cost savings measures. The major EBSCO cleanup project and systematic subscription cancellations demonstrated effective resource stewardship, achieving significant budget efficiencies while maintaining service quality and resource accessibility for library patrons.
Members
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Rami Attebury (Acting Unit Head)
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Samantha Thompson-Franklin
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Clinton Johnson
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Rachel Kerr
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Matthew Strupp
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Abby Kirkham
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Victoria Kerr
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Dakota Willett
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Dakota Woodward
Research and Experiential Learning Unit (REL)
Overview and Objectives: This unit provides dedicated spaces and services through four key programs: the MILL the Studio the Data Hub and VERSO focusing on supporting curricular research and personal learning experiences. Their objectives span maximizing user engagement creating effective learning experiences managing research information efficiently and revamping the License to MILL program.
Fall Update: Fall 2024 showed impressive metrics across their spaces with MILL door counts increasing to 12650 (up from 9986 in Fall 2023) Data Hub usage rising to 12 people per day and Studio bookings reaching 141. The unit maintained strong course engagement across multiple departments and saw increased usage of GIS platforms averaging 492 unique users per month.
Spring Update: Spring 2025 showed MILL door counts slightly down to 11532 from Fall’s 12650, but Spring semester traditionally sees lower usage. Studio bookings remained strong at 215, while Data Hub maintained consistent daily usage. VERSO continued serving as the primary research information management platform with steady growth in user engagement and content. GIS platform usage remained robust throughout the semester.
Final Outcomes: In all, 2024-2025 was a year of transition for multiple programs within REL. The MILL’s renovation was successfully completed, resulting in increased usage and positive user feedback. Studio services expanded with new equipment and programming options. Data Hub maintained consistent support for research computing needs. VERSO continued evolving as the campus research information system with improved functionality and user experience across all programs.
Members
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Jeremy Kenyon (lead)
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Bruce Godfrey
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Hanwen Dong
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Jessica Fleener
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Norm Lee
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Seth Thompson
Special Collections and Archives Unit (SCA)
Overview and Objectives: This unit focuses on building and maintaining unique and distinctive collections while providing research consultations instruction and managing archival processing and digitization projects. Their comprehensive objectives cover collection development processing and preservation research services exhibit creation and digital access expansion.
Fall Update: Fall 2024 updates demonstrated progress across all areas including significant work with the Latah County Historical Society completion of major collection processing projects expanded instructional offerings successful exhibit mounting and improvements in digital preservation workflows. The unit notably increased their outreach efforts.
Spring Update: Spring 2025 saw continued focus on archives work throughout the semester, with major efforts gathering materials from office and departmental closures campus-wide. The unit successfully managed multiple collection processing projects while maintaining research support services. Digitization efforts continued with expanded access to unique materials, and the team maintained strong collaboration with campus departments for collection development.
Final Outcomes: The biggest measurable achievements of the Special Collections department over the last year included significant increases in new finding aids added to Archives West and substantial growth in new donations acquired. The unit successfully expanded research support services, completed major processing projects, and enhanced digital access to unique collections while maintaining high standards for preservation and organization of archival materials.
Members
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Ariana Burns
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Rebecca Hastings
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Dulce Kersting-Lark
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Kelley Moulton
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Zoe Stave