Strategic Plan

The University Library Strategic Plan 2017-2022 focuses on six strategic areas:

• Student Success
• Knowledge Transfer
• User Services
• Scholarly Communication
• The Library as Place
• Organizational Excellence

Strategic Area 1: Student Success

Based on the campus’ priority of student success[1], the University Library will continue to contribute to this overarching priority through its student-focused services. These include in-person and electronic research assistance, information literacy instruction, outreach, relevant physical and electronic collections, curricular resources through the Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) initiative, study space, equipment lending, and other public services.

The University Library will…

1. Participate in university-wide Student Success Initiative assessment efforts to examine how library programs and services impact student success.
2. Augment computer and media equipment to support the curricular and research needs of students, including traditionally underserved and low-income students.
3. Expand Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) initiative content to support the curricular needs of students, including traditionally underserved and low-income students.
4. Advance student information literacy and library research skills by exploring impactful instructional practices for freshman, transfer, and graduate students.
5. Support engaged student learning through enhanced technology and collaborative learning spaces.
6. Contribute to students’ sense of belonging through engaging programming that reflects students’ diverse backgrounds, academic interests, wellbeing, and social needs.
7. Collaborate with student services and other relevant offices on campus to “get the word out” to students and faculty about the resources and services the library provides in support of student learning.

Strategic Area 2: Knowledge Transfer

The University Library acquires, licenses, and provides access to relevant knowledge resources, including print and/or electronic books, serials, journals, media, and primary sources that support the curricular, research, and recreational reading/viewing needs of students, faculty, and staff. The Library selects resources that are reflective of its values of diversity and inclusion. In addition, the Library provides leadership for Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$), which encourages faculty to offer low-cost/no-cost alternatives to expensive textbooks, and provides students access to some high-cost textbooks as campus funding allows. It also provides stewardship and access to unique materials of historic and cultural significance to the CSUN and greater communities. Furthermore, as licensing and resource sharing agreements allow, the Library provides access to its collections to the greater community, including alumni, other CSUs, local K-12 schools, other libraries, individual community members, and scholars.

The University Library will…

1. Reshape library collections to increase their relevancy and use by the CSUN and greater communities.
2. Prioritize the digitization of materials and encourage digital asset management by CSUN faculty researchers.
3. Leverage resource-sharing programs through the Unified Library Management System to meet the information needs of the CSUN community.
4. Ensure that Special Collections & Archives continues to play an important pedagogical, research, and stewardship role for the CSUN and greater communities.
5. Advise best practices for university records management for campus departments/offices and the University Archives.

Strategic Area 3: User Services

Excellence in service is a fundamental value of the University Library; therefore, it will ensure this is reflected in the variety and relevance of its services, which includes public services, collection access and maintenance, in-person and virtual reference and research assistance, desktop computing, and media equipment and creation,

The University Library will…

1. Engage in continual assessment of its services to meet evolving user needs.
2. Improve service areas and space utilization based on user-centered design.
3. Create and implement an information technology plan, including a “digital strategy.”
4. Connect students to vital services offered by non-profit organizations and government agencies to promote a supportive environment.
5. Develop an accessibility strategy to address the CSU Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI).
6. Experiment with innovative technologies to contribute to engaging services and learning environments.

Strategic Area 4: Scholarly Communication

Increasing research activity and sponsored programs is a priority for the university; participation in research is a high-impact educational practice for student learning, sponsored programs bring resources into the university, and shared research results contribute to solving problems in the world, bringing recognition to CSUN.

The University Library will…

1. Support CSUN scholarship by faculty and students in traditional and emerging areas such as interdisciplinary “clusters,” digital humanities,” and “e-science” through:
   1. Data management and curation services
   2. Institutional repository services to support preservation and access to CSUN scholarship;
   3. Copyright advisory referral services;
   4. Support for faculty scholarship through research assistance from librarian subject specialists.
2. Play a leadership role in promoting and supporting Open Access, including Open Access publishing and advocacy for Open Educational Resources.

Strategic Area 5: The Library as Place

Considered the “heart” of CSUN, students see the University Library as a hub for learning. It is where undergraduates and graduate students alike go to find space for quiet study and reflection, to focus on their work, to collaborate with fellow students on group projects, and to get access to materials for their courses and their research. When students need a break, they enjoy “refueling” and socializing with friends at the Freudian Sip café and other social areas of the library. Academically and culturally relevant exhibits and events attract students, faculty, staff, and community members to the library. Building on the success of the Learning Commons,

The University Library will…

1. Redesign existing space for more comfortable, open concept, and flexible use to meet different student learning styles and encourage library use.
2. Expand the Learning Commons Technology Office and Creative Media Studio spaces to accommodate greater student demand for media and computer equipment and services.
3. Explore the feasibility of creating “makerspaces,” and other collaborative workspaces in support of innovative learning.
4. Pursue specialized hardware and software to create technology-enabled learning environments and the expertise needed to support these tools.
5. Seek ways to increase and/or reshape library hours to meet student needs.

Strategic Area 6: Organizational Excellence

The University Library will build on its strong foundation to make advances in these strategic areas in support of its overall operations and collections.

The University Library will…

1. Enhance its resources to accomplish its goals.
2. Engage in ongoing and careful reshaping of library collections to balance knowledge resources with space needs.
3. Assess the impact of and improve marketing and communication strategies.
4. Strive to ensure that all resources, services, and programming provided by the library represent the values of diversity and inclusion.
5. Become a learning organization reflective of the diverse needs of its users and employees through continual improvement.
6. Strengthen sustainable practices in Library facilities management and operations.
7. Integrate a “culture of assessment” into all library operations to continually assess their effectiveness and measure the outcomes of its strategic plan.

Background on the planning process is available: Oviatt Library Strategic Plan 2017-2022 Background (.pdf)