Library Strategic Plan Archive

Strategic Plan, 2013-2018

Mission

The Library and Information Access supports the information, curricular and research needs of the university's diverse community through the widest possible range of resources. We are committed to information literacy, lifelong learning, and creative endeavors in a welcoming environment.

Vision

The Library and Information Access aspires to be a flexible and experimental organization that encourages innovation and collaboration to meet the evolving information, curricular and research needs of SDSU. We will provide responsive and innovative public services and public spaces to the university and the community, foster information literacy, and create an intellectually stimulating environment through cultural events.

Core Values

The San Diego State University Library and Information Access core values are:

• Exceptional service to library users, meeting their information and service needs
• High quality collections responsive to the information and research needs of diverse learners in an environment of intellectual freedom
• Information literacy and library instruction; helping users become independent researchers
• The library as a welcoming environment for study, reflection, and participation in cultural activities
• Intellectual and cultural diversity on the campus and in the community
• Teamwork and partnerships with the campus and community

Service Pledge

The Library and Information Access is committed to a standard of excellence that places our users and their information needs at the core of everything we do.  To achieve this goal, we will:

• Treat library visitors with courtesy, respect and dignity
• Respond to user requests promptly and accurately
• Build and maintain collections that are responsive to the research needs of the university community
• Utilize innovative technology and strategies in our services
• Provide a comfortable and inviting study and research facility
• Instruct library users on new services and resources
• Provide access to hardware and software tools supportive of the academic experience
• Listen to user suggestions and incorporate them into assessment processes

Collections

Goal: Build a collection of information resources necessary for our user communities to excel in research, student success and community engagement.

Initiative 1: Acquire and organize the intellectual output and assets unique to San Diego State University (SDSU) to increase visibility as a research institution.

• Objective 1: As a 3 year pilot project, annually acquire all of the College of Arts and Letters monographic publications for the year.
• Objective 2: Identify the research data management needs for sciences and engineering.
• Objective 3: Determine the acceptable costs and functions needed for the implementation of an Institutional Repository (IR) for the SDSU community.

Initiative 2: Acquire and organize unique collections in their original formats which are of cultural and research importance to SDSU and the San Diego region.

• Objective 1: Map the College of Arts and Letters curricular needs to unique collections and resources in their original formats.
• Objective 2: Identify a Digital Humanities initiative for the creation of a digital space that provides powerful new tools and services that spark inquiry, support analysis and ignite discovery.

Initiative 3: Construct a sustainably funded collection, which is aligned by subject and format with SDSU current curricular and research needs.

• Objective 1: Find cost saving measures through consortial agreements.
• Objective 2: Pursue and/or Increase additional funding such as endowments, grants, research foundation grants and on campus funding measures by 25% over the next 3 Academic years to support Library collections 2014/2015 - 2018/2019.

Initiative 4: Promote collections that support scholarly student research, inspire creativity, innovation, and independent inquiry.

• Objective 1: Annually communicate collection enhancements to all faculty.
• Objective 2: Increase the use of the electronic resources overall by 10% over the next 3 Academic years 2014/2015 -2018/2019.

Communicate & Connect

Goal: Become a center of engagement for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the public through events, activities and communication designed to bring diverse participants together.

Initiative 1: Convene a standing communication team to improve marketing, advertising and public relations efforts of the library.

• Objective 1: Appoint a Communication Team and provide the team with a charge.
• Objective 2: Review the five communications reports, and create a library communication plan that includes best practices.

Initiative 2: Enhance communication to raise awareness of the library’s contribution to the SDSU mission and goals.

• Objective 1: Communicate library programs and resources that support University goals three times per semester via each academic unit.
• Objective 2: Assess completed public relations projects and activities during the first year of the plan for effectiveness in reaching assigned audiences.
• Objective 3: Utilize the public relations projects and activities assessments to further collaborate with key stakeholders during the second year of the plan and increase our effectiveness in reaching assigned audiences.
• Objective 4: Communicate to key stakeholders the results of Library assessment projects on an annual basis in July.

Initiative 3: Expand the liaison program to strengthen collaboration and engagement between library faculty and department faculty, academic units and university partners.

• Objective 1: Create a Faculty Liaison group to explore and pilot expanded liaison activities.
• Objective 2: Identify a library faculty for 100% of the academic departments and schools.
• Objective 3: Create and deliver a professional communication toolkit for the liaison activity participants.
• Objective 4: Assess current collaborations/partnerships with subject faculty by collecting data/information and report to the Communication Team.
• Objective 5: Collaborate or partner with stakeholders (discipline faculty, Institutes, etc.) to develop future programming that fosters collaboration, supports the curriculum, and/or promotes student success.

Spaces & Learning Environments

Goal: Create and continuously develop an aesthetically inviting, flexible, dynamic, and diverse environment that inspires creativity and contemplation, encourages collaboration and research, and stimulates the creation of content.

Initiative 1: Adopt an evidence-based decision making process for space planning projects that is informed by national standards, best practices, and state-of-the-art literature.

• Objective 1: A working group will create a document outlining general library space characteristics.
• Objective 2: Create a program to identify space needs.

Initiative 2: Create a modern facility that leverages state-of-the-art space design, technology and innovation to meet the needs of our users.

• Objective 1: As opportunities for renovations arise a working group will design study spaces informed by the guideline document created in Initiative 1, Objective 1.
• Objective 2: A working group will identify areas where technology can be leveraged to display information, collections or promote events.
• Objective 3: Uniform signage will be implemented throughout the library to improve wayfinding.

Initiative 3: Partner with the SDSU community to use library space in innovative and diverse ways.

• Objective 1: A policy will be developed to set guidelines for outside entities to collaborate with the library on events and exhibits.

Teaching & Learning

Goal: Advance teaching and learning through integration of library content and tools into the curriculum, delivery of information literacy instruction, and design of optimal learning environments for 21st Century student success.

Initiative 1: Forge partnerships with faculty to integrate library content, learning tools, and course-specific resources that promote high-quality learning experiences.

• Objective 1: During academic year 2014/2015, compile documentation of current collaborations between librarians, subject faculty and academic units.
• Objective 2: Over the next three years, explore campus initiatives and partnerships, such as the Writing Center, Digital Humanities, Data Management, CTL Learning Communities, and the Course Design Institute.
• Objective 3: During academic year 2014/2015, develop a methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of course support pages and research guides for implementation in Fall 2015.
• Objective 4: Collaborate with RWS to ensure that concepts are introduced, reinforced, and mastered by scaffolding information literacy instruction into the GE writing curriculum.

Initiative 2: Deliver programs and services that foster student acquisition of information literacy competencies necessary to be career and/or graduate study ready.

• Objective 1: Determine effectiveness of at least one aspect of our formal instructional efforts (including online tutorials) and some aspect of our reference interactions every other year.
• Objective 2: Develop curricular maps between ACRL information literacy standards and relevant academic programs, courses, and careers.
• Objective 3: Over the next three years, develop instructional programming for special student populations, such as Graduate Students, Transfer Students, International Students, Commuter Students, and other At-Risk/Developmental Groups.

Initiative 3: Ensure that the library’s infrastructure (technology, tools, staff) supports 21st century teaching and learning needs.

• Objective 1: Expand and improve upon the skills and experience necessary to support 21st century teaching and learning needs by recruiting new and retaining and training current library staff and faculty.
• Objective 2: Deleted (Explore, evaluate and recommend emerging technologies for library teaching and learning)
• Objective 3: Evaluate the effectiveness of library classrooms and informal instructional spaces every other year and make recommendations for improvement.

Access to Information

Goal: Connect SDSU community of users, who have diverse needs, to information resources.

Initiative 1: Develop resources, including personnel, tools and facilities, that support understanding and engagement with information resources.

Initiative 2: Ensure resource descriptions and metadata meet quality standards necessary to enable discovery and access by diverse users.

Initiative 3: Provide systems and interfaces for a digital presence that is functional, robust, and user focused.

Objectives to be developed, pending ULMS completion.