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USA Libraries Strategic Plan 2023-2028

Pillar One: Student Access and Success

Partner with the USA community to provide appropriate, welcoming spaces, programs, and services that help students develop skills to be successful in their academic endeavors, and as researchers, scholars, informed citizens, and life-long learners.

  1. Consistent with accreditation requirements, maintain a qualified library faculty and staff to provide the information resources, instruction, and research support necessary to advance the University’s educational objectives and programs.

  2. Provide and invest in safe, inclusive, innovative, and well-equipped learning spaces that support creativity, innovation, and academic success.

  3. Generate programming and collaborations with partners vested in enriching student learning and belonging.

  4. Grow the Libraries’ contributions to key USA instructional priorities, including increasing retention and graduation rates, reducing equity gaps within student success metrics, and enhancing student verbal and written competencies necessary for a qualified future workforce.

Pillar Two: Graduate Education

Develop collections, services, and spaces that facilitate graduate education and research and showcase the impact of USA’s graduate students on scholarship and service.

  1. Develop comprehensive collections that foster research in existing graduate programs and allow for new program development.

  2. Grow services tailored to the research needs of USA’s graduate students.

  3. Provide designated spaces for graduate students in the USA Libraries that foster multidisciplinary research collaborations and allow for specialized programs and events.

Pillar Three: Research, Discovery, Creative Works

Participate in USA’s internationally recognized research and scholarship endeavors that will improve our community and quality of life.

  1. Build and maintain capacity to actively engage in data management and digital data curation at all stages in the research life cycle.

  2. Establish the USA Libraries as a knowledge discovery hub by hosting research- focused events, programs, and speakers in partnership with the campus and USA Health research enterprise.

  3. Develop and maintain creative spaces in the libraries to incorporate new technologies for research and knowledge development.

  4. Develop library expertise in grant writing, procuring and managing external funding, as well as in marketing and promotion.

  5. Invest in and maintain research level collections, and archival and scholarship repositories that support interdisciplinary and problem-based research.

Pillar Four: University Community Engagement

Foster mutually beneficial relationships and partnerships across the Gulf Coast region.

  1. Engage with community partners through special collections, accessible programming, and promotion of faculty and student research.

  2. Expand the holdings and use of archival resources that reflect and support our diverse local and regional communities.

  3. Build relationships that facilitate teaching and learning, and foster opportunities for community-based participatory research through civic engagement.

Pillar Five: Excellence in Healthcare

Support excellence in healthcare to advance and improve patient care, community health and well-being, and scientific research.

  1. Promote evidence based practice into patient care and clinical research.

  2. Facilitate and expand connections to educate health professionals about library resources that support excellent clinical care to patients.

  3. Advance the dissemination of consumer health resources within the USA Health System to foster health and wellness literacy within the community.

  4. Expand services and programs to meet the expectations of excellence in healthcare of USA Health patients and families.

Pillar Six: Employee Experience

Create a work environment that retains and attracts highly competent faculty and staff and provides pathways for their success.

  1. Improve communication and collaboration across libraries and departments.

  2. Provide competitive and equitable salaries to attract and retain excellent faculty and staff.

  3. Invest in developing faculty and staff to provide new skills to address changing university needs.

  4. Create an inclusive culture that will enable employees to excel.

Pillar Seven: Stewardship

Engage in responsible planning and resource management to ensure excellent service to our patrons.

  1. Maintain strong relationships with the USA Development Office and USA Foundation to maximize funding for USA Libraries.

  2. Engage in continual stewardship and assessment of collections, services, and programs.

  3. Collaboratively develop processes to seek appropriate external funding opportunities.

USA Libraries Strategic Plan Steering Committee

  • Rachel Fenske, Biomedical Library, Chair

  • Amia Baker, MCOB Library

  • Deborah Gurt, McCall Library

  • Gail Kouame, Biomedical Library

  • Lisa Leinhos, USA Libraries Collections

  • Dr. Pamela Moore, Chair, University Libraries Committee

  • Beth Shepard, Marx Library Reference & Instruction

  • Rebecca Young, Marx Library Interlibrary Loan

Approved by the Executive Director of University Libraries
August 2023