It has been more than a dozen years since the services and resources of the Libraries underwent an extensive review. That 1988 review, guided by a committee of faculty members, administrators, and library staff identified general and specific concerns and made several recommendations. These recommendations ranged from the global to the minute-from "monitor new technologies that promise to contribute to further economies and greater use of the libraries" to "have a bell to announce library closing." Library staff addressed all the review recommendations and those within our control were implemented, many of them to a far greater extent than imagined by the review committee.

In the intervening years, much has changed both for the Claremont Libraries and for libraries in general. Today, we rely extensively on the internet and especially on the world wide web for delivering both resources and services. "Going to the library" for many of our faculty and students now means doing so from the comfort of an office, dorm room, or home. Much library business-renewing books, identifying materials for research projects, asking a reference question, reading both books and journal articles, to mention just a few examples-occurs with users who are outside our physical buildings. Nevertheless, our instructional program, references services, special collections, study areas, and other services continue to bring students, faculty, staff, and community users into our buildings.

Not being content with addressing concerns identified in the 1988 review, we have continued to seek information through surveys and focus groups to determine if we have the right mix of services and to assess how well we are doing with the services we offer. However, we have not attempted a review as comprehensive as the 1988 review; and WASC, the regional accrediting agency, has pointed out that the Libraries have not been reviewed recently as part of an accreditation visit to any of The Colleges.

As a result of conversations between the staffs of WASC and the Claremont University Consortium, of which we are a unit, we have agreed to undertake a thorough Libraries review. Our Libraries Self Study Team, led by Alberta Walker, Associate Director of Libraries, is gathering background information and overseeing four separate groups working on key components of the Self Study. These components are drawn from items identified in our Strategic Plan (see http://voxlibris.claremont.edu/geninfo/mission/strategicplan.html). Three of the elements selected focus on our current programs and services. They are how our collections, especially the journal collections, support the academic programs at the colleges; how librarians and faculty collaborate to enhance student learning (a particular emphasis of WASC); and how our spaces meet users' needs for study, research, collaboration, and reflection. The fourth component is designed to reflect upon our appropriate roles in development of a Claremont digital library.

This Self Study, in cooperation with WASC, will be completed in the next several months and an external review team will visit Claremont in fall 2003. Your faculty colleagues who are members of Library Council have agreed to read and comment on our drafts as they are prepared. In addition, a web portfolio will document the work of the Self Study Team and will be available for your review. We hope that you will take advantage of opportunities to assist us in this major assessment that will influence and shape the Libraries for years to come.

Bonnie Clemens
Director of the Libraries
bonnie.clemens@libraries.claremont.edu