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Library Strategic Plan (2023-2026)

Vision

To be an indispensable partner in learning, discovery, and the creation of new knowledge

Mission

Situated in California’s Central Valley, located on the traditional homeland of the Yokuts and Miwuk, and part of the world’s leading public research university system, the UC Merced Library empowers researchers, celebrates our region’s diversity, expands access to information, and fosters student belonging. We provide valuable expertise, advance critical inquiry, invest in collections, preserve unique resources, forge collaborations, and create welcoming space and services.  

Values

The Library’s values make it possible to achieve the goals and objectives outlined in this Strategic Plan. We are committed to demonstrating these values.

Service

Our interactions are marked by timely responses, accurate information, clear communications, and personal attention. To meet the full scope of inquiries and information needs, we engage in problem-solving, leverage the knowledge of our colleagues, make appropriate referrals, and ensure follow-up.

Expertise

We invest in existing staff and recruit new staff to expand our specialized knowledge and skills. We seek out our colleagues’ knowledge, pursue learning opportunities, willingly share what we know, and contribute expertise that advances the research and academic success of our faculty and students.

Collaboration

We engage in shared endeavors as active participants to pursue goals aligned with library and campus-wide priorities. Those leading collaborative efforts ensure that work is focused, organized, and communicated and that all participants are fully included.

Innovation

We think creatively, surface user needs, engage in partnerships, and explore technologies to implement solutions that empower users, build capacity, and promote efficiencies. We hold lightly to existing practices, systems, and solutions. We embrace the work that comes with change.

Openness

We are committed to increasing information access through dedicating resources to open access publishing venues and promoting adoption of open education resources (OER) for faculty and student use. We openly share our own resources with others to adapt and reuse. We choose open over closed when functionality and value is equal to or better than.

Diversity

We promote an inclusive environment that respects individual differences and self-identification choices. We create services, resources, and experiences that fully accommodate, celebrate, and welcome our diverse campus community. We take care of each other and our community through listening well and resolving concerns.

Alignment to Campus Planning

The UC Merced Library Strategic Plan (2023-2026) supports the campus’ 2021-2031 Strategic Plan and its three goals of advancing knowledge, developing scholars & leaders, and cultivating a respectful culture. For each goal in the Library’s Strategic Plan, its alignment to one or more of the campus goals is noted.

By pursuing its three goals, the university aims to achieve R1 ranking, enroll 15,000 students, and be an equitable & empowering workplace by 2031. The Library is essential to achieving this vision since it contributes to research infrastructure, student education, and a thriving workplace culture.

  • R1 Ranking: The Library’s collections, services, and expertise support research and  graduate students’ attainment of doctoral degrees at the level required to achieve and maintain R1 ranking.
  • Student Learning: The Library’s spaces, instruction, and work/internship/fellowship opportunities contribute to students’ belonging to the university and equip them for academic and personal success.
  • DEI: The Library integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion into its core organizational practices, benefiting library staff and the broader campus community with services marked by inclusive excellence.

Goals

GOAL 1: Contribute to Student Learning

1.1 Provide innovative, welcoming, and highly functional library spaces that support learning and research needs.
  1. Use and advertise KL West 3rd floor labs (KL330 & 336) to support learning and research related to data services (e.g. software coding & geospatial expertise).
  2. Create a learning/programming archives space in KL232.
  3. Re-evaluate the technology needs in KL371 for instruction purposes.

1.2 Invest in opportunities and initiatives that will contribute to students’ academic success and personal development.
  1. Identify and submit projects to the campus programs (e.g. Student Success Internship / Opportunities Fellowship Program) to offer undergraduate students valuable mentorship and work experience.
  2. Expand student employees’ interactions with library resources (staff, services, and instructional materials) to increase their own knowledge and use of the library through collaborations between units especially Access Services and Research and Learning Services.
  3. Complete assessment of ZCCM/LCCM grant program.

1.3 Engage with campus partners to increase students’ use of library resources & expertise and increase their information literacy competencies.
  1. Revisit where and how to invest the library’s teaching efforts in order to meet the greatest number of students with scaffolded information literacy instruction.
  2. Create, update, and communicate instructional modules and materials for use by faculty and library staff for students.
  3. Articulate outreach priorities and measures for determining R&LS involvement.

 
Supports Goal 2 from the campus’ Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to “Develop Future Scholars and Leaders”.
Supports Goal 3 from the campus’ Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to “Cultivate a Culture of Dignity and Respect for All”

GOAL 2: Deepen Researcher Success

2.1 Serve as a hub for research reproducibility and geospatial data expertise and education.
  1. Convene a yearly a GIS faculty steering committee meeting to share available services, identify researchers’ geospatial needs and build advocacy for geospatial services.
  2. Create and revise curricula (best practices) on topics in support of research reproducibility and data management e.g. project management & project management tools, collaborative workflows, ethical data management, and reproducible computing environments.
  3. Identify, test, and implement new data automation tools to support GIS research and processes.
  4. Facilitate training of graduate students interested in teaching data and software carpentry offerings and recruit grad students as assistants for carpentry sessions.

2.2 Define and offer data management and digital scholarship services.
  1. Articulate and advertise data services to increase awareness of available expertise and meet researcher needs.
  2. Create, revise, and organize data and GIS services documentation.
  3. Outline parameters to sustainably support digital scholarship projects.

2.3 Increase open access publishing opportunities for faculty to expand the public’s access to scholarly outputs.
  1. Invest and participate in UC systemwide agreements and initiatives that increase OA publishing options for UC authors including OA monographs.
  2. Communicate new open access publishing agreements & opportunities, including those available for monographs, to eligible authors.

2.4 Acquire diversified collections of sufficient breadth and depth to support faculty and graduate student research to meet campus goals of doctoral degrees conferred.
  1. Apply analysis to retain the most valuable resources for our campus community.

2.5 Increase the availability, discoverability, and expert use of information resources.
  1. Collaborate with UC colleagues to improve resource sharing through the Tipasa implementation.
  2. Contribute to the Workstream Improvement Project Team to improve Ex Libris Alma/Primo functionality in accordance with SILS needs, and identify where to allocate financial and human UC Libraries resources.
  3. Collaborate with UC colleagues to harmonize policies and practices in the Systemwide Integrated Library System (SILS).
  4. Contribute to campus AI literacy through professional development and use of AI tools to provide workshops and one-on-one support.
  5. Update and upgrade the Library’s website (Drupal 9) to provide accurate and accessible information.

 
Supports Goal 1 from the campus’ Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to “Engage Our World and Region Through Discovery and Advancement of Knowledge”
Supports Goal 2 from the campus’ Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to “Develop Future Scholars and Leaders”.
Supports Goal 3 from the campus’ Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to “Cultivate a Culture of Dignity and Respect for All”

GOAL 3: Preserve & Promote Regional Knowledge

3.1 Build archives and collections focused on the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra Nevada Region.
  1. Advocate for funding to address archival operations and processing needs.
  2. Increase and enhance library spaces for the storage, processing, and digitization of archival collections through the NEH grant.
  3. Cultivate relationships between the Library and partners to steward, acquire, and share knowledge from this region.
  4. Establish and implement policies and procedures for Archives & Special Collections.
  5. Acquire, process, and make available regional & university archival collections.

3.2 Draw attention to and promote use of the archives including regional collections.
  1. Plan programming, in collaboration with SSHA, to draw attention to the archives and regional history.
  2. Identify, manage, create, and promote available data & existing data hubs (portals) for regional knowledge.
  3. Collaborate with faculty to teach students archival competencies through use of locally available archival collections.
  4. Record and archive a pilot collection of oral histories related to the university and this region.

 
Supports Goal 1 from the campus’ Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to “Engage Our World and Region Through Discovery and Advancement of Knowledge”
Supports Goal 3 from the campus’ Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to “Cultivate a Culture of Dignity and Respect for All”

GOAL 4: Advance Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

4.1 Create a diverse and inclusive workplace environment in the library organization.
  1. Allocate time and resources for activities that promote well-being and relationship-building.
  2. Monitor and address employee concerns surfaced via assessments and exit interviews.
  3. Actively support the library’s DEIA committee to identify priorities and programming.

4.2 Contribute to diversifying the job field of libraries, archives, and museums through student employment and mentorship.
  1. Re-instate lunches with student employees and library staff to increase information sharing around the topic of libraries and information-science.
  2. Expand student employee expectations to include participation at library events & programming.
  3. Investigate and document the post-education and employment outcomes of former student employees.

4.3 Create and offer user-centered services that are accessible to users with varied abilities, backgrounds, and experiences.
  1. Evaluate new and existing services, especially the library's website and libguides, with an accessibility lens.
  2. Ensure assessments of services include/consider a diverse range of library users.
  3. Respond actively to identified needs and requests to ensure accessibility to library resources and services..

 
Supports Goal 2 from the campus’ Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to “Develop Future Scholars and Leaders”.
Supports Goal 3 from the campus’ Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to “Cultivate a Culture of Dignity and Respect for All”

GOAL 5: Strengthen Library Communications & Processes

5.1 Expand the Library’s capacity to create effective, intentional, and consistent communications.
  1. Establish and adopt a library branding toolkit.
  2. Identify, acquire, and implement new and existing tools that support information distribution to targeted audiences

5.2 Convey the library’s value using both quantitative and qualitative evidence.
  1. Monitor data gathering to ensure accurate reporting of library statistics; display data via dashboards.
  2. Identify, craft, and share compelling narratives for different target audiences demonstrating how the Library–its collections, archives, virtual and physical spaces, instruction, and programming–directly impacts scholarly and creative activity.
  3. Continue regular communications, including an annual report, to engage library users, alumni and friends.
  4. Increase information-sharing of library initiatives and activities at All-Staff meetings.
  5. Create and host a 20th Library Anniversary Exhibit, with accompanying reception, to showcase the library's beginnings and contributions; integrate with campus celebrations.

5.3 Support equitable and efficient organizational practices.
  1. Produce and disseminate internal documentation that communicates organizational practices and supports operational efficiencies (e.g. T&E card, travel, reference letter policy, library membership list, HR review processes).
  2. Document HR recruitment practices, recruitment and review procedures, for staff and academic to ensure a transparent and equitable process.
  3. Update, create, and communicate internal procedures for responding to disasters and emergencies.
  4. Revisit charges and membership of library Committees e.g. Exhibits Committee and Party Planning Committee.
  5. Enhance and streamline information security and technology device management to meet and exceed systemwide and campus security goals.
  6. Prepare print book holdings, in coordination with HathiTrust (HT) to enable use of HT's Emergency Temporary Access Services (ETAS) if needed.

 
Supports Goal 1 from the campus’ Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to “Engage Our World and Region Through Discovery and Advancement of Knowledge”
Supports Goal 3 from the campus’ Strategic Plan 2021-2031 to “Cultivate a Culture of Dignity and Respect for All”

Process

The UC Merced Library engaged in two planning processes to generate its academic & strategic plans. Both of those processes started in 2020 during a time of disrupted work. As part of the University’s Academic Planning, the Library submitted strategies to promote UC Quality Scholarship, UC Quality Academic Programs, and Diversity.

The Library’s strategic planning efforts were renewed in 2022/2023 with two staff events that focused on identifying the Library’s values, brainstorming its mission, and responding to the Library’s strategies submitted to campus Academic Planning. Staff input informed the drafting of a Strategic Plan. Then staff was engaged to provide verbal feedback on the draft before its re-drafting and finalization. The goals and objectives will guide activities and initiatives for the next three years. 

This page was updated Aug. 2024 with FY24-25 Action Items.