University Futures, Library Futures - Chapter 1 - Project History, Background, and Objectives

Oct 15, 2026

University Futures, Library Futures examines how library strategies align with higher-education institutional directions. It presents a project history, background, and objectives, followed by a literature review on systems of classification, including US higher-education approaches and key frameworks such as the NCES Survey and the Carnegie Classification. The study also analyzes evolving student profiles by age, gender, ethnicity, and enrollment patterns, then develops an institution typology to guide library services frameworks, key findings, and implications.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages122

Reading Time5 h 7 min

AccessFree to download

Chapter 1: Project History, Background, and Objectives

Chapter 2: Literature Review

On systems of classification in US higher education

On the evolving student profile

Chapter 3: Institution Typology

Chapter 4: Library Services Framework

Chapter 5. Key Findings and Implications

University Futures, Library Futures Aligning library strategies with institutional directions Constance Malpas, Roger Schonfeld, Rona Stein, Lorcan Dempsey, and Deanna Marcum University Futures, Library Futures: Aligning library strategies with institutional directions Constance Malpas Strategic Intelligence Manager and Research Scientist, OCLC RogerSchonfeld Director, Library and Scholarly Communication Program, Ithaka S+R Rona Stein Researcher, OCLC Lorcan Dempsey Vice President, Membership and Research, and OCLC Chief Strategist Deanna Marcum Senior Advisor, Ithaka S+R © 2018 OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) October 2018 OCLC Research Dublin, Ohio 43017 USA [www.oclc.org](www.oclc.org) ISBN: 978-1-55653-076-0 DOI: 10.25333/WS5K-DD86 OCLC Control Number: 1056765822 ORCID iDs Constance Malpas: [http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9312-8294](http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9312-8294) Roger Schonfeld: [http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3047-0858](http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3047-0858) Rona Stein: [http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9862-6655](http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9862-6655) Lorcan Dempsey: [http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2925-8764](http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2925-8764) Deanna Marcum: [http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4345-952x](http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4345-952x) Please direct correspondence to: OCLC Research [oclcresearch@oclc.org](oclcresearch@oclc.org) [Suggested citation:](Suggested citation:) Malpas, Constance, Roger Schonfeld, Rona Stein, Lorcan Dempsey, and Deanna Marcum. University Futures, Library Futures: Aligning Library Strategies with Institutional Directions. Dublin, OH: OCLC Research. [https://doi.org/10.25333/WS5K-DD86](https://doi.org/10.25333/WS5K-DD86). Contents Chapter 1: Project History, Background, and Objectives ................... 8 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................13 On systems of classification in US higher education ........................................... 13 What is classification?....................................................................................... 13 Existing approaches to classifying higher education institutions .................. 13 The NCES Survey of Institutional Characteristics ...................................... 14 The Carnegie Classification ........................................................................ 14 A brief historical context to the Carnegie Classification ................................ 15 Limitations of the Carnegie Classification....................................................... 15 On the evolving student profile............................................................................. 16 Age .....................................................................................................................17 Gender ...............................................................................................................17 Ethnicity ............................................................................................................ 19 Socio-economic class ..................................................................................... 20 Part-time versus full-time enrollment............................................................... 21 New-Traditional student profile ........................................................................23 Toward a new typology of higher education institutions .....................................24 Educational directions ......................................................................................24 Research ......................................................................................................24 Liberal Education......................

FAQs

What is the focus of the report University Futures, Library Futures?

It focuses on aligning library strategies with higher-education institutional directions, using research, classification systems, and an institution typology to inform library services and recommendations.

Which classification frameworks are discussed in the literature review?

The report discusses classification approaches in US higher education, including the NCES Survey of Institutional Characteristics and the Carnegie Classification, along with their historical context and limitations.

How does the report analyze changes in the student population?

It examines an evolving student profile by factors such as age, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic class, and distinctions between part-time and full-time enrollment, including New-Traditional versus traditional profiles.

Oct 15, 2026

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