Library launches strategic planning process

This quarter, we launched a strategic planning process to guide the UC Davis Library’s priorities and allocation of resources over the next five years. We look forward to creating a new strategic plan that is aspirational and inspirational, and that can guide our work as we navigate unprecedented change at UC Davis and beyond.

Our existing strategic framework was developed in 2013 and updated in 2017. A lot has changed since then. We have new campus leadership, a new campus strategic plan (2018), which includes a number of new roles for the library, and a new campus Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Vision (2017). 

As a nation, a state and a university, we face unprecedented challenges: the rapid transition to remote research, teaching and learning, the acceleration of telemedicine, and the related need to provide more library resources and instruction online; tighter budgets for the campus and the system; the tragedy of police brutality and the affirmation, in response, that Black lives matter, which inspire us to renew our commitment to identifying and rooting out discrimination and systemic racism.

At the same time, many of these challenges also create opportunities to innovate and lead. As people access, use and share information in new ways, we are embracing advances in digital technology, data science and informatics; enhancing our role as a collaborative partner in the research, teaching and academic mission of the university; and expanding the library’s world-class collections in distinctive areas such as wine, food and agriculture. 

A plan with diversity, equity and inclusion at its core

As we develop the plan, we are delighted to be partnering with a nationally recognized leader in facilitating strategic planning and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in academic libraries, DeEtta Jones and Associates. 

With the intention that both the plan itself and the process for creating it reflect diverse voices and perspectives from both inside and outside the library, we have established a Library Strategic Plan Steering Committee that represents multiple viewpoints about the UC Davis Library, research libraries in general, and about the campus community. The steering committee’s primary role is to develop an inclusive process for consulting the library’s vast array of stakeholders — within the library as well as campus leadership, faculty, researchers, clinicians and instructors, students, staff, donors, representatives of the public, and others. 

Next steps

Having established a steering committee and overarching timeline for the process, we are moving into phase two, in which we will take a fresh look at where we are as a campus and how far we’ve come as we lay a foundation for the future. We will be reaching out broadly across campus this spring to engage with those who depend on the library’s resources and services; stay tuned for opportunities to participate and share your thoughts. We look forward to hearing from you.

You can learn more about the process here or contact the Steering Committee chairs at libstratplansc@ucdavis.edu with any questions.