Introduction

The University is seeking to strengthen its position as a leading university globally and within Australia, with particular emphasis on social engagement, excellence in research and education and internationalisation. Accordingly, the Library is committed to a quite profound transformation of its services, facilities and, indeed, its role, in order to assist the University in meeting its objectives.

The Library is well into this transformational process. Library buildings have emerged as the pre-eminent learning spaces on each campus through a metamorphosis from facilities that are conventional and collection-focussed to ones that are flexible, inspiring and student-focussed. This process can be considered half complete, with five of Monash University’s ten libraries (including the two overseas campus libraries) having been refurbished or newly built in accordance with defined principles, while the two largest libraries – Caulfield and Sir Louis Matheson – are yet to be done.

The capacity of the Library to make a critical professional contribution has been strengthened through initiatives such as information research skills and the assumption of responsibility for learning skills. In addition, the Library is leading the strategy to ensure that research data is better managed and is also providing mechanisms for greater access to and promotion of Monash’s research output through the ARROW institutional repository and by electronically publishing journals and monographs. Monash’s leadership in the area of e-research and data management has been recognised by the Federal Government, which invited Monash to be the lead agency for the Australian National Data Service, a $72 million undertaking.

The innovation demonstrated through the transformation of buildings and professional roles is also evident in the delivery of other library services and in the Library’s aggressive approach to building collections in this electronic era. A continuous improvement approach is taken to all services and functions, resulting in both evolutionary and revolutionary changes, the details of which are included in this plan.