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Library Units Overview 2025-2026

Access & Engagement Unit

Overview and Objectives: The Access & Engagement Unit encompasses Access Services and Reference Services, supporting patrons through circulation, course reserves, spaces, technology, and reference/research assistance in the Main Library and GSCC.

Fall Update: Course reserves: 109 courses, 84 faculty, 7,897 students enrolled, $685,803 estimated savings. Binder project (shelf reading) nearly complete. Reference desk moved to 2nd floor as ‘Research Help’ desk. New reference coordinator hired. Loaner laptops expanded from 28 to 80+. 3,831 Circ Desk transactions. 1,106 Research Help interactions (59-66% READ 2+). Gate count Main: 151,390. Space reservations: 1,484.

Spring Update: Course reserves: 128 courses, 82 faculty, 7,153 students, $469,789 estimated savings. CDL/electronic reserves accessed 4,223 times. Binder project completed. DVD collection standardization completed. 136 items for mending, 13 mis-shelved. 6,991 Circ Desk transactions (increase after Circ reference training). 940 Research Help interactions (67% READ 2+). Gate count Main: 126,779. Space reservations: 1,603. Planning for Curriculum Center Supervisor retirement: hours reduced from 6am-2am to 7am-midnight.

Final Outcomes: Course Reserves saved students over a million dollars this year in 237 courses (up from ~$900,000 in 194 courses last year). Physical circulation of course materials increased from 360 to 570 checkouts. The multi-year binder project on the fourth floor and the DVD standardization project were both completed. Circulation transactions increased dramatically from 3,831 to 6,991 in spring, reflecting improved recording practices. Patrons borrowed technological equipment 6,302 times. Gate counter estimated 278,169 visitors—a 10% increase from AY 24-25. The Research Help Desk move to the second floor encouraged deeper reference consultations; the percentage of READ 2+ questions stayed steady or slightly increased. Challenges ahead include course reserves accessibility, GSCC management transitions, and reduced building hours beginning Fall 2026.

Members

  • Rami Attebury (Unit Head)

  • Suzie Davis

  • Aarika Dobbins

  • Haley Hunter

  • Clinton Johnson

  • Rachel Kerr

  • Abby Kirkham

  • Alisa Melior

  • Alyssa Hamburger

  • Samm Green

  • Tyler Rodrigues

  • Dakota Willett

  • Dakota Woodward

Digital Scholarship and Open Strategies Unit (DSOS)

Overview and Objectives: The DSOS unit enriches learning opportunities and advances research related to digital scholarship, open education, open publishing, web development, and online learning. Home to CDIL, the Open Access Publishing Fund, and Library fellowships.

Fall Update: Helped plan new digital archive drive infrastructure with RCDS and Spec. Led 3 new digital collections through launch. Normalized metadata across collections. 19 DOIs added. Supported web archiving during university site overhaul. Developed accessibility expertise and remediation tools. Published guides for PDFs, audio transcripts, and LibGuides. 6 digital scholarship projects published. OAPF spent out funding period #1. CollectionBuilder Digital Librarian Cohort completed.

Spring Update: Developed preservation workflow documentation and archive drive reorganization with Spec. Led 3 more digital collections through launch. Open Education Portal draft in progress. Custom OCR tool reprocessing all digital collection PDFs. Significant accessibility work across web properties. CDIL Digital Scholarship Camp hosted. 12+ digital scholarship projects published. Pressbooks: 5 actively edited projects. OAPF spent full $25,000 (12 first-time, 7 return applicants). CollectionBuilder: presentation at CNI, DHSI course, new CB-Essay template. University of Idaho Press work: joined Library Publishing Coalition, Open Invitation podcast launched.

Final Outcomes: Much of the year continued initiatives from the prior year while responding to two big shifts. The University website redesign and new accessibility requirements drove detailed, collaborative work across the library and campus — building tools to evaluate and remediate web, A/V, and PDF content, providing training, and streamlining the library’s web properties (improving both usability and discoverability). The open-initiatives area pivoted hard: the unit sunsetted the “Think Open” fellowship and branding, reframed OER/open-publishing support as CDIL endeavors, and began standing up the University of Idaho Press — an “all hands on deck” investment that joined the Library Publishing Coalition and will guide DSOS work for years. The unit also worked with Spec and RCDS to migrate the digital archive drive to new Library-owned infrastructure and better document standards; launched a centralized Fellowships page; developed, recovered, or published over a dozen significant digital scholarship projects (including two history-course projects featuring student work); spent out the full OAPF allocation; and released a new CB-Essay CollectionBuilder template. Faculty specifically called out the exemplary, adaptable work of staff (Maryelizabeth Koepele and Kevin Dobbins) as essential to the unit’s success. Challenges/opportunities for 2026-27: uncertainty around state-centralized Pressbooks infrastructure; continued Title II web-accessibility work (deadline extended to 2027); onboarding a new Digital Projects Manager and building publishing skills in house; and intentionally scoping the U of I Press to keep the work sustainable. Note: Maryelizabeth Koepele is leaving July 2026.

Members

  • Evan Williamson (Unit Head)

  • Andrew Weymouth

  • Maryelizabeth Koepele

  • Kevin Dobbins

  • Leesa Love

  • Marco Seiferle-Valencia

  • Dulce Kersting-Lark

Discovery & Acquisitions Unit

Overview and Objectives: The Discovery & Acquisitions unit acquires, maintains, and makes discoverable a wide variety of resources through curating the general collection, electronic resources management, resource sharing, and workflow analysis.

Fall Update: POLs created: 32 ebooks, 303 physical books, 23 scores, 15 e-videos, 5 DVDs. 2 electronic collections added. 648 item records added. Gobi API set up. Processed ~450 donated items. Interlibrary Loan implemented Rapido. Jeremy Hixon hired as ILL Supervisor. Collections Team identified $206,282 in cancellations. Summit borrowing +45%, lending +47%.

Spring Update: POLs: 52 ebooks, 525 physical books, 5 scores, 18 e-videos, 1 DVD. 4 electronic collections added. 641 item records added. 16 board games processed. Print serials evaluation project: 7,605 items marked/withdrawn from 371 titles, 1,109 items sent to 10 WEST libraries. Additional $21,935 in cancellations (total $228,217). ILL borrowing: 6,285 requests (76% fill rate). ILL lending: 6,134 requests (69% fill rate). Dakota Woodward resigned.

Final Outcomes: The D&A Unit had a very successful year. More than 1,200 new items added to collections. Processed 600+ donated items, copy cataloged 63 Garrison items, processed 322 Kolln Collection items for Special Collections, and formalized the Liaison lost item process (152 items removed from Alma). The largest project was the print journal withdrawal project: 7,605 items from 371 titles marked, withdrawn from Alma and OCLC; 1,109 items sent to 10 WEST libraries. Resource sharing expanded significantly—borrowing increased 114% following Rapido implementation, and lending increased 45%. Budget challenges ahead include the over-expended LRF One Time fund and Kanopy deposit insufficiency. Implementing COUNTER 5.1 reports across all vendors remains a challenge.

Members

  • Jeremy Kenyon (Unit Head)

  • Jylisa Kenyon

  • Rachel Kerr

  • Samantha Thompson-Franklin

  • Alyssa Hamburger

  • Jeremy Hixon

  • Rochelle Smith

  • Pamela Martin

  • Dakota Woodward

Research & Experiential Learning Unit (REL)

Overview and Objectives: The REL Unit offers dedicated spaces and services for experiential learning through four programs: the MILL, the Studio, the Data Hub, and VERSO, emphasizing excellence in service delivery, creative learning opportunities, and efficient resource management.

Fall Update: MILL: 12,232 visitors. Studio: 387 bookings (up from 141 in Fall ‘24), 41.94 hours/week in use. Data Hub: avg 7 people/day, 32 questions. Tech Talks: 4 talks, avg 11 attendees. MILL workshops: 160 attendees. 2 Levine Fellows selected. GIS: avg 480 users/month. VERSO: 249,091 views. 2 DMP consultations.

Spring Update: MILL: 11,623 visitors. Studio: 493 bookings (way up from 215 previous spring), 48.39 hours/week. Data Hub: avg 10.4 people/day, 22 questions. 1 Tech Talk (28 attendees). MILL workshops: 87 attendees. 2 Levine Fellows completed projects and presented at Library Advisory Board. GIS: avg 514 users/month. VERSO: 212,415 views. GIS account cleanup and new policies. COAR good practices published. CV hosting workflow created. 3 DMP consultations. AI services planning commenced.

Final Outcomes: A positive year for REL, with the unit maintaining focus on improving services and spaces while responding to changing campus demands. The MILL held a consistent usage level on less equipment spending, with new partnerships (Apparel, Textiles & Design; Theatre Arts; a budding Sustainability Center collaboration) and growing laser cutter/engraver use. The Studio was the unit’s breakout success — a much easier location and a more programmatic, outreach-driven approach drove a massive jump in bookings and weekly hours, drawing interest from on and off campus, while the team built up resources ahead of the Studio manager’s fall 2026 absence. The Data Hub and GIS Services returned to a steady level of study and collaborative use; CSAC ran successfully alongside librarians for a full year, and the unit made major strides getting control of ArcGIS Online accounts and storage under new policies. Finally, VERSO had a huge year: after the new university website launched, it became the clear, supported home for faculty research identity — adding ORCIDs/Google Scholar IDs for ~50% of researchers, passing numerous file/deposit policies, remediating documents for accessibility, and building a Claude Code-based CV parser. Challenges/opportunities for 2026-27: the fall absence of two members (the Studio manager and the Unit Head / research-data point person) will stretch staff; standing up a new Data Hub AI help desk is a real lift but a chance to grow the Data Hub’s value to campus; and for mature, plateaued services like the MILL and GIS, the next step is defining what the next measure of success looks like.

Members

  • Norman Lee (Unit Head)

  • Bruce Godfrey

  • Jessica Fleener

  • Seth Thompson

  • Lex Van Horn

  • Jeremy Hixon

Special Collections and Archives Unit (SCA)

Overview and Objectives: Special Collections and Archives preserves and provides access to the University of Idaho’s unique archival and manuscript collections, rare books, and other special materials.

Fall Update: 43 new donations accessioned (incl. purchase of a CCC scrapbook from an Idaho camp). 30 of 43 processed before year end. 162 patron interactions. 143 finding aids added or updated in Archives West (18,633 views). Two major digital collections launched: Political Buttons and Kibbie Dome 50th Anniversary. Archival instruction in 6 classes plus a one-credit workshop and 4 EtIL sessions on archival practice. Created a Kibbie Dome 50th banner display and an archival-objects display for the Smithsonian exhibit “Voices and Votes.” 15 posts to Idaho Harvester. Drafted guidelines for appraising university faculty papers. Digital storage adequate; SpaceSaver still owes a quote on carriage spacing, and sandbags were placed after a fall water incursion.

Spring Update: 33 new donations accessioned (incl. purchase of a rare book on Indian boarding schools). Several large backlogged accessions processed, reducing storage footprint (one 1998–2017 collection cut from 62 to 41 cubic feet). 513 patron interactions — a sharp jump driven by Downwinder/RECA Idaho-residency requests (449 of the year’s requests coded as Downwinder-related). 133 finding aids added or updated in Archives West (26,876 views, though AW reported bot traffic that may inflate the figure). One major digital collection launched (Friends of the Clearwater Newsletter); metadata improved for Agricultural Experiment & UI Extension Publications. Archival instruction in 5 classes and 4 EtIL sessions; Head of Spec gave a keynote at a community historic-preservation event. Displays with the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival and a mentored undergraduate display in the second-floor gallery. 14 Harvester posts; 5 stories submitted to the Moscow-Pullman Daily News. Another water event showed parts of Cage 2 are not currently suitable for storage. Zoe Baum’s January departure left the unit at ~50% staffing for much of the spring; Elaina Pierson joined in late May.

Final Outcomes: A consistent year for a long-standing department, achieved under real staffing strain after Zoe Baum’s January departure left the unit at roughly 50% capacity for much of the spring (Elaina Pierson joined in late May). Despite this, the team cleared significant backlog while shrinking its footprint — large processing projects on the John Osborn papers (1998–2017), Rachael Osborn papers, and Sierra Club–Northern Rockies Chapter records each reduced total storage by several cubic feet, advancing the unit’s interest in Idaho landscape and wilderness records. Digital archiving grew, with born-digital accessions (Lionel Hampton event programs, Faculty Senate records, parish bulletins) and refined acquisition practices under the Digital Archivist. The defining story of the year was the surge in Downwinder research: after RECA expanded to all of Idaho, 893 requests were filed between Jan. 30 and May 31, driving patron interactions from 162 in the fall to 513 in the spring (675 for the year), and the Library has been recognized as a trusted resource for Idahoans navigating the claims process. Students and a long-term volunteer were essential, staffing the Reading Room and assisting with processing and Downwinder inquiries. Challenges for 2026-27: unresolved facilities issues (carriage spacing with no SpaceSaver quote after nearly 12 months; recurring Cage 2 water intrusion) and the sustainability of the Downwinder workload, which can consume up to 8 hours per person per week with the filing window open through 2027. With full staffing restored, the team aims to recommit to processing every new accession under 3 cubic feet on receipt and to expand outreach.

Members

  • Dulce Kersting-Lark (Unit Head)

  • Ariana Burns

  • Elaina Pierson