Strategic Plan: 2006-2009

University of California, San Diego Libraries
Strategic Plan, 1 July 2006 - 30 June 2009

The mission of the UCSD Libraries is to be leaders in providing and promoting information resources and services to the UCSD community when, where, and how users want them.

In pursuing this mission, the UCSD Libraries value responsiveness to users, innovation and creativity, and strong teamwork and communication. The Libraries value a workplace environment that encourages continuous improvement in the quality of our services and that fosters the career development and professional growth of our staff.

Potential strategies include:

• Conduct research and development to determine the best ways to build and manage digital resources.
• Establish and promulgate standards for digitization and metadata creation.
• Share best practices across the UCSD campus.
• Secure funding for digital resource development and management.
• Establish and leverage appropriate partnerships, both internal and external.
• Regularly assess systems and processes developed in order to ensure their effectiveness and efficiency.

Expected Outcomes Include:

• The Libraries will have acquired or developed a Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) that exhibits the attributes of a trusted digital repository.
• All extant digital collections will be ingested into the DAMS and, as appropriate, available for public discovery.
• The Libraries will have developed an ongoing ingest workflow.
• The Libraries will have developed a staff interface to the DAMS.
• The Libraries will have developed a digital object public search and discovery interface.
• The Libraries will have developed policies and management structures to ensure the long-term preservation of their digital resources.
• Subject specialists and collection managers will have developed an inventory of candidates for digitization.
• Public service librarians will actively promote the use of locally created digital resources to the UCSD community.
  

Potential Strategies Include:

• Develop a plan to consolidate and integrate all services into the online environment including implementing and integrating a content management system.
• Explore and apply advanced technologies to simplify the user's online experience.
• Enhance and expand record and item metadata to provide more information to users.
• Create meaningful feedback and assessment mechanisms to capture use, usage, and usability information.
• Utilize assessment and feedback data, especially from users, to continuously develop and improve the online user environment and experience.
• Partner and collaborate with vendors and others as appropriate to achieve desired results.

Expected Outcomes Include:

• An online environment that is more integrated and that better meets users' needs..
• Users find what they need in four clicks or less.
• Increased user satisfaction with Libraries' online environment
• Increased usage of library collections and services.
• Improved undergraduate skills in finding quality information.
• The Libraries have mechanisms to continuously capture use-related information and have methods to apply it to improve the user's online experience.

Potential Strategies Include:

• Develop a five-year comprehensive space plan for the Libraries, including a budget model and a decision-making process.
• Evaluate the availability of flexible space and identify barriers to enhancing flexibility and utility.
• Develop tools to determine users' satisfaction with current library space, and their unmet needs. Conduct assessments on a regular schedule.
• Develop a budget model to support intellectual and cultural events throughout the Libraries, including support for staff, equipment, and materials.

Expected Outcomes Include:

• The Libraries will have in place a rolling five-year space plan that includes a budget model and a decision-making process.
• Faculty and students will acknowledge that the libraries' meet their identified needs for space to locate information resources;
• Students will be satisfied with library hours and the spaces provided for study and learning
• The Libraries will host intellectual and cultural events in all branches on a regular basis.
  

Creating and Implementing a Comprehensive
Training Program

Potential Outcomes Include:

• Hiring and orienting a new Training Coordinator
• Creation of individual and departmental training plans
• Provision of managerial and leadership training
• Standardized libraries-wide orientation sessions
• Ongoing assessment of Libraries' staff use of current UCSD Staff Training/Development
• Ongoing assessment of current Libraries' training resources/needs
• Establishing a regular scheduled report on the Libraries' training program

Making Key Libraries Processes More Effective and Efficient

Potential Outcomes Include:

• Speedier recruitment of staff at all levels
• Improved Performance Management forms and procedures
• Documentation of important policies and procedures readily available and easily discoverable on the Libraries' intranet
• Stable support for the Libraries' intranet

Maximizing a Full Range of Communication Channels

Potential Outcomes Include:

• Enhanced/redesigned intranet for improved communication
• Explicit opportunities for two-way communication included in implementation plan for each Strategic Direction

These include:

• Build and maintain collections.
• Provide access to materials and information.
• Build and maintain the information technology platform.
• Provide bibliographic services.
• Offer the highest quality service to users.
• Provide expert staff resources.
• Educate users.
• Manage human and financial resources.