WSU Libraries Pullman Strategic Plan 2024-2029

Our Vision

The WSU Libraries are a welcoming and innovative center of discovery where students, researchers, and the larger community may find the tools and resources they need to create a better future for themselves and for our world. In keeping with our history of over 130 years of service and our land grant mission, we are central to student success, research, and community engagement on the Pullman Campus and support library services for the Global and Everett campuses as well as extension centers located across Washington State. We are dedicated to advancing creativity, inquiry, equity, and learning for all members of our community. For the WSU community (and when possible, the broader public), the Libraries are committed to free, open access to millions of books, articles, scholarly resources, and unique archives.

Our Mission

We select, organize, preserve, and provide ready access to sources of knowledge in all formats.

We implement innovative services to aid researchers in their discovery, access, and evaluation of information.

Our welcoming environments provide equitable individual and collaborative spaces for contemplation, study and learning.

We partner with our WSU colleagues to develop programming that fosters inclusion and student success.

Our instructional services promote information literacy and aid students in identifying credible, accurate information.

Our metadata and technology teams explore new ways to enhance and connect data across platforms to aid researchers.

Our Values

We value open, equitable access to library collections, and support the principals of intellectual freedom as stated in the American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights.

We strive to ensure that our library patrons feel welcome and respected by centering equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work.

We value the opportunity for each member of the WSU Libraries to be engaged in their work.

To meet the challenges of a continually changing academic and information environment, we embrace innovative thinking and a willingness to try new solutions and technologies.

We approach our work with mutual trust and respect.

Service is at the core of what we do, across every part of the WSU Library system. We will go the extra mile to provide researchers with the information they need.

The following goals reflect our shared priorities and are not listed in order of importance.

Goal 1: Enhance and expand our rich Library collections through the careful stewardship of State, University, and private funds.

We will utilize our partnerships with the Orbis Cascade Alliance and other consortia partners to save on collections investments while expanding access to scholarly collections in support of WSU’s research, education, and professional programs.

We will draw upon our professional expertise to assess the value and use of all Library subscriptions, both recognizing good value for access, as well as when to end subscriptions.

“Big deals” offered by publishers limit our choices and flexibility, we will advocate for additional resources to support the evolving research needs of the WSU community.

Recognizing that the current model of scholarly publishing with ever increasing costs to all libraries is unsustainable, we will support and promote open access to high-quality scholarly research.

We will demonstrate the benefits to faculty and graduate students of depositing their scholarly works to the WSU Research Exchange, an open access, digital repository maintained by the Libraries.

We will partner with individual library donors and organizations to support enhancements to library collections, facilities, and services.

Being mindful of the staffing and storage costs associated with donated collections, we will be selective with what we can accept.

We will continue to expand the availability of and accessibility to thousands of unique and rare collections through the expansion of our digital collections.

Alignment with the WSU Pullman Campus Strategic Plan

Focus Area 1: Equitable Student Success
Focus Area 2: Innovation in Research and Creative Activities
Focus Area 5: Institutional Effectiveness and Accessibility

We will strive to provide excellent support to all researchers both in-person and online

Through reference, consultation, and teaching, we will strive to develop students’ information literacy skills. Recognizing the need for timely access to information, we will seek to reduce barriers to access and speed lending and delivery times to library patrons.

By utilizing multiple platforms, we will communicate to the broader community the Libraries’ outstanding services and resources.

We rely on the outstanding work of WSU students to operate the Libraries and in turn will strive to provide opportunities for their academic and professional growth through employment, mentorship, and training.

To enhance teaching and learning, we will partner with faculty in integrating library services, such as collaborative library instruction and creating online tutorials and guides. We will partner with WSU scholars to broaden the impact and visibility of research.

We will nurture an environment that encourages and supports professional development for staff and faculty so that as an organization we have the expertise to meet future challenges

Focus Area 1: Equitable Student Success
Focus Area 2: Innovation in Research and Creative Activities
Focus Area 3: Employee Development, Wellness, and Belonging
Focus Area 4: Community Engagement
Focus Area 5: Institutional Effectiveness and Accessibility

We will embrace the enduring traditions of librarianship at WSU while also embracing innovation in developing new collections, services, and spaces.

We will strive to develop accessible, welcoming environments that foster enhanced learning and creative opportunities.

Recognizing the growing need for collaborative study spaces and new technology, we will continue to develop such spaces on the Pullman campus.

As the use of library space changes over time, we will develop a comprehensive inventory and planned use of all library spaces including partnering with academic and student services whose missions align with ours.

As the challenges of obtaining and understanding credible information grow, and the sheer volume of information continues to expand exponentially, we will strive to improve discovery tools and equip users with the necessary skills to meet their information needs.

As more people access the Libraries via our website and online tutorials, we will continue to focus on updating and improving the accessibility and utility of our online presence.

With a growing volume of born-digital resources under the stewardship of the libraries, we will invest in secure digital preservation strategies.

Recognizing the rapid change in technology, we will seek resources to help us sustain necessary software and hardware.

Alignment with WSU Pullman Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan (PDF)

The Washington State University Libraries Strategic Plan, 2024-2029 is available in PDF format.

WSU Libraries employees may view historical planning documents in the shared internal strategic planning documents repository [login and password required].