Guerrieri Academic Commons arial view from front entrance.

SU Libraries 2023-2025 Strategic Plan

Introduction and Overview

The staff of the Salisbury University (SU) Libraries created a new mission, vision, values, and strategic plan for the Libraries at all-staff meetings in August 2019 and January 2020 and several department heads meetings in 2019-2020. This plan supports Salisbury University’s 2020-2025 strategic plan and is organized according to the goals and objectives of the university-wide plan (read the full SU plan). Carrying out this plan depends in part on staffing and resource availability. It includes all parts of the SU Libraries, including the Dr. Ernie Bond Curriculum Resource Center (CRC) and the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture (Nabb) as well as the main library in the Guerrieri Academic Commons (GAC).

Mission

The Salisbury University Libraries cultivate and sustain a superior learning community by providing user-centered services and information resources in an engaging and inclusive environment dedicated to the free exchange of ideas and excellence in learning, teaching, scholarship, creativity, and service.

Vision

The SU Libraries: scholarship and lifelong inquiry for a just society.

Values

These are the values by which the SU Libraries operate:
  • Intellectual inquiry
  • Equity
  • Service
  • Respect and empowerment
  • Creative adaptability
  • Collaboration

Invest in People

  1. Invest time and energy in student worker training, so they can better serve all patrons
  2. Provide more cross-training and ways/paths to visit and learn about other areas of the Libraries
  3. Communicate more frequently and regularly with faculty about library services and issues
  4. Review policies and procedures with an eye towards efficiency and inclusivity

Deepen Community Engagement

  1. Create a community-facing page on the Libraries website, at or near the top level
  2. Create Nabb exhibits centered on the community and/or located in the community
  3. Get involved in community events related to reading/literacy (e.g., Zoom summer reading day, Shorebirds reading day)
  4. Participate/do tabling at the Maryland Folk Festival and other community events, such as Juneteenth, the Christmas parade, and 3rd Fridays
  5. Promote awareness of community access cards

Rigorous Academic Program – Support Faculty

  1. Provide workshops/training for faculty on Primo, OER, copyright, and information literacy
  2. Continue course enhancement grants and set some aside specifically for first-year seminars
  3. Offer grants to encourage the use of OER
  4. Expand new faculty orientation/do more follow-up
  5. Explore one-on-one meetings between new faculty and liaisons in person or on Zoom
  6. Do an online orientation for adjunct faculty, possibly by department
  7. Host meetings for specific academic departments (or schools) to share how other faculty have used the library (RIS and faculty present to inspire new users)
  8. Make our collection development policies public

Rigorous Academic Program – Support Students

  1. Target workshops to graduate students: APA style, citation management, how to find OER, ChatGPT, graphic design
  2. Host meet-and-greets for students from specific graduate programs with the liaison, either in the department or at the library
  3. Have liaisons get lists of new graduate students in their departments and invite them for quick office visits
  4. Create dedicated webpage/LibGuide listing all library services for graduate students
  5. Ask the Graduate Student Council how we can better support graduate students
  6. Update and promote the transfer student module in MyClasses
  7. Have a library presence at transfer student orientation
  8. Strengthen ties with Wor-Wic to help students before they transfer here and to promote the use of our library by Wor-Wic students, perhaps getting Wor-Wic to add a link to our library on their website
  9. Identify or find out if there is a transfer student coordinator and work with them to explore ways to support transfer students
  10. Explore ways to collaborate with the Academic Advising Center
  11. Contact parents of dual-enrollment students and offer library support and information about library tools and services
  12. Do outreach to the high school teachers and librarians, either remotely or bringing them to SU, to share information on what resources we have available, the liaison program, instruction, research assignment design and support, etc.
  13. Create a dual-enrollment LibGuide and introduce it at a dedicated dual-enrollment event/workshop
  14. Seek out the dual-enrollment coordinator and establish regular communication about what students need
  15. Raise awareness of our resources for commuter students, such as lockers and study spaces
  16. Have a Spanish language speaker at the Library Service Desk

Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Opportunity and Equity

See our Diversity & Inclusion Plan.