Binghamton University Libraries has unveiled a five-year plan to better position themselves as the “premier University destination” for academic resources.

The Strategic Plan for 2022 to 2027 will begin this November, with the intention of aligning BU’s Libraries with the University’s mission of providing students with top-quality resources for research and academic achievement. The new strategy hopes to reinforce inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility (IDEA), as well as to center the Libraries as areas of expertise, according to the Libraries’ Strategic Plan webpage. This will be accomplished by focusing on a set of three key, developmental goals and collaborating with the campus community.

Jill Dixon, interim dean of Libraries, described the plan’s role in bettering resources and opportunities for students.

“Having a strategic plan is like having a blueprint for building or working toward something greater,” Dixon said. “It helps us take a step back, look at the big picture and carefully construct a guide based on our priorities that we identified are important. Because the academic landscape is always changing, having our Strategic Plan will guide us in updating our practices and resources to best serve the community. For students specifically, that means updated spaces, better collections for research and more engagement opportunities with the Libraries.”

The first goal of the Strategic Plan is to improve IDEA. This would include restructuring existing library collections by enhancing transparency and utilizing data-sharing resources, partnering with library stakeholders and collaborating with the greater campus community regarding their concerns and needs, according to the Libraries’ Strategic Plan webpage. To increase accessibility and inclusivity, the Libraries are also “decolonizing” and diversifying their collections.

Nancy Abashian, the Libraries’ senior director of public services, said IDEA can improve the library experience for students.

“However, IDEA goes beyond preservation to foster innovation essential for delivering responsive, dynamic collections, services and spaces where all community members feel welcomed, represented and experience a sense of belonging, ” Abaashian said. “Any student who comes to the University Libraries should not only be able to have a positive user experience, but be able to thrive in an environment that allows them to explore, learn, question and discuss in an environment that celebrates that.”

The second goal is to make the Libraries a “nexus of expertise” in support of University academia. This would be met through increased support of students and faculty members, building a network of student ambassadors and furthering awareness about the libraries’ resources for students and instructors. The third goal involves increasing the support of library employees. Plans for this goal include improved professional development for staff, recognizing employees for their achievements and supporting underrepresented employees.

David Schuster, the strategic plan committee chair, emphasized the part that library employees and staff played in creating the Strategic Plan.

“A group of faculty and staff members within the Libraries were selected and asked to participate on the steering committee to ensure we included representation from all parts of the library,” Schuster wrote in an email. “Classified and professional staff had representatives, library faculty and library administration were all involved. Monthly meetings were scheduled to allow staff to gather feedback, research information and be prepared for meetings. Workshops were held within the library for Libraries employees to ensure we were including everyone in the process and to ensure everyone was involved.”

With many of the plan’s implementations being catered toward the interest of students, some BU students expressed support for the new changes. Nick Svolos, a sophomore majoring in economics, explained how he envisions the Strategy Plan will help students.

“I think this will benefit all students rather than students who are high achievers,” Svolos said. “I think this will allow students who don’t go to the library as much to now go to the library and use the resources. This will also help them become more comfortable with going to the library and asking for help.”

Ben Paoli, a sophomore majoring in biology, offered his view on how these changes may positively impact the entire campus community.

“I would be in favor of these new implementations,” Paoli said. “I feel like increasing representation is important. I think for students, it will benefit them to have access to materials that’ll further enrich them. As for staff, this will allow them to become more involved in the learning process.”

Students, faculty and staff can look out for activities and events related to the Libraries Strategic Plan initiative. Events will take place throughout the 2022-2027 academic years.

Celia Woodruff was a contributing writer for this article.