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Mission statements are used for a variety of reasons in organizations, including defining the purpose of the institution, communicating with its stakeholders, shaping its strategic planning process, providing a realistic snapshot of its everyday work, and outlining its future goals or objectives (among many others). For many academic libraries, mission statements are used to showcase resources, services, technologies, and innovations. The purpose of this study is to examine the mission statements of libraries that have won the ACRL Excellence in Libraries Award and analyze whether (or not) the winning libraries used innovation to create a distinct environment that was reflected through their mission statements. The study uses the work of Pearce and David (1987) to determine what elements are included in the mission statements. This chapter utilizes qualitative methodology in the study.

Pearce and David (1987) outline eight elements found in mission statements: target customer; principal products/services; geographic domain; core technologies; survival, growth, or profit; company philosophy; self-concept; and public image. This qualitative study finds that the mission statements of the academic libraries collectively included seven of the elements, omitting survival, growth, or profit universally. Also, the inclusion of these elements allows many of the libraries to create their unique description, unveiling a commitment to innovation.

As an original research study, this chapter adds a unique perspective to the concept of innovation in academic libraries, particularly as it examines the mission statements of award-winning libraries to determine if innovation is found in these foundational documents.

The IFLA International Marketing Award was brought out in 2002 to libraries to employ marketing and bring out better results and identify the best marketing practices the world over. Now, the award has become a success story and through this paper efforts have been put up to showcase the award before library and information professionals around the world.

The primary data relating to award applications received each year have been collected and used to analyse and interpret in a meaningful way.

The IFLA International Marketing Award was introduced in 2001 and was awarded for the first time in 2002. Since then, this award recognises the first, second and third runner‐ups each year based on the marketing project in all kinds of libraries, worldwide. The award has attracted 276 applications from 55 countries during the last ten years. The paper analyses the award applications chronologically, geographically and by type of library. It also discusses the winning libraries and their marketing activities. It concludes that the award has become a success story and is expected to reach two new countries each year and 750 libraries from 75 countries in the next ten years.

The paper will be useful for library and information professionals to understand the value of marketing being practised around the world and will encourage them to employ a better marketing approach in the libraries.

In an attempt to recognize staff excellence and retain staff during a pay equity phase‐in period, Southern Methodist University Libraries has created five “Library Staff Recognition Awards:” Continuing Excellence, Outstanding Achievement, Employee of the Year, Student Assistant of the Year, and one unnamed award that can be for any of the previous four categories.

This paper seeks to describe how the National University of Singapore (NUS) Libraries deploys the NUS Service Class (NUSSC) framework to continually improve processes and to design adaptive services for library users at the NUS. The NUSSC framework assesses approach, deployment, review and refinement of interlinking categories with the objective of producing impactful results.

NUS Libraries has been scaling the peaks of service excellence to delight their library users for several years. In 2007, NUS Libraries adopted the NUSSC framework, which is modelled after the Singapore Service Class (S‐Class), a certification for the business excellence niche standard for service based on the Business Excellence framework. The NUSSC framework which was introduced by the Office of Quality Management (OQM) at NUS allows the use of self‐assessment on how processes and services are approached, deployed and reviewed through cycles of improvement. In addition to self‐assessment, external assessors engaged by the OQM review the application report, conduct site visits and interviews in search of evidence of service excellence.

From the results achieved, the importance of having a strong visionary leadership, innovative staff, holistic and systematic planning, a robust information management system as well as good customer relationship can be understood. Understanding users' requirements enabled the provision of new touch points and the development of services and resources which are targeted and highly relevant to staff and students. User trust was built by targeting programmes at specific groups for greater impact. By segmenting users, NUS Libraries was able to customize programmes that suit their information needs. From the journey towards the pinnacle of excellence and success, NUS Libraries learned that cascading the strategic plans and aligning library staff members' objectives with their teams, departments, special libraries and NUS Libraries, will ensure continual improvement to processes and services.

It is important that all aspects of services and processes are examined regularly to address gaps. Gathering, analysing and applying the right information at every cycle of improvement is extremely critical. NUS Libraries are exploring the development of an information intelligence system that will capture information from various sources. With a robust information management system, NUS Libraries will also be able to push and pull information to empower staff to deliver information just in time. Although NUS Libraries was awarded Recognition for Service Excellence in 2007 and the highest award, Outstanding for Service Excellence in 2010, it will continue to scale new heights for service excellence.

Academic libraries have endured rapid change in the past two decades that has had repercussions on how they manage their organization and deliver library services. Skyrocketing costs, especially for journals, explosive growth in new technologies, fiscal exigencies caused by a tightening of public financing of most academic institutions, demands for greater accountability, and the onslaught of electronic delivery of networked information, are just some of the major obstacles libraries are encountering (Lubans, 1996; Riggs, 1993; Shaughnessy, 1987). Customers of academic libraries are increasingly less satisfied because of limited resources and the difficulties they encounter in accessing printed material in a traditional library facility (Doughtery, 1992). The emergence of textual materials in electronic form has added a new dimension to this discontent. While such resources have the potential for meeting the information needs more dynamically, the costs for information have been exorbitant, particularly since full electronic texts have not been sufficient in coverage to supplant printed resources (Tenopir, 1993). These phenomena require academic libraries to use a more integrated and flexible approach to problem solving (Gapen, Hampton & Schmitt, 1993).

The proliferation of inspirational leadership and management publications available in libraries and bookshops suggests that there are many paths to excellence. Much of the literature is written with a business or corporate audience in mind; however, it is a source of ideas, theories and models that, potentially, can be applied in public or not-for-profit organisations. One theory which has enjoyed a long history of debate and discussion in management studies is quality management, variously referred to as TQM, quality assurance, total quality control or one of the many other alternatives. In this chapter the applicability and potential benefits, as well as the challenges and obstacles, of adopting one version of total quality management in a library setting are examined.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role and relevance of external standards in demonstrating the value and impact of academic library services to their stakeholders.

Two UK standards, Charter Mark and Customer Service Excellence, are evaluated via an exploratory case study, employing multiple data collection techniques. Methods and results of phases 1‐2 of a three phase research project are outlined.

Despite some limitations, standards may assist the manager in demonstrating the value, impact and quality of academic libraries in a recessional environment. Active engagement and partnership with customers is imperative if academic libraries are to be viewed as vital to their parent organisations and thus survive.

This paper provides a systematic evaluation of the role of external accreditation standards in measuring academic library service value and impact.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.

Index by subjects, compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.