Library Wraps Up 2020-2025 Strategic Plan
This year, we wrapped up the strategic plan we launched in 2020, guided by five strategic priorities. We have developed, instituted, and refined several initiatives, detailed below, in support of these priorities over the last five years.
Partner for Student Success & Well-Being
Between 2020 and 2025, we pursued this priority by:
- Hiring a User Engagement and Student Success Librarian
- Offering library tours and orientations at the beginning of each semester
- Launching a Communication and Outreach program
- Increasing our presence at on-campus events as well as meeting students where they are online (Instagram!)
- Providing access to the New York Times and The Economist
- Shipping library materials to remote learners at no charge
- Expanding our Library of Things
- Developing Frazzle-Free Finals to help students manage stress
- Increasing availability of study space during finals
- Providing hundreds of research consultations and instruction sessions
Enhance the Library User Experience
Between 2020 and 2025, we pursued this priority by:
- Launching an Information Services program and consolidating services across library branches
- Adding a paging service to retrieve physical materials for patrons
- Improving our website’s accessibility and navigation
- Improving discoverability in searches via clean-up projects
- Improving interlibrary loan services through extending loan periods, updating request forms, and adding a high-quality scanner
- Launching a new database list for greater usability
- Creating a single sign-on for accessing library services and systems
- Updating furniture in Kingsbury and technology in Dimond meeting rooms
Embrace UNH’s Research & Service Missions
Between 2020 and 2025, we pursued this priority by:
- Raising awareness of the library’s services through increased engagement, promotional publications, defined talking points, and a slogan
- Migrating our Digital Collections to the Scholars Repository for better access
- Increasing our Digital Collections holdings, including completing the digitization of more than 15,000 New Hampshire City and Town Annual Reports
- Increasing our Special Collections and Archives, including the addition of documentation from Granite State College and twenty years of UNH Athletics
- Completing an inventory of rare books in our collection for improved access
- Providing a Data Management Planning toolkit for researchers
- Providing interlibrary loan services to public libraries, schools, and hospitals throughout New Hampshire
Grow as a Flexible, Creative & Inclusive Organization
Between 2020 and 2025, we pursued this priority by:
- Adopting a decision-making process that invites broad input and embraces shared governance
- Moving to a team-based organizational structure
- Restructuring internal communication to decrease the need for meetings and increase productivity
- Making flexible work arrangements available to all employees
- Offering usability and accessibility training for all employees
- Merging interlibrary loan services with UNH Manchester
- Implementing a variety of equitable practices in the hiring process
Cultivate Sustainable Practices
Between 2020 and 2025, we pursued this priority by:
- Adopting an open access policy
- Encouraging faculty to publish open access through funding and education
- Relocating the former Chemistry Library to form the merged Kingsbury Library
- Piloting a bundled shipping program and recycling shipping materials
- Refurbishing reading room furniture instead of replacing it
- Installing LED lighting throughout the building
- Launching a Community and Sustainability program
Looking Forward
As we develop our next strategic plan, UNH Library 2030, we will continue to serve our campus community and the state of New Hampshire as an institution dedicated to supporting the learning and growth of every patron. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in the last five years and we’re looking forward to the next five—and beyond.
