Strategic commitments
The University of Waterloo's unique character calls for a library that is agile and builds partnerships to continuously transform approaches to the creation, discovery, use, sharing, and preservation of information that is open and equitably accessible.
The Library commits to making progress in the following areas by 2025:
- Equip scholars to navigate complex information
- Re-envision spaces and programs to maximize impact
- Empower staff to advance library services for learner success
The Library is uniquely positioned to realize these outcomes. Through our unparalleled services, research collections, deep expertise, and indispensable teaching of critical information appraisal, we equip scholars and students to find, assess, and integrate data and scholarship into ground-breaking solutions to real-world problems.
Vision
Your partner in learning, research and innovation.
We are bold in our services and expertise while focused on our mission and commitment to quality. Wherever your ideas may lead you, we are your partner in learning, research and innovation.
Mission
The Library advances the creation, discovery, sharing and use of knowledge through research, teaching and community collaborations that complement the stewardship of distinctive collections, services and spaces.
Values
The Library is committed to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion, and human rights.
Building on this foundation, library staff combine strength and talent as we commit to these values:
- access: equitable and open access to resources, spaces and services
- knowledge: scholarly collections, scholarship and the creation of knowledge
- expertise: our deep knowledge that enables the success of learning, teaching and research and empowers new discoveries
- service: a commitment to exceptional service that motivates and characterizes all that we do
- partnerships: intentionally being connected, engaged and active with our partners
- community: being responsive to our learner and research communities
Strategic priorities
2020-2025 directions and goals: summary
Drawing on our mission and our values of access, knowledge, expertise, service, partnerships, and community, we will achieve the goals articulated under our strategic priorities, while embracing flexibility in responding to emerging needs.
Catalyzing learning and research
The Library advances the creation, discovery, sharing and use of knowledge wherever learning, teaching and research happen. To this end, we aspire to embed the Library in all phases of disciplinary and interdisciplinary research inquiry — from ideation to dissemination to commercialization — and to apply our expertise to enable student learning, the development of unique collections, and the acceleration of open scholarship.
| Goals | Objectives |
|---|---|
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1. Lead the development of research services, supports and partnerships that leverage our expertise across the research lifecycle |
a) Understand and support Waterloo’s undergraduate, graduate, faculty and postdoctoral researchers and research teams b) Empower information creators to understand and exercise their rights and responsibilities c) Provide our community with access to and support for in-demand digital research and learning tools |
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2. Enable learning in an increasingly complex information landscape |
a) Pursue greater integration within curricular, co-curricular, entrepreneurial and experiential learning at all levels of study b) Collaborate to develop open and accessible online learning supports to enable immediate and lifelong learning c) Expand the Library's key role in supporting Waterloo’s entrepreneurship ecosystem d) Collaborate to advance the scholarship of teaching and learning |
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3. Create and curate unique collections with a commitment to conservation, preservation and the incorporation of diverse voices |
a) Collaborate with partners to facilitate long-term shared management of print collections b) Engage in and support digitization and digital projects to facilitate knowledge preservation and dissemination to the widest possible audience c) Incorporate diverse perspectives in collection development practices d) Evolve library services, collections, spaces, and knowledge access systems to make them accessible, inclusive, and respectful of the contributions of Indigenous and racialized groups |
| 4. Accelerate research through a demonstrated commitment to open scholarship |
a) Increase participation in local, regional, national and international initiatives aimed at transforming scholarly publishing and ensuring public access to publicly funded research b) Champion globally accessible research c) Engage with our academic community about the benefits of open scholarship |
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5. Design inspiring and accessible library services, resources, and spaces |
a) Make evidence-based and user-centred decisions to transform facilities, interfaces, services and resources b) Apply accessibility and user experience lenses to facility, interface, service and resource planning and reviews |
Engaging with our community
Community is at the heart of everything we do. It informs our current initiatives and guides our long-term efforts to create collections and services of enduring value. Moving forward, we aspire to meet our community's ever-evolving needs with even greater acuity. We will design library spaces to align with campus directions for space, enrich our engagement with key audiences and reinvigorate our advancement efforts.
| Goals | Objectives |
|---|---|
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1. Ensure that library spaces integrate and align with the University's vision |
a) Develop a master space plan that integrates library facilities with the University’s strategy for learning, research, and community engagement spaces b) Cultivate space that facilitates equitable and civil discourse and the respectful sharing of ideas |
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2. Explore new and innovative community engagement opportunities and approaches |
a) Expand our student engagement program to enhance learning and build on existing programming in support of graduate and international students b) Develop a communication strategy to guide our outreach to key audiences and reinvigorate library branding and marketing |
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3. Revitalize our advancement efforts to enable impactful initiatives today and for the future |
a) Enhance stewardship and communication with current and potential donors, including alumni, parents, faculty, staff, retirees and the broader region b) Actively participate in the University’s broader fundraising campaign |
Growing as a learning organization
We know that the Library's collective excellence depends upon the unique contributions of all. We aspire to meet our community’s needs by growing together through staff learning, enhanced decision-making, research and professional service.
| Goals | Objectives |
|---|---|
| 1. Invest in staff learning and enable knowledge sharing |
a) Provide equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training for all staff and further embed EDI principles into our services and processes, particularly recruitment b) Invigorate our teaching practice through training to meet the needs of our diverse learners c) Enable greater knowledge sharing and management across our organization through enhanced internal communication |
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2. Enhance our decision-making practices |
a) Strengthen our capacity for agility by making evidence-based decisions b) Intentionally integrate economic, environmental, and socially responsible factors into our decision-making processes and program development |
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3. Strengthen and promote the outcomes of our professional practice through research and service |
a) Increase our contributions to and advance library and information science best practices and disciplinary scholarship through original research b) Deepen our participation in professional service within member organizations and consortia c) Promote opportunities to share with campus partners how our research and professional service enhances library programs and services and furthers the University’s strategic goals |