Vision Statement

ASERL's Vision of Collaboration

The vision of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) derives from the collective view of the future held by its institutional members.

As such, the vision will be modified as the collective view of the future evolves and as the desired role of the Association develops with it. In its current state, the ASERL vision is of a highly dynamic consortium serving the needs of its member research libraries, which will continue to operate in an environment characterized by the rapid incidence of opportunity and challenge. It is understood that the realization of this vision hinges on the contribution of each member institution to the initiatives, momentum, and spirit of the consortium commensurate with the benefit received. Following are statements that analyze the Association's collective assessment of the future of research libraries and the role of the consortium, providing a basis for further planning.

The membership holds a common belief in the notion that there is strength in unity and the unity can accommodate distinctive institutional features.

The membership also holds the common belief that each member institution will be better able to fulfill its mission as a result of collaborative programs, and the benefits of the consortium to the region can be greater than those provided by the same institutions acting independently.

The combination of limitless information needs and limited institutional resources will continue to be an incentive for collaboration, with information technology as its principal vehicle.

The Association will engage in projects and programs judged of value to the membership and/or to the broader academic community. Likewise, it will establish new partnerships as they may be judged useful in fulfilling missions more effectively and/or efficiently.

The Association understands that it has a role in addressing two fundamental changes taking place in the relationship of the research library to its constituency. One of the changes stems from the idea that the research library is the emerging nexus of scholarly communication at all levels in any given geographic area. This idea pertains even in the knowledge that a growing number of users of individual member institution services will be located at sites remote from the physical library. Another change in which the Association intends to play a useful role relates to an ever-clearer need in higher education to integrate library and information services into the learning process.

The Association is mindful that the level of support for both the consortium and the individual member libraries will be determined by the level of understanding of the changing role of the library held by the constituency.

It is equally mindful that continued institutional membership in the consortium will be determined more stringently in the basis of the perceived value of consortium initiatives and benefits to each institution. In both cases, the Association will plan accordingly.

The membership believes that, while it shares a set of essential values, a rich diversity of communities, resources, and expertise within the member institutions will prove advantageous to the consortium through the strategic use of complementary and supplementary strengths.

In that connection, the memberships shares a strong commitment to continuous staff development and training and envisions the sharing of human resources.

The membership will govern its own directions, with the understanding that all projects and all programs need not involve all members.

The membership will leverage resources of the consortium to share the risk of new ventures and programs.

Approved April 27,2000, Atlanta