University of Waterloo Libraries Collections Strategy

The Collections Strategy aligns with the Libraries and University strategic plans and initiatives. The 2020-2025 Libraries strategic plan included several goals and objectives that provided direction for this strategy, including curating unique and diverse collections, demonstrating commitment to open scholarship, accessible library resources, community engagement and enhanced decision-making practices.

The Collections Strategy facilitates longer-term planning, aids transparent and clear communications with stakeholders, and helps with decision-making and prioritization. The Collections Strategy covers the Libraries’ general collections that support teaching, learning and research at the University of Waterloo. The Libraries’ Special Collections & Archives and the collections of the Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo (AFIW) libraries are adjacent, related collections, but outside the scope of this strategy.

The following statements form the context for the strategy and are captured in the Collections Policy.

• We expend primarily on electronic resources to support anytime, anywhere learning and research while respecting disciplinary differences in format needs
• We work with the research library community and consortia to form partnerships for advocacy, procurement and shared best practices
• We extend the range of our resources through resource sharing, open access advocacy and working towards collective collections

We will use robust evaluation methods, centred on data, to:

• Steward the collections budget and continuously review the budget structure to respond to evolving strategic priorities, academic programs, research areas and interdisciplinary work
• Assess new models in scholarly publishing that advance open access

We will:

• Identify collections of record (print and electronic) for long-term stewardship and comprehensive collecting in a consortial environment

We will:

• Ensure, proactively and retroactively, the inclusion of diverse voices and ways of knowing in our collections

We will:

• Engage actively with our community through communication and collaboration around collections and open scholarship 

The Collection Strategy will be advanced by the achievement of:

Workflow and operational goals to review, evaluate and manage our collections budget processes and priorities

• Goals for long term stewardship of print and electronic collections of record in a consortial environment
• Goals for diverse, accessible and inclusive collections
• Communication goals to create key messages and awareness around collections and open scholarship

Workflow and operational goals to review, evaluate and manage our collections budget processes and priorities

1. Implement a collections calendar, as recommended by the Technical Services Review
2. Create methodology and workflow, with evaluation criteria, for evaluating large packages and test on a package that is up for renewal
3. Create a workflow for regular subscriptions evaluation, as recommended in the Technical Services Review
4. Review our collections budget structure to be responsive to ongoing and evolving needs and opportunities
5. Operationalize the rubric for evaluating transformative agreements into Collection Development workflows

Goals for long term stewardship of print and electronic collections of record in a consortial environment

6. Work with consortial partners to identify unique sections of our collection
7. Work with the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) to understand the retention practices and commitments at Ontario universities while advocating for collective collecting conversations
8. Engage in conversations about print and digital collections needs in the Libraries’ Strategic Space Planning

Goals for diverse, accessible, and inclusive collections

9. Analyze our collections for diversity
10. Enable training for staff on creating diverse and inclusive collections and what it means to decolonize collections work
11. Coordinate with the Libraries’ accessibility committee to advance accessibility in our collections

Communication goals to create key messages and awareness around collections and open scholarship

12. Work with the Libraries’ communications team to establish key messages around:

• Collections news for information sharing with different audiences
• Collections issues such as transformative agreements and open access

13. Collaborate with partners on campus to raise awareness and facilitate discussion on open scholarship