Strategic Framework

Strategic Framework 2020 header imageThe Future of the UConn Library

Connect. Empower. Engage.

This Strategic Framework charts the UConn Library’s direction and builds on our strengths as a hub of scholarship, research, and learning for UConn students, faculty, and staff. We connect our community to information resources; to the spaces needed for thinking, studying, learning, and collaborating; and to the essential expertise of Library staff.

The future of the UConn Library is one in which we remain committed to the University’s mission and engaged with our community to address its needs throughout shifts in higher education and technology. We foster innovative programs, services, and spaces that advance scholarship, facilitate equitable and life-long learning, invest in our people, and contribute meaningfully to our profession.

The right library for UConn skillfully leads while being proactive and responsive in meeting the University’s needs. We empower our staff to embrace experimentation and continuous improvement. Our work is imbued with our values, our professional ethos, and our efforts to ensure that all are welcome and given equal opportunity to thrive. We enrich our community and communicate our value to inspire engagement and investment.

 

Advancing a community of learners

We are committed to the academic and scholarly success of our community, and we connect people and resources to foster transformative inquiry, discovery, and learning. As an essential part of the research lifecycle, we develop vibrant, diverse collections, exceptional services, and seamless systems to support the needs of our users in a dynamic environment. We seek innovative ways to share and disseminate the research of UConn to the world through a commitment to open, accessible initiatives and materials.

We provide …

  • Resources that reflect research, teaching, and learning at UConn
  • Responsive and relevant services that support the wide range of community needs
  • Unique and distinctive collections that engage and stimulate the broader scholarly world
  • Agile and inspiring spaces for thinking, learning, working, and collaborating
  • Flexible and accessible technologies that support our work and provide robust discovery and access

Investing in ourselves and sharing our expertise

We celebrate leadership, initiative, and excellence across all levels of the Library. Our staff draws on extensive skills and knowledge to engage with each other and with the resources and services critical to our community’s—and our own—success. Motivated by curiosity and inclusiveness, the best staff for our users must be empowered to learn, solve problems, and innovate to produce meaningful and high-impact work that aligns with our values and the University’s mission.

We embrace …

  • Demonstrable and ongoing commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our staff and across all areas of our work
  • New and expanded capabilities through investment in continuous professional learning and strategic hiring
  • A culture of exploration, assessment, and reflection
  • Leadership at all levels and collaboration across the Library
  • Advocacy and planning for the sustainability of the UConn Library

Evolving our role at UConn and beyond

We apply our expertise and resources to promote the creative exchange of ideas, develop innovative initiatives, advance interdisciplinary scholarship, and support student success. We build strong networks across campus and with external partners for cultural exchange, equitable learning, and the creation of new knowledge. We foster the research productivity of our campus partners, and we conduct scholarship that advances our profession.

We cultivate …

  • Relationships across academic organizations to inspire shared knowledge, inquiry, and collaboration
  • Partnerships with cultural and civic institutions to serve the needs of Connecticut and beyond
  • Innovative services and programs to aid student success
  • New knowledge and best practices in the fields of librarianship and information science

UConn Library Values Statement

The UConn Library serves the University and beyond through providing access to and stewardship of the world of information. Rooted in our professional and institutional values, the UConn Library values drive how we make decisions, work together, collaborate with our users, and plan for the future. These are:

Curiosity and Inquiry

Equity and Inclusion

Kindness and Trust

Having Fun!

 

Approved Projects

Ways we are engaging with our Strategic Framework