Strategic Plan

Mission: 
The mission of Albertsons Library is to actively participate in learning, teaching, and research at Boise State University.

In support of this mission the Library:

• Serves as an intellectual and cultural center.
• Provides access to, and assistance with, information resources.
• Collaborates with the individual, the University, and the community to support life-long learning.

Academic Excellence; Exceptional Research Goal 1.

Serve the campus population by providing an effective library collection.

Strategies:

1. Optimize electronic access to journals, e-books, and research databases for faculty, staff, and students.
2. Increase awareness and promote the use of electronic resources.
3. Provide collections that serve the diverse populations and needs of the University community.
4. Constantly review and revise library processes and acquisitions resource allocations to ensure support of campus academic programs and research.
5. Assess user satisfaction with the library collection.
6. Review and modify collection development and related policies in order to effectively develop the library collection.
7. Continue the transition to electronic access as the preferred format for most library resources.

Academic Excellence; Vibrant Culture Goal 2.

Promote an environment that enhances learning.

Strategies:

1. Provide both physical and virtual interactive learning spaces for students.
2. Encourage student use of the physical library by making it a more welcoming, comfortable place to study, work with others, and conduct research.
3. Use assessment measures to improve and adapt the learning environment.

Academic Excellence Goal 3.

Actively participate in teaching.

Strategies:

1. Provide instruction in the location, access, retrieval, and use of information resources and research strategies.
2. Support teaching by providing access to library and information resources supporting the curriculum in all disciplines.
3. Partner with faculty to develop information literacy skills in students.
4. Continuously review and assess effectiveness of library instruction.
5. Support opportunities for collaborative teaching and learning partnerships with campus programs and student groups/organizations.

Exceptional Research Goal 4.

Provide support for the research needs of our faculty, staff, and students.

Strategies:

1. Provide access to the journals, books, databases, and other information resources needed for research.
2. Develop and provide researchers with specialized access tools and services that support their use of library and information resources.
3. Identify areas where library collections need to be strengthened to support research needs.
4. Provide support for new masters and doctoral programs.
5. Institute ways for library users to communicate needs and request library resources and services in support of research.

Academic Excellence Goal 5.

Provide access to and assistance with information resources.

Strategies:

1. Develop user-oriented services to assist people.
2. Provide excellent customer service for library users.
3. Develop strong librarian liaison relationships with all academic departments.
4. Enhance the Library's Web site to make it a more usable and information-rich resource.
5. Increase awareness and use of specialized collections and unique information in the Library.
6. Increase accessibility of library materials and services for distance and virtual students.
7. Enhance the library catalog and other information discovery tools to improve their usability.

Vibrant Culture; Public Engagement Goal 6.

Encourage lifelong learning.

Strategies:

1. Collaborate with the campus community to sponsor programs that enhance lifelong learning.
2. Assess library success in preparing students and graduates for lifelong learning.
3. Provide community access to library collections and services as appropriate to support lifelong learning.

Academic Excellence; Exceptional Research; Vibrant Culture; Public Engagement Goal 7.

Maintain an organization that is responsive to change.

Strategies:

1. Encourage professional development of and training for library faculty and staff.
2. Recruit and hire high quality library faculty and staff.
3. Institute policies and procedures that allow individual staff members to respond quickly and appropriately to user needs.
4. Use new technologies as appropriate to enhance library collections and services.

Academic Excellence; Exceptional Research; Vibrant Culture; Public Engagement Goal 8.

Manage fiscal and human resources to allow the Library to grow and develop.

Strategies:

1. Reallocate resources as necessary to achieve strategic goals.
2. Review services, service points, and staffing in order to use library resources effectively.
3. Increase collaboration and cooperation with other libraries.
4. Identify ways to reach and develop relationships with potential donors.

Public Engagement; Vibrant Culture Goal 9.

Foster engagement and collaboration with the campus and local community.

Strategies:

1. Seek out and build relationships with library stakeholders and community members.
2. Make campus and community access to collections and other community resources more widely known.
3. Demonstrate the value of the Library to the local community.
4. Collaborate with area libraries and the Idaho Commission for Libraries to promote, share, and develop common resources.

10/07