STEWART LIBRARY

                                                                                      STRATEGIC PLAN

                                                                                                2006/09

                                                                                       Mission Statement

The Stewart Library’s mission is to advance the instructional, scholarship, and community service mission of the university through the development of on-site collections, access to off-site resources, personalized assistance in the use of library and information resources, and instruction on research strategies and tools.

We are committed to assessing our services and the relevancy and use of our resources and to utilize assessment outcomes to continually improve those resources and services.

                                                                                        Vision Statement

The Stewart Library’s collections and services will continue to improve.  A combination of state and private funding and significant effort by our library leadership will result in a collection focused on academic program needs and enhanced by superior access to electronic resources and services.  The library will provide exceptional support for faculty and student learning.

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                                                                                      STRATEGIC PLAN

                                                                                                2006/09

The Stewart Library’s programs, policies, procedures and priorities emerge from initiatives central to its mission to support teaching, learning, and scholarship at Weber State University.  The library’s practices are also guided by traditional and emerging patterns of enhancing access to information.

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                                                 Planning Initiative 1:   Achieving Excellence in User Services

                                      Goal - The library designs and delivers services based on evolving patron

                                                                  needs and information seeking behaviors. 

Strategies:

* Provide a knowledgeable and skilled faculty and staff who organize, present, and deliver services that facilitate academic success, life-long learning and faculty research.

* Maintain a welcoming, attractive facility that serves as a gathering place and encourages research and student engagement.

* Adopt new models of service as we increasingly utilize technology to fulfill our mission, increase our involvement in distance learning, and assist faculty in enhancing the quality of classroom instruction.

* Emphasize service to our users as we establish library policies, procedures, and priorities.  Regularly assess the effectiveness of these policies, procedures, and priorities.

                                       Planning Initiative 2:   Developing and Managing Information Resources

                  Goal - The library acquires and makes accessible in the most usable and cost-effective formats

                                   the information resources needed to support teaching and learning at WSU.

Strategies:

* Rely on subject librarians to expand partnerships with faculty in developing,  managing, and assessing  collections and to provide course integrated library instruction.

Increase the number of subject librarian positions to include an Arts & Humanities Librarian.

* Maintain an intuitive, user-friendly website that efficiently leads patrons to library resources and services.

* Utilize more fully the capabilities of the Sirsi-Dynix system to make information resources more accessible.

* Develop effective methodologies to systematically review and evaluate electronic resources.

* Maximize buying power through consortial partnership and close collaboration with the Utah Academic Library Consortium

* Seek additional sources of funding to augment the library’s information resources budget.

                                                               Planning Initiative 3: Leveraging Technology

                                 Goal - The library implements information technologies that enhance services,

                                       provide access to resources, resolve problems, and promote innovation.

Strategies:

* Strive to ensure that patron access to the library’s digital resources is available on a 24-hour per day, 7-day a week basis.

* Enhance existing digital resources and services and acquire or create tools that facilitate their use in classrooms and independent learning environments.

* Consult, collaborate, and compare new and emerging technologies with peer institutions to maintain and enhance electronic services in a consistent and cost-effective manner.

* Link the acquisition and implementation of new technologies and the enhancement of existing technologies to agreed upon library goals and objectives.             

* Seek additional sources of funding to help off-set the cost of technology and the need to continually expand and up-date that technology.

                                              Planning Initiative 4: Reference Services in the Information Age

                                              Goal - The library provides client centered reference assistance,

                          instruction, and resources that promote patron self sufficiency and life long learning.

Strategies:

* Provide a knowledgeable and skilled faculty and staff who offer high-quality, user oriented assistance, consultation, and instruction regarding information needs and research.

* Base the design and delivery of reference and instruction services on an understanding of user needs as determined through observation and systematic assessment.

* Adopt new models of reference service in response to changing user needs and emerging technologies.

* Maintain a balanced collection of digital and traditional resources by developing effective methodologies for review and evaluation.

                                                     Planning Initiative 5:   Educating for the Information Age

                                   Goal - The library’s instruction program promotes the development of skills

                                                                          that lead to information literacy.

Strategies:

* Continue to expand and improve our information literacy program and assess its effectiveness.

* Partner with WSU faculty to integrate information literacy into all levels of the curriculum.

* Emphasize the evaluation of information resources and the development of critical thinking skills in instruction sessions.

* Assess student learning and teaching effectiveness in our for-credit courses and in a representative number of course-integrated instruction sessions.

                                                      Planning Initiative 6:   Assessing Library Effectiveness

                    Goal - The library regularly assesses the quality, relevancy, and effectiveness of its resources

                                and services, and uses assessment data to improve those resources and services.

Strategies:

* Track assessment data from national surveys administered by the university.

* Establish an online method to collect feedback from faculty and students on their level of satisfaction with library resources and services.

* Conduct usability testing of the library’s website and other online services to inform web redesign, systems setup, and development. 

* Integrate assessment data into our various planning and decision making processes.

                                                       Planning Initiative 7:  Funding and External Relations

                                    Goal - The library seeks additional sources of funding to expand programs

                                                                        and enhance resources and services

Strategies:

* Enhance the library’s operating budget with endowments, grants, and private gifts.

* Focus on faculty, students, and alumni as primary target markets and develop a strategy to increase their involvement with and gifts to the library.              

* Increase the library’s visibility to the community through exhibits, special events, and media exposure.

                                                              Planning Initiative 8:   Organizational Vitality

                                                       Goal -   The library maintains a commitment to quality

                                                                                    in all of our activities.

Strategies:

* Maintain an organizational structure that is flexible, responsive to patrons’ needs, and dedicated to quality services.

* Promote an organizational culture of trust and respect in all we do and which supports ongoing professional development.

* Facilitate teamwork, collaboration, and effective communication.  Encourage creativity in team development and assess the effectiveness of the teams.

* Rely on teams to plan, set goals, make decisions, and solve problems relative to the library’s core functions. 

* Develop performance expectations for all positions.  Regularly review performance and performance expectations and revise as necessary.