Strategic Plan 2019-2024
Vision
The University Libraries aspire to be an exemplary public urban research library of the 21st century, fostering equity in critical inquiry, providing meaningful access to information of enduring value, and empowering researchers and learners to think critically and make connections that advance humanity.
Mission
The University Libraries promote discovery, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge and creative work to its diverse constituents through collaborative opportunities.
Values
The University Libraries pursues its mission by embracing the core values of the profession of librarianship and of our parent institution, UMKC. Our values inform our strategic decisions andour operations.
- Respecting each other: equity, inclusion, diversity.
- Working together: respect, integrity, cooperation, collegiality, empathy.
- Sharing: knowledge, experience, skills, passion.
- Contributing: knowledge, expertise, effort, productivity.
- Learning: for the individual and the organization.
- Advancing the public good: intellectual freedom, freedom of information, intellectual property rights, literate citizenry, privacy.
- Acting with integrity: accountability, ownership, stewardship.
Pillar 1
Provide Exceptional Student Learning, Success and Experience.
UMKC Libraries prepares students to engage critically with information in their classes, in their future workplaces, and in the everyday world. We thoughtfully develop learning outcomes, experiences, services, and spaces that directly facilitate student retention and that elevate students’ ability to succeed as learners, researchers, and scholars. We create a community in which all students are acknowledged and supported.
Metrics
Specific targets for this pillar include:
- Establishing a baseline of information literacy competency for students completing online Research Essentials content within UMKC’s general education core structure within the
- Ensuring all Disciplinary Instruction sessions are built around stated learning objectives within 2 years, and that 50% of those objectives are assessed within 5 years, resulting indocumented improvement in information literacy objectives at the close of 10 years.
- Using curriculum mapping to incorporate information literacy instruction in two departmental curricula within the next three years, increasing to five departments in ten years.
- Increasing the number of library related development opportunities for teaching faculty from the current average of approximately three annually to five in three years, and ten in five years.
- Increasing the faculty adoption rate for Open Educational Resources (OER) from the current adoption rate of 39 courses using OER textbooks to 80 after three years, 100 after 5 years, and 150 after 10 years.
Goal 1.1
Ensure all students gain the information literacy and evidence-based critical thinking skills they need to succeed in their future careers. Strategies:
A. Assign and assess all information literacy learning outcomes that help students achieve stated course objectives.
B. Work with curricular programs to ensure that information literacy instruction occurs where it will have the most impact.
C. Provide substantive pedagogical training to instructors to ensure quality instruction.
D. Provide training opportunities for course instructors to encourage the incorporation of information literacy concepts into their course design.
Goal 1.2
Develop equitable services and learning programs that promote the success of all students in the classroom, in clinical environments, and in online and blended learning environments. Strategies:
A. Develop an ongoing review process for existing and future programs and services to identify inequities, and create procedures to address these inequities.
B. Promote and support adoption and use of Open Educational Resources in teaching and research.
Goal 1.3
Strengthen support for new models of learning, research and scholarship. Strategies:
A. Determine the resources needed to coordinate and strengthen experiential learning opportunities within the library.
B. Investigate library opportunities to contribute to the UMKC Impact Experiences.
C. Provide paid internships and fellowships that present high-impact learning opportunities for UMKC students.
D. Provide appropriate facilities, technology and tools to support evolving models of learning, research, and scholarship.
Goal 1.4
Elevate students’ sense of community, pride, and belonging with and in the Libraries.
Strategies:
A. Partner with other UMKC units to engage meaningfully with students and to support avibrant campus community.
B. Provide leadership opportunities for students in a Student Library Leadership Cabinet.
Pillar 2
Become a Thriving Discovery Enterprise.
As UMKC grows its research infrastructure and research output, the Library will provide expertise, research tools and services to aid researchers so they can focus their work in their own areas of expertise. The Libraries will be a centralized collaboratory for digital scholarship where new knowledge is created. The Libraries can significantly impact campus research, preserve and expand access to scholarship at UMKC, and document research excellence.
Metrics
Specific targets for this pillar include:
- Increasing the Libraries’ number of annual grant proposals from the current three-year average of 1 annually to 2 after 3 years, 5 after 5 years, and 10 after 10 years.
- Increasing the Libraries’ total dollar amount of annual grant awards from the current three-year average of $5013 to $6,000 after 3 years, $7,500 after 5 years, and $10,000after 10 years.
- Increasing the number of annual UMKC faculty open access publications by 10% after 3 years, 25% after 5 years, and 50% after 10 years.
- Increasing the number of annual submissions to the institutional repository from the current three-year average of 174 to 200 after 3 years, 250 after 5 years, and 350 after 10
years. - Increasing annual online views of distinctive and archival digital primary source materials from the current three-year average of 100,000 to 150,000 after 3 years, 200,000 after 5years, and 300,000 after 10 years.
Goal 2.1
Develop a sustainable infrastructure to facilitate the research life cycle for knowledge and data generated by UMKC faculty, researchers, and students. Strategies:
A. Review our existing infrastructure and roles to determine which areas need to be strengthened.
B. Increase resource investment in the Scholarly Communications department.
C. Investigate and establish library support for the Data Sciences Institute with a particularfocus on data literacy; ethical concerns associated with data; data visualization; data management plans; and data storage, access, and preservation.
Goal 2.2
Expand efforts to showcase and celebrate the research and creative output of faculty and students. Strategies:
A. Partner with faculty and students to create physical and digital exhibits.
B. Provide permanent digital repositories of UMKC scholarship that are open to the public.
Goal 2.3
Strengthen support for sustainable models of scholarship. Strategies:
A. Promote and support open access publishing on campus.
B. Develop sustainable funding models for supporting collections
that reflect and support the university’s diversity of research
and instruction.
C. Leverage regional and national partnerships to enable resource
sharing between libraries to the benefit of all researchers.
Goal 2.4
Develop infrastructure that is supportive of digital scholarship, digital humanities, and
interdisciplinary research. Strategies:
A. Engage in active partnerships with campus units leading in this kind of research.
B. Provide technology-rich tools, resources, administration, training, and expertise that are responsive to changing needs.
Goal 2.5
Improve support for researcher use of distinctive and archival primary source materials. Strategies:
A. Implement tools that improve reference services and management of archival primary source materials.
B. Review our methods of and platforms for access to primary source materials, and develop and implement a plan for improved online discovery.
C. Increase our capacity to develop online repositories that provide public access to distinctive content.
Goal 2.6
Strengthen our infrastructure to safeguard collections for future generations of researchers. Strategies:
A. Develop a more robust, sustainable digital preservation infrastructure.
B. Increase our capacity to appropriately mitigate risks for distinctive, at-risk audiovisual material and born-digital content on legacy removable media.
C. Address our need for preventive conservation and print preservation policies and procedures.
Pillar 3
Transform Our Community and Region with Impactful Engagement.
The University Libraries impactfully engage the greater community in life-long learning and research that enriches lives and engenders enduring partnerships. The Libraries provide spaces where community members interact with faculty and students to broaden perspectives and inspire new understandings and creative work. The Libraries convey their value to the community through effective communications and demonstrated impact of their value to an educated society. The Libraries spark generosity in alumni and community partners to provide ongoing support in the form of time, treasure and advocacy.
Metrics
Specific targets for this pillar include:
- Increasing the annual number of UMKC alumni donors from the current three-year average of 100 to 120 after 3 years, 175 after 5 years and 265 after 10 years.
- Increasing the total number of digital exhibits created each year to 1 per year after 3 years, 2 per year after 5 years, and 4 per year after 10 years.
Goal 3.1
Increase opportunities for life-long learning that expands knowledge and enriches lives.
Strategies:
A. Generate diverse programming for the campus and Kansas City communities.
B. Increase the number of digital exhibits and digital special collections that are accessible globally.
C. Center faculty and student scholarship in the life-long learning opportunities we provide, including programming, exhibits, and widespread online public dissemination of scholarship.
Goal 3.2
Strengthen impactful communication that increases community engagement with the Libraries. Strategies:
A. Seek partnerships with area cultural heritage institutions.
B. Communicate the value of the Libraries to UMKC and to community constituents.
C. Increase engagement with our social media presence to promote collections, services, programs, and exhibits.
Goal 3.3
Expand our capacity to curate inclusive collections of unique and primary source materials that reflect and support university areas of emphasis and diverse cultural heritage. Promote and support open access publishing on campus. Strategies:
A. Increase our time dedicated to relationship-building and proactive curation of archival collections.
B. Promote community engagement with these collections.
C. Promote the national prominence of these collections.
Pillar 4
Foster an Environment of Invigorating Multiculturalism, Globalism and Inclusion.
The Libraries are dedicated to ensuring an equitable and inclusive environment for our diverse population of faculty, students, staff, and community. In an effort to promote many voices, we place special emphasis on improving services that reflect diversity of knowledge itself, waysof knowing in our collections, as well as our approach to information management and organization. We are committed to improving the climate for members of groups who are currently and/or have historically been marginalized in society.
Metrics
Specific targets for this pillar include:
- Increasing the total percentage of under-represented minority staff to match representation in the Greater Kansas City area within 10 years.
- Increasing the total percentage of under-represented minority faculty by 25% in 5 yearsand 50% within 10 years.
Goal 4.1
Address employee equity issues in retention to reinforce a culture of diverse representation and inclusion. Strategies:
A. Sustain routine reviewing and revising of all hiring processes to omit structural barriers.
B. Challenge the ethos of cultural bias and address the less visible structural challenges that disproportionately impact marginalized employees.
C. Develop a structure to amass ongoing feedback and implement action steps to improve the Libraries’ cultural climate.
Goal 4.2
Develop collections that reflect and support marginalized communities. Strategies:
A. Build primary source and general collections that document Kansas City’s marginalized communities.
B. Establish partnerships with Kansas City’s community advocates to enable comprehensive support to underserved and marginalized communities who seek to preserve their histories.
C. Strengthen partnerships and increase funding to purchase materials for collections that are inclusive of marginalized communities.
D. Ensure that identifications of materials are ethical in description.
Goal 4.3
Engage students, faculty and staff in learning varied perspectives of diversity, including socialjustice. Strategies:
A. Create culturally responsive programming on diversity and social justice.
B. Administer exhibits and programming through a lens that aims to reduce cultural bias.
Goal 4.4
Create and sustain a library climate that acknowledges and celebrates diversitySeek partnerships with area cultural heritage institutions. Strategies:
A. Utilize library fee funds to support equity and inclusion.
B. Provide meaningful engagement to students through diverse and inclusive programs and orientations.
C. Provide leadership through staff development to create a safe and supportive environment for students, particularly those in marginalized communities.
D. Strengthen and support mentorship of UMKC students.
Goal 4.5
Incorporate multiple perspectives and inclusive teaching practices into our library instruction program. Strategies:
A. Provide accessible educational materials in formats that meet the needs of diverse learners.
B. Improve multicultural representation when situating information literacy instruction within real world contexts.
C. Explore alternative structures to embrace nuanced instruction related to multicultural and inclusive information issues and needs.
Pillar 5
Develop Strong and Resilient People, Processes and Physical Infrastructure.
The UMKC Libraries provide dynamic and high-quality physical and virtual spaces for research, learning, and creativity outside the formal classroom. The Libraries address diverse learning styles, providing a venue for both contemplative and collaborative learning that honors and respects users of all backgrounds, values, beliefs and needs. The Libraries engage with its users to continually meet their needs and remain at the center of transformative scholarly and creative endeavor.
The UMKC Libraries maintain and strengthen collaborations across the campus, community and University of Missouri system to leverage partnerships that extend library collections andservices to the entire research and learning community. UMKC Libraries’ leadership, faculty and staff continually work to improve policies and procedures to create and sustain an equitable work environment that is reliable, transparent and fair.
UMKC Libraries focus on resources to identify and leverage sources of external funding they use to develop and enhance services and collections that meet the research and learning needs of the campus and community.
Metrics
Specific targets for this pillar include:
- Increasing library giving from the current three-year average of $100,000 to $175,000after five years and $265,000 after 10 years.
- Increasing use of library spaces from the current three-year average of 431,219 users annually to 540,000 after 3 years, 674,000 after five years, and 850,000 after 10 years.
Goal 5.1
Enhance the library environment and access to its resources to meet the changing needs of library users. Strategies:
A. Expand our inspirational and inclusive learning spaces and services, both place-based and virtual.
B. Develop and sustain a library technology plan.
Goal 5.2
Increase strategic partnerships with other UMKC and UM System units to increase efficiencies and reduce costs. Strategies:
A. Evaluate and expand, as appropriate, shared services arrangements with University of Missouri Libraries, other institutions, and other campus units.
B. Develop new relationships with targeted student support service units.
Goal 5.3
Establish an outcomes-based culture of transparent assessment. Strategies:
A. Implement an assessment plan tied to the Strategic and Operational Plans.
Goal 5.4
Examine organizational structures to increase efficiency and collaboration. Strategies:
A. Conduct analyses of employee workloads and workflows.
B. Streamline our processes and increase our efficiencies.
C. Ensure that the University Archives have the necessary structural support to meet legal compliance and accreditation requirements.
Goal 5.5
Strengthen our donor base and bolster donor engagement. Strategies:
A. Increase our outreach to grow donor financial support for facilities, technology, collections, preservation, endowed positions, and professional/staff development.
B. Foster a new donor base that specifically supports the Health Sciences Library.
C. Broaden our partnerships with UMKC Advancement and UMKC Foundation.
D. Increase our outreach to bring more UMKC alumni into the library development lifecycle.
Foundational Commitment
Provide an Unwavering Commitment to the Development of Our People.
The UMKC Libraries fully support the UMKC Foundational Commitment. We support these goals and associated strategies, and will build our own capacity to fulfill those strategies.
Metrics
Specific targets for this Foundational Commitment include:
- Increasing the percentage of staff attending training or workshops annually to 70% after 3 years, 75% after 5 years and 85% after 10 years.
- Increasing the percentage of faculty attending training or workshops annually from the current three-year average of 67% to 75% after 3 years, 80%after 5 years and 90% after10 years.
- Increasing the percentage of staff who report in Climate Surveys that they are “comfortable/very comfortable with climate in primary work area” to 80% by 2028.
- Increasing the percentage of faculty who report in Climate Surveys that they are “comfortable/very comfortable with climate in primary work area” to 80% by 2028.
