Overall Priorities

Specifically, Computing and Communications Services will be guided by the following priorities:

• Enhance the electronic delivery of information within the Library System.

  In the provision of the electronic information resources required in a research university library, emphasis will be placed on "just-in-time" rather than "just-in- case" acquisition of materials. The electronic delivery of full-text resources will be a top priority in the addition of new services. The NOTIS system will continue to evolve, providing a wider range of bibliographic materials and, eventually, a gateway to resources available throughout the University and across the Internet. Connectivity to worldwide information resources via such client/server software as web browsers will also be expanded. The libraries will give increased attention to digitizing activities. Increased coordination of all aspects of information in a digital format will be forthcoming (i.e., selection, access, servicing, and education and training programs) with the aim of a single front-end (gateway) that will be available to all patrons at their desktop or in the Library for access to all forms of information regardless of where the information is located.

• Enhance the levels of instructional computing resources (including hardware, software, and technical support).

  System choices will be determined by programmatic requirements in an effort to match the system to the task at hand, consistent with financial capability. Resources will continue to be focused upon expanding the use of information technologies into the teaching and learning experience. Efforts to encourage, orient, and train faculty to incorporate technology and multimedia into the curriculum will be strengthened as will student access to technology. Technology-equipped classrooms and student computing facilities will continue to expand.

• Enhance the levels of research computing resources (including hardware, software, and technical support).

  Resources will continue to be focused upon providing access to the most efficient and effective computing tools for University researchers. Emphasis for large-scale systems will be placed upon open systems and upon the provision of scalable parallel computing platforms. Within the range of systems supported by the University, emphasis for desktop systems will be placed upon provision of the computing tools compatible with the large-scale systems on campus and appropriate for the particular research objective.

• Enhance the levels of administrative computing resources (including hardware, software, and technical support).

  Resources will continue to be focused upon providing the most efficient and effective computing tools for administrative applications to meet the day-to- day operating needs of the University. Emphasis will be placed upon implementing open systems approaches to the provision of administrative data creation and information access. A key consideration will be responsiveness to the needs of users of administrative systems in all sectors of the University.