2023-2026 Strategic Plan
UW Libraries Strategic Plan
In order to align with the vision and values of the University of Washington, the UW Libraries will pursue strategies and initiatives that support the evolving needs of our user communities. The 2023-2026 Libraries Strategic Plan establishes our goals, guides our decisions and shapes our budgeting and resource allocation. The plan defines our key priorities, allowing us to rationalize what successful pursuits we continue, what new initiatives we begin and what activities we modify or suspend in the interest of maximizing our impact on our institution and communities.
In its commitment to provide comparable experiences for all UW students, faculty, and staff, the University Libraries operates on a principle of “One Library: Three Campuses” that involves collaborative planning, centralized work functions, and shared outcomes that balance priorities in common with unique, local needs across the Bothell, Seattle, and Tacoma campuses.
Advance Research for the Public Good
UW research attains its greatest impact on our most pressing global challenges when we advocate for open, public and emerging forms of scholarship.
Goals:
- Increase the impact of UW scholarship by investing in and promoting institutional open access publishing, open scholarship and open infrastructure.
- Advance evolving University-wide initiatives by fostering collaborative relationships in new areas of research support.
- Enhance innovative research by strengthening data services, digital and community engaged scholarship and emerging technologies.
- Support researchers' needs by providing expertise and education for the entire research lifecycle, from knowledge creation to curation and dissemination.
Enrich the Student Experience
Students reach their full potential as learners and global citizens when we support the holistic student experience.
Goals:
- Address the student affordability crisis by participating in efforts on open educational resources and pedagogies strengthening partnerships that improve access to resources and services.
- Increase opportunities for student learning by strengthening investment in scalable, multimodal and inclusive pedagogies to teach essential information skills.
- Enhance University initiatives focused on belonging, inclusion, and the success and holistic well-being of diverse student populations through strengthened partnerships and Libraries-wide support.
- Develop and advocate for evolving library spaces that address student needs and changes in scholarship and learning.
Enhance Equitable Environments for Research, Learning and Working
Students, faculty, staff and community members from diverse backgrounds thrive when we prioritize inclusivity in research, learning, working environments, and Libraries daily activities.
Goals:
- Strengthen campus-wide partnerships to support social justice and equity-focused research, teaching, learning, clinical care and staff development.
- Elevate the voices of historically underrepresented communities at UW and in the Pacific Northwest by partnering to create, preserve and increase access to culturally-relevant resources.
- Improve access to resources, spaces, and services through continuous accessibility improvements.
- Foster an equitable and inclusive culture for Libraries staff through programs, mentoring, hiring, retention and training.
Accelerate Scholarship and Learning through Responsive Collections
The work of students, clinicians and researchers is advanced when we develop and steward collections that align with evolving and future needs.
Goals:
- Enhance scholarship, learning, and university goals by diversifying and aligning collections with research and curricular needs.
- Strengthen users' ability to efficiently find and use information by improving discoverability and access to diverse and interdisciplinary collections.
- Expand the quantity and range of information resources available to users and support sustainable physical collection growth by leveraging multi-institutional partnerships.
- Maintain outstanding collections by enhancing digitization strategies and proactively managing the lifecycle of collections through acquisition, preservation and deselection strategies.
Prioritize Employee Development and Evolving Ways of Working
The evolving needs of our communities are better met when we invest in the development of our staff and transform our ways of working.
Goals:
- Improve communication and strategic decision-making to foster effective and equitable ways of working.
- Transform our working practices to enable effective collaboration and a holistic perspective on individual work.
- Strengthen capacity and clarity for a participatory organizational structure based on shared values, priorities and vision.
- Invest in developing, recruiting and retaining staff to strengthen skill sets in support of changing university needs.