Our strategic map: charting a course for all of us

We are charting a course for the University Libraries and its users to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a future largely driven by the convergence of our physical, digital and biological worlds.

Our strategic map identifies four directions that will take the Libraries to new levels of impact as essential contributors to student and faculty success. In support of the University of Arizona’s land grant mission, we will be vital partners not only on campus, but also in the broader community. 

Shan C. Sutton
Dean of University Libraries
Katheryne B. Willock Endowed Chair

Four directions. Unlimited possibilities.

We’ve developed a strategic map instead of a strategic plan because of the additional flexibility it provides in our rapidly changing environment. We know where we want go, and we’re committed to four long-term directions. We also know that there are many ways to get there. As we move forward, we'll periodically adjust our course toward these directions through new actions and opportunities over time.

See our current 2019-2020 strategic map projects.

We strive to be:

• An interdisciplinary physical and virtual lab that transforms the way people teach, learn, research and work.
• A catalyst in the UA community for inventing creative approaches to knowledge creation and dissemination. 
• A champion of diversity, social justice and equity in our organization and in how we work with campus and community colleagues.
• A connector of people, resources and ideas.

Take a look at our 2018-2019 strategic map projects.

Progress to date

We are making great progress towards our strategic directions. In April 2019, we held an open house and invited library employees, campus leadership, and shared governance representatives to attend and provide us with feedback and ideas to move forward.

In September 2019, we held a strategic map refresh workshop where we asked colleagues across the library as well as campus partners to identify new initiatives towards meeting our commitments. In December 2019, we finalized those new actions and updated the website with the latest.

Visit each direction's web page to see details on our progress (lab, catalyst, champion, connector).

In spring of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically shifted our work and slowed down some of our efforts. But we continue to make progress on our strategic actions. In August 2020, we checked in with our action leads, captured our progress to date, and re-prioritized some of our efforts. Our work and commitment to student success, faculty research, and community engagement continues.