Capital Programs and Engineering (CP&E) is home to several different departments with different functions. One thing many of them share is the need for the same professional resource materials. However, when those materials don’t “live” in a centralized location where they are readily available and easy to find, it can result in duplicate copies, unnecessary purchases or even totally unused resources.
Earlier this year, that realization led to a unique project opportunity for the Partnership for Excellence in Research and Learning (PERL) program. Catherine Walsh, a graduate of IUPUI with a Ph.D. in Art History and a recently completed Master of Library and Information Science degree, was brought on board through PERL for the summer to identify missed opportunities and craft a plan to create a robust and accessible information library for all of CP&E to share.
At the outset of her six-week project, Walsh surveyed CP&E staff on their material use as well as their needs and expectations for professional resources. The results showed that CP&E could benefit from not only a physical resource but also an electronic one, so she focused her work throughout the summer on developing practical recommendations for both.
Walsh concluded her project in August and delivered suggestions that include the following:
About the project, Gas Engineer Rich Lefler said, “Catherine’s work on this project will help CP&E greatly improve the organization of our resources and become more efficient in our use of professional publications. Once some of her recommendations are implemented, CP&E employees should have an easier – and quicker – time locating the resources they need.”
The organization will look for opportunities to expand the library to other departments, if appropriate.