Introduction

The University of Iowa Libraries 2022-2027 Strategic Plan represents the collective effort of the Libraries’ staff and outlines the Libraries’ mission, vision, values, goals, and objectives.

Goals mirror the four strategic priorities of the university’s Strategic Plan:

  • Student success
  • Research and discovery
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Engagement

Each goal includes a list of objectives that indicate how the Libraries will concentrate its efforts over the term of the plan. The Strategic Plan is intended to be a living document and objectives are intended to be evidence-based. New objectives may be added in order to respond to strategic changes that occur on campus or in the library community.

The Strategic Plan is supplemented by the UI Libraries’ Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) Action Plan to describe in greater detail specific projects and activities

Mission

The University of Iowa Libraries advances direct engagement in learning, research, creative work, and clinical care through staff expertise and exceptional collections on our campus and worldwide.

Vision

The University Libraries aspires to be a leader in the research library community. We provide access to inclusive, diverse, and distinctive collections and preserve them for future scholars. We recruit and retain expert and responsive staff to lead and transform information services and innovative collaborations. We provide adaptive learning spaces and the technologies to support research and the creation of knowledge. We support and promote critical inquiry in an environment dedicated to the open exchange of information. We build a community of friends and foster a culture of philanthropy to achieve our goals.

Values

Service, Collaboration, Integrity, Creativity, Openness, Diversity, Stewardship, Respect

Goals and Objectives

The University Libraries’ goals as defined in its 2022-2027 Strategic Plan are to:

  • Provide quality spaces, services and resources to support student success. We can meet our student success goal if we:
    • create a more inclusive and engaged Libraries culture for all students.
    • provide leadership and leverage resources to reduce the cost of students’ course materials.
    • provide leadership to increase students’ information literacy.
  • Support high-impact research for faculty, staff, and students. We can meet our research and discovery goal if we:
    • increase access to University of Iowa authored information.
    • maximize the impact of University of Iowa research and creative works.
    • expand library services to support researchers at all levels.
    • build rich, accessible collections in response to the evolving needs of our community.
  • Engage with library users and our communities to provide high-quality information and opportunities that expand education, improve health, and enhance economic development. We can meet our engagement goal if we:
    • demonstrate the value of the Libraries to stakeholders.
    • collaborate with local and national organizations.
    • enhance facilities for improved physical and online spaces in the Libraries.
    • make the Libraries a healthy and fulfilling place to work.
  • Integrate diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) into the UI Libraries’ mission to support teaching, research, and service in order to develop and sustain an inclusive and equitable environment throughout the Libraries. (See DEAI plan details below.) We can meet our DEAI and collaboration goal if we:
    • recruit, retain, and develop a diverse and inclusive workforce at all levels of the organization.
    • create an environment in which all individuals feel welcome, safe, and able to thrive.

The UI Libraries’ goals as defined in its Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEAI) Action Plan are to:

  • Recruit, retain and develop a diverse and inclusive workforce at all levels of the UI Libraries. There are six critical tasks under this strategy:
    • create a DEAI Council that collaborates internally and externally;
    • continue to require and hold accountable all staff members to build their skills and knowledge in DEAI-related areas;
    • improve the staff search process to better align with our commitments to DEAI;
    • create an inclusive onboarding process to help new employees establish a sense of community and increase their awareness of resources, organizations, and policies;
    • recruit and retain a diverse pool of student employees in order to better represent the student population and grow interest in librarianship in underrepresented groups; and
    • build on existing UI Libraries Residency Program, working with the ACRL Diversity Alliance, to hire and support librarianship in under-represented racial and ethnic groups
  • Create an environment in which all individuals feel welcome, safe, and able to thrive. There are four critical tasks under this strategy:
    • collect and curate collections that are broadly representative and accessible,
    • capitalize on upcoming building renovation plan for the Main and Hardin Libraries to ensure library spaces are accommodating and accessible for all staff and users,
    • reconfigure existing library spaces to provide accommodations for differences in physical and cognitive needs, and
    • increase DEAI considerations in user services.