University Library Strategic Plan
The University Library’s strategic priorities and objectives for 2020-25.
The Library’s planning cycle
In February each year the Library produces a strategic planning update, along with the other Professional Services, which presents a framework for development for the following five year period. A set of objectives is then produced for each academic cycle, which is derived from the strategic plan and also takes account of ongoing developments in the University and the wider environment.
Our strategic priorities and objectives for the coming year to reflect and support the University’s vision and strategies.They are informed and shaped by the University’s core values of Excellence, Creativity and Impact, and follow the guiding principles of working together, visibly leading, freedom and opportunity to succeed and responding to current and future challenges.
This year, further adjustments have been made in the light of the exceptional circumstances posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the adaptations required to ensure the safe and sustainable delivery of Library services. Once the situation improves, we will revert to a more blended form of service delivery.
The Library’s Strategic Priorities
The Library’s Strategic Priorities (SP) for the next five years are focused on the following themes:
- SP1 - To support the delivery of an outstanding educational experience at Newcastle University.
- SP2 - To support the University’s commitment to improve access, success and progression among students from under-represented groups.
- SP3 - To provide effective and impactful support for the University’s research and researchers.
- SP4 To support the global ambitions of the University through the provision of culturally diverse, widely accessible and constantly evolving information resources and services.
- SP5 - To develop, promote and exploit our unique and distinctive collections in the service of education, research and public engagement.
- SP6 - To demonstrate efficiency, effectiveness, environmental and financial sustainability in all our services and operations.
Within each Strategic Priority theme, the Strategic Objectives (SO) are as follows:
SP1 - To support the delivery of an outstanding educational experience at Newcastle University
| SO1 | Continue to offer engaging, inclusive and technology-rich study environments across the library estate and contribute library expertise in the design of study and learning spaces across the wider University. |
| SO2 | Enhance and promote online student engagement activities to inform and refine the service offer for our students. |
| SO3 | Collaborate with colleagues in LTDS to expedite the implementation of the TEL roadmap. |
| SO4 | Work with Faculties and Schools to identify and implement any changes to information resources and services arising from curricula and programme review, new and emerging subjects or interdisciplinary interests. |
| SO5 | Identify and exploit optimal supply and delivery models to meet undergraduate and postgraduate needs for key reading materials with particular emphasis on enhancing digital content. |
| SO6 | Exploit the additional capacity afforded by our enhanced Academic Skills support, to work with academic colleagues to extend and enhance support for digital, academic and information literacy skills, in line with best practice around flexible/blended learning. |
| SO7 | Develop and refine new communications and marketing strategies for the full range of the Library’s users and stakeholders. |
SP2 - To support the University’s commitment to improve access, success and progression among students from under-represented groups
Until Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, all outreach activity will be delivered online.
| SO8 | Deliver engaging and effective online outreach activity to local schoolchildren of all ages, particularly those in PARTNERS schools. |
| SO9 | Work to facilitate a smooth transition from school to University by offering online support and library visits to sixth form students in local schools to enhance their information literacy. |
| SO10 | Support our students to fulfil their potential and successfully transition into HE and progress between programme stages through enhancing and extending the services offered by the Writing Development Centre (WDC) and Academic Skills team. |
| SO11 | Work with colleagues across the University to deliver meaningful and impactful online learning activity to meet the requirements of the OfS regarding access, success and progression, particularly those from low participation neighbourhoods and to help address attainment gaps in certain cohorts. |
SP3 - To provide effective and impactful support for the University’s research and researchers
| SO12 | Engage with University Research and Innovation Committee (URIC) and the wider University research community to communicate and manage the changes in the scholarly communication landscape arising from Plan S and the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Wellcome reviews of OA funding arrangements. |
| S013 | Work with the University Research Policy, Intelligence and Ethics Office to prepare for the forthcoming REF2021 submission, ensuring compliance with UKRI and the Combined Open Access Fund (COAF) requirements. |
| NEW SO14 | Encourage and promote the institutional adoption of Open Research as a means of maximizing the visibility and impact of research for public benefit, in accordance with the University vision and strategy. |
| SO15 | Investigate and support new modes of publication for University research, including Open Access monographs. |
| SO16 | Develop and deliver services for research data management (RDM) in collaboration with NUIT and the University's Research Policy, Intelligence and Ethics Office. |
| SO17 | Contribute to the development and/or implementation of new central research management systems. |
| SO18 | Increase the visibility and use of Special Collections and Archives for engaging and impactful research. |
| SO19 | Contribute to the development of the University’s digital preservation service, particularly in the context of the evolving Research Data infrastructure. |
| SO20 | Develop and promote library services in support of interdisciplinary research, including Digital Scholarship and Digital Cultures. |
| SO21 | Articulate and promote resources and services to support the development of Newcastle University Centres of Research Excellence (NUCoREs), Newcastle University Academic Track (NUAcT) and the extended portfolio of skills academies. |
| SO22 | Ensure that Library space planning initiatives take account of opportunities to incorporate innovative, interdisciplinary encounter spaces. |
SP4 - To support the global ambitions of the University through the provision of culturally diverse, widely accessible and constantly evolving information resources and services
| SO23 | Support and advise NewRIIS and NUMed in the development of services to support their emerging research strategies. |
| SO24 | Work with colleagues at Jisc to facilitate appropriately licenced access to digital resources required for courses delivered or accessed overseas. |
| SO25 | Work in partnership with Academic Schools to support the delivery of academic and research skills training for curricula delivered overseas. |
| SO26 | Support international reputation building by leveraging the profile of the Library and its distinctive collections and services, for example through promoting the UNESCO Memory of the World Status of the Gertrude Bell Collection. |
| SO27 | Seek to build relationships with national and international libraries with collection strengths which complement ours, for example Literary Archives, Children’s Literature. |
| NEW SO28 | Support the University’s commitment to decolonise the curriculum and the Black Lives Matter campaign by working with academic staff and students to make our holdings more inclusive and by sensitively reappraising collection descriptions for our Special Collections & Archives. |
SP5 - To develop, promote and exploit our unique and distinctive collections in the service of education, research and public engagement
| SO29 | Plan for the acquisition and cataloguing of strategically important collections in partnership with academic schools. Immediate priorities are: The Farrell Collection, (Architecture) Marine Technology Archive and in partnership with Seven Stories, The Pat Garrett Collection (Children’s Literature.) |
| SO30 | Leverage the impact of our involvement with the Newcastle Poetry Prize and Sid Chaplin Prize to promote access to and wider public engagement with our literary archives. |
| SO31 | Enhance and promote facilities and services for the effective use of Special Collections & Archives in teaching, research and public engagement. |
| SO32 | Develop our digital infrastructure for archives and other distinctive materials to improve access to collections and address conservation needs. |
| SO33 | Improve exhibition and engagement facilities and develop high-profile exhibition programmes to highlight collection strengths, attract new users and support wider public engagement |
| SO34 | Continue to implement plans to optimise the effective exploitation of Special Collections and Archives in teaching and research. |
| SO35 | Implement a strategic space plan for Special Collections and Archives to ensure optimal storage of existing collections and capacity for acquisition of new collections. |
| SO36 | Work with the Dean of Culture and Creative Arts to enhance our engagement with and contribution to cultural events and projects. |
| SO37 | Develop and maintain strategic partnerships in the city and region to help promote our unique and distinctive collections to the widest possible audience. |
SP6 - To demonstrate efficiency, effectiveness, environmental and financial sustainability in all our services and operations
| SO38 | Ensure value for money, efficiency and effectiveness in the ongoing refurbishment and redevelopment of staff workspaces and student study spaces across all Library sites. |
| SO39 | In collaboration with ESS, develop and implement plans for the consolidation of all Library and University stores, archives and Special Collections material. |
| SO40 | Work with colleagues across the University to minimize the environmental impact of our operations and deliver high quality resources and services in a sustainable manner. |
| NEW SO41 | Continue to refine the staffing model to provide robust and sustainable staffing across multiple sites throughout library opening hours, promoting effective cross team communication and ensuring that fractional staff have equitable access to learning and development opportunities. |
| SO42 | Refresh and refine our KPIs and core management information using data visualisations to enhance accessibility, increase impact and improve intelligence gathering on the use of library buildings, resources and services. |
| SO43 | Review the Library’s extended hours provision within the context of the requirements of the wider University. |
| SO44 | Work across the Professional Services to leverage staff development opportunities afforded by secondments, apprenticeships, traineeships and other learning experiences. |
| SO45 | Work with local, regional and national academic consortia, e.g. Standing Conference of National and & University Libraries (SCONUL), Research Libraries UK (RLUK), Northern Collaboration, NOWAL, North East & Yorkshire Academic Libraries, (NEYAL) , N8 (collaboration of the eight most research intensive Universities in the North of England) to identify and exploit opportunities for shared services. |
| NEW SO46 | To seek external validation of library services, where appropriate and where this adds to the reputation of the institution, for example, Customer Service Excellence, National Archives Accreditation. |