Introduction
Building on the successful completion of the University Library's 2017-2020 strategic plan, the Library engaged in creating an ambitious new strategic plan. Through this process, we have firmly rooted our commitment to equity, justice, and inclusiveness. In this plan we envision the Library as an exemplary social justice library that serves as a leader in applying principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Building on reciprocal partnerships, we seek to transform our collections, services, programs, and spaces to create a more just and equitable world. To move towards this vision we will develop and apply a social justice model for librarianship, advance student learning and research in service to humanity, strengthen the Library's long-term organizational health, optimize the community's experience of the Library, and sustain distinctive collaborations and partnerships.
Planning Process
The 2021-2024 Library strategic plan was collaboratively developed by the Library Management Council and library staff members. The planning process began with creating new mission, vision, and values statements which guided the development of strategic priorities, goals, and objectives. As part of the planning process, library staff, students, faculty, and staff were engaged through brainstorming, open forums, and working groups.
Strategic Priorities
- Priority 1: Develop and apply a social justice model
- Library staff engage in self study and reflection to articulate and apply practices to transform the library in alignment with our core professional values and the Jesuit commitment to broader social equity.
- Priority 2: Advance student learning and research in the service to humanity
- The Library values teaching and research as a service to humanity. We prepare students to become engaged citizens and scholars through teaching information literacy. We collaborate with faculty through the entire research life cycle, with the aim of extending the impact/reach of their work to the broader community.
- Priority 3: Strengthen the library's long-term organizational health and success
- In light of our evolving institutional reality we are evaluating ways to demonstrate our commitment to our mission. Staff are empowered to be creative, take risks, and continuously innovate to meet the needs of our communities.
- Priority 4: Optimize the community experience
- Library staff continually improve the usability and accessibility of the library's online and physical environments, seeking to provide a welcome and positive experience for all library patrons.
- Priority 5: Build and sustain distinctive collaborations and partnerships
- In order to leverage the library's role as a social justice partner, we will build inclusive models of collaboration that include partnerships across campus departments, the outside community, and the broader profession.
The Library's 2021-24 Strategic Plan complements the University's mission to build an academic community that educates leaders of competence, conscience, and compassion, and that cultivates knowledge and faith to build a more humane, just, and sustainable world. Our strategic priorities enact these values by focusing our efforts on goals, objectives and activities that help us re-imagine our work through a social justice lens, center values-based research and learning, promote accessibility and affordability, connect with diverse communities, and build impactful collaborations.
Critically, this plan aligns with Santa Clara University's efforts to become an anti-racist institution. Developing a social justice model for our Library is one response to pressing current commitments for anti-racism and inclusion; it also represents a deliberate next step along SCU's long and imperfect path towards justice.