TWU Libraries Strategic Plan

Mission Statement

To strengthen Texas Woman’s University by connecting our community to information and library services that advance scholarly inquiry, academic success, and support the work of the university.

Our Values

• Education and Learning- Foster intellectual freedom, curiosity, and lifelong learning.
• Exemplary Service- Delight library users with a noticeably high level of service.
• Excellence, Professionalism, and Integrity- Manifest these values via honesty, respect, and responsiveness in all interactions. 
• Collegiality- Communicate and actively seek partnerships to add and sustain value within the Libraries as well as the greater TWU community. 

Strategic Plan

Strategic Imperative One

The Libraries will contribute to the University's strategic initiatives by supporting the education of individuals through student-centered services focusing on the whole person for empowerment and long-term success. 

Action Items

1. Expand and strengthen our teaching role and educational impact by partnering with faculty and staff to advance and support students in their identification and effective use of information. 
2. Create environments that are safe and welcoming to all faculty, staff, students, and members of the wider community. 
3. Through innovative programming and partnerships with other units on campus, like Student Life, offer students opportunities for holistic growth. 

Strategic Imperative Two

The Libraries will contribute to the University's strategic initiatives by empowering the institution and its community to fully engage in the research and discovery process. 

Action Items

1. Maintain and continue to grow a repository to preserve the historical record and retain TWU scholarship thereby enabling access by a broader community. 
2. Continue to build on our state and national prominence as the premier physical and virtual destination for Women’s History. 
3. Amplify the impact of the University’s academic programs and research initiatives through education and implementation of services related to copyright, author’s rights, open access, open journals, open educational resources, and other digital initiatives. 
4. Build and maintain physical and virtual collections to support the University’s academic program and research initiatives through systematic comparison to peer institutions, assessment of quality and usage of resources, and strategic acquisitions.   

Strategic Imperative Three

The Libraries will contribute to the University's strategic initiatives by engaging with local, state, national, and international communities as a means to empower those the university serves.   

Action Items

1. Maintain and cultivate partnerships with other libraries and cultural memory organizations locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally to develop mutually beneficial and innovative conferences, programs, and services to the community.  
2. Maintain and cultivate partnerships with other campus units to explore new initiatives and improve existing services to the community. 

Strategic Imperative Four

The Libraries will contribute to the University's strategic initiatives by providing systematic and meaningful opportunities for TWU Libraries’ staff and our larger professional community, providing opportunities to acquire skills and empowering them to advance within the profession of librarianship with distinction, intentionality, and purpose. 

Action Items

1. Support staff career development and solidify institutional success through systematic succession planning and mentoring initiatives.  
2. Collaborate cross-departmentally to contribute to effective workflows, impactful solutions, and to provide leadership experiences for staff. 
3. Support continuing education and professional development opportunities for library staff by providing the necessary resources for travel and webinars. 
4. Providing interim, practicum, intern, and volunteer opportunities, thereby modeling a “learning by doing” environment. 

Strategic Imperative Five

The Libraries will contribute to the University's strategic initiatives by investing in people, prosperity, place, and planet to ensure a sustainable future.  

Action Items

1. Provide improved spaces within the Libraries that foster learning, reflection, study, and student engagement. 
2.  Enhance and promote opportunities to further staff communication, collaboration, and understanding. 
3.  Encourage staff participation in campus events and university service. 
4. Evaluate library resources annually, and identify gaps, overlaps, and low usage items in order to strategically allocate library resources. 
5.  Evaluate library organizational alignment and respond to meet evolving university and user needs. 
6.  Develop a line item budget spending plan each year and track expenditures at department levels.