Land Acknowledgement

Stony Brook University resides on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Aboriginal territory of the Setauket or the Setalcott tribe. We acknowledge federal and state recognized tribes who live here now and those who were forcibly removed from their homelands. In offering this land acknowledgement, we affirm Indigenous sovereignty, history, and experience.

Introduction

Beginning in February 2023, Stony Brook University Libraries (SBUL) embarked on our new strategic plan. Karim Boughida, Dean of SBUL and strategic plan project leader, appointed a project manager and formed a strategic planning committee (The Committee). The Committee is composed of 10 library staff representing a diversity of perspectives. In collaboration with a strategy consultancy firm, they engaged a range of stakeholders to understand the current state and future opportunities for SBUL and explore our role on campus, in the broader community, and beyond. The strategic plan will cover the next five years, starting in 2024 and ending in 2029.

 

The primary purpose of the strategic plan is to guide the future direction of the SBUL and ensure that we are efficiently and confidently meeting the needs of our users within our means. In addition, we strive to be leaders, develop our spaces and technologies to build capacity and services and incorporate diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in every aspect of our work. Through this process, we identified new opportunities for growth and innovation while prioritizing our resources and initiatives.

 

SBUL aspires to implement an inspiring and achievable strategic plan for our AAU/R1 flagship University. SBUL will work to ensure that our resources, expertise, spaces, and services are equitable and accessible to all students, faculty, and staff. 

Planning Process

Throughout the process, The Committee, informed by feedback from stakeholders, worked to collaboratively draft an updated vision, mission, priorities, themes, and objectives. 

 

The first task of The Committee was to conduct an abbreviated self-study to assess the Libraries’ current strengths, challenges, and opportunities. During this process, the strategy consultancy firm worked with the committee to identify three stakeholder groups to participate in workshops to gather feedback on the current library experience and what users’ needs will be: students, SBUL staff, and the rest of the university’s community. The Committee also researched current trends in academic librarianship and libraries and studied our peers' strategic plans and those we aspire to be like.

 

The Committee then assessed the former mission and vision statements presented in the 2016-2019 plan and decided it was time for an update. It was found that the former statements were long and too detailed, containing many bulleted items. The Committee wrote concise statements that are inspiring, hopeful, and worthy of their current and future work to be and foster lifelong learners.

 

Working with the strategy team, The Committee participated in visioning workshops to better identify where they were and where they wanted to get to. This process identified cross-cutting themes and supported the initial creation of the strategic plan's priorities, in other words, their main goals. While creating objectives for these priorities, The Committee found it necessary to gather more feedback from the SBU community to understand better how SBUL are perceived. The Committee held fifteen stakeholder feedback engagements and shared one survey, which reached roughly 673 participants. 

 

Project management of the plan development incorporated various technical tools, including virtual meeting software, online surveys, and Google Suite apps. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, specifically ChatGPT and Google Bard (now Gemini), were used for compiling, summarization, sentiment analysis, and persona testing.

 

A working draft with the new mission, vision, themes, priorities, objectives, and sample action items was shared with the SBUL staff for a final collection of their feedback. The Committee assessed the feedback from all stakeholders, had discussions, and edited and finalized the strategic plan draft to reflect this current state.

Stakeholders

The Committee

The SBUL Planning Committee is a cross-functional team of ten members that spearheaded the project, working closely with the strategy consultancy firm to develop and refine the Strategic Plan. The group participated in workshops focusing on moving from exploratory conversations to creating the vision, priorities, and objectives. 

 

Caterina Reed, Instructional Support Associate, Academic Engagement Librarian

Christine Fena, Undergraduate Success Librarian, Research and Learning

Jamie Saragossi, Interim Associate Dean, Collection Strategy and Management, Library Administration

Janet Clarke, Associate Dean, Research and Learning, Library Administration

John Fitzgerald, Senior Programmer/Analyst, Library Technology, Discovery, and Digital Services

Karim Boughida, Dean of University Libraries / Strategic Plan Project Leader

Matthew Hartman, Head of Resource Sharing, Access and User Services

Mona Ramonetti, Interim Associate Dean for Library Technology, Discovery, and Digital Services, Library Administration / Head of Scholarly Communication

Raquel Lynn, Instructional Support Technician, Content Management

Victoria Pilato, Digital Projects Librarian, Library Technology, Discovery, and Digital Services / Strategic Plan Project Manager 

 

Strategy Consultancy Firm

Led stakeholder engagements and advised on plan development.

 

Initial Focus Group Workshops led by the strategy consultancy firm

 

SBU Students - April 17, 2023 - virtual

SBU Community (sans students) - April 25, 2023 - virtual

SBUL Staff/Faculty - April 26, 2023 - virtual

 

Strategic Planning Forums and Community Updates led by The Committee

 

Update - School of Medicine Senate Committee - June 27, 2023 - virtual

Forum 1 - Library Community - July 13, 2023 - in person

Forum 1.1 - Library Community - July 18, 2023 - virtual

Forum 2 - East Campus Students - August 17, 2023 - in person

Forum 3 - West Campus Students - September 6, 2023 - in person

Update/feedback - SBU Undergraduate Student Government - September 7, 2023 - in person

Update/feedback - Library Senate Committee - September 8, 2023 - virtual

Forum 4 - Library Community - September 8, 2023 - virtual

Forum 5 - SBU Community - September 12, 2023 - in person

Forum 5.1 - SBU Community - September 14, 2023 - virtual

Forum 6 - SBU East Campus Community - September 14, 2023 - virtual

Update - SBU Graduate Student Organization - September 20, 2023 - in person

Survey - SBU Community - October 13, 2023 - October 25, 2023 - Qualtrics

SBUL Community, monthly updates, and shared documents

~673 participants

Mission and Vision

Representing the Libraries' core purpose and what they strive to be, the new mission and vision statements are inspiring, hopeful, and worthy of our current and future work to be and foster lifelong learners.

 

Mission

Stony Brook University Libraries enrich lives by connecting people with knowledge and empowering them to improve the world.

 

Vision

Stony Brook University Libraries will be bold and innovative leaders in the way we advance research, teaching, and learning.

Themes

Themes are integrated throughout the strategic plan, providing structural cohesion and informing the objectives for each priority.

 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

 

Embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all our practices, committing to accountability and transparency.

 

Leadership

 

Invest in all Libraries staff as leaders so that they can feel emboldened, empowered, and supported.

 

Infrastructure

 

Develop technologies and facilities that support the Libraries’ mission.

 

Priorities with Objectives

Priority #1

Transform Teaching and Learning

Proactively educate our community on new and emerging literacies and technologies, support critical inquiry, and create learning experiences that enhance student success.

 

How did we get here, and why is this important?

SBUL provides robust research instruction to enhance information literacy and support curriculum-based learning objectives. Our commitment to teaching and learning is evident through strategic partnerships forged with various academic departments and campus stakeholders, with whom we work to integrate effective instructional experiences into diverse academic curricula. Moreover, SBUL remains dedicated to fostering lifelong learning skills and cultural awareness through an array of workshops and events tailored for students, faculty, staff, and the broader community. 

 

As libraries and higher education evolve, SBUL will prioritize engaging our community in dynamic learning experiences that promote responsible information behavior and global citizenry. Looking ahead, SBUL aspires to be recognized as a catalyst for student success in research and learning and as a hub for instilling a love for lifelong learning and discovery.

Key objectives

1. Teach foundational and emerging literacies such as privacy, AI, and data literacies.
2. Advance experiential learning through tools and technologies that promote skill-building, confidence, and resourcefulness.
3. Foster student success through high-impact practices and library-led learning experiences that create a sense of belonging and equitable participation in research endeavors.
4. Reenvision research and reference support in multiple modalities, including responsible incorporation of emerging AI tools.

 

Priority #2

Expand Research

Advance scholarship at Stony Brook University and grow in our role as creators of knowledge and as the hub of research in our community by providing sustainable collections, innovative resources, and emerging technologies; connecting researchers across disciplines; and empowering all library staff to push the boundaries of traditional research through experimentation and innovative thinking.

 

How did we get here, and why is this important?

Advancing scholarship and supporting research are foundational principles of SBUL. Our libraries play a pivotal role in bolstering the research efforts of the Stony Brook community. To that end, we are committed to continuously evaluating our resources and enhancing discovery and access to those resources. We are equally committed to reinforcing the library’s roles as creators and curators of scholarship.

 

Our dedication to research also requires us to evolve to meet the needs of researchers in a dynamic and evolving academic landscape. We aim to become leaders in emerging technologies, ensuring our libraries are not just repositories of knowledge but vibrant hubs of intellectual exploration.

Key Objectives

1. Strengthen research infrastructure within the libraries by fostering an environment of inquiry, encouraging innovation, and empowering all library staff to push the boundaries of traditional research.
2. Offer services that support communicating research and measuring impact.
3. Expand research data management services and tools to meet our community’s data needs and initiatives.
4. Expand research in AI services and tools to meet our community’s needs and initiatives.
5. Enhance access to content through sustainable, intentional collection development practices and technologies.

 

Priority #3

Broaden Our Impact

Be a valued partner and a global model for innovation by fostering interdisciplinary work, connecting different domains of knowledge while expanding our partnerships, and ensuring that the Libraries' expertise is highly regarded and respected across campus and in the profession to advance SBU community productivity and student success.

 

How did we get here, and why is this important?

As part of a global university, SBUL provides an environment that creates and fosters collaborative relationships. The Libraries impact research and learning of the SBU community through partnerships by using our specific expertise and scholarship in domains such as sustainability, technologies, research, preservation of knowledge, data management, archives, cultural heritage, histories, critical information literacies, user experience, copyright, standards, and guidelines to advance the research, learning, and clinical enterprise; by providing seamless access to physical and digital resources; by guiding student and SBU faculty and staff scholarship, data, and AI needs to enhance their productivity; and by recognizing student and SBU faculty and staff scholarship and achievements that celebrate the SBU community's successes.

 

SBUL will continue to invest in communicating our expertise to the SBU campus community while increasing opportunities to build more external partnerships and relationships. Additionally, it will focus on providing seamless access to physical and technological systems and research and learning environments for people of diverse abilities and skill sets.

Key Objectives

1. Establish an engaging, inspiring, and inclusive identity so that SBUL is recognized as a central hub for our community members to explore, discover, and access knowledge that supports academic achievement, responsible citizenry, and a desire for lifelong learning and discovery.
2. Develop a communications plan to share with the SBU community to increase awareness of and participation in library-led learning experiences and the expertise of the Libraries’ staff.
3. Build trusted partnerships and relationships with our SBU and external communities.
4. Provide physical and technological systems for global accessibility.

 

Priority #4

Reimagine The Way We Work

Forge an inclusive workplace culture and empower our staff to be fearless and innovative by being intentional and sustainable in how we do our work and invest in and use technology.

 

How did we get here, and why is this important?

SBUL provides critical instruction, resources, and research support to the campus community. For SBUL to accomplish their strategic objectives, library staff must have the necessary tools and training to conduct their work and be empowered and equipped with the proper technologies to move them forward. Investment in all library staff through clear and inclusive policies, professional development, cross-departmental collaborations, and workplace flexibility will result in more innovative and creative services supporting Stony Brook University’s research, learning, and enrichment endeavors. 

Key Objectives

1. Develop standardized practices and policies that build trust and communication through transparency and information sharing.
2. Create an inclusive and accessible workplace to foster a sense of belonging. 
3. Support digital transformation at the SBUL and integrate technologies that make our work more effective and rewarding.
4. Expand talent development and management for all levels of staff.