Libraries

Pathways

The following pathways of Enrich, Empower and Engage will lead us in our next Directions. They will set our course of action and enable us to continue to fulfill our mission and achieve our vision.

The items under each pathway are not meant to be an exhaustive list of all the work done in the Libraries, but are immediate action steps along the various pathways. The bulleted list should change as priorities and needs shift and the environment in which we work changes. When we accomplish certain steps along the Pathways they will be crossed off while new steps may be added or amended.

The Strategic Framework works as a guide for our work and should grow and adjust as we do.

1. Enrich – the Academic Experience

By providing access to collections, services, technologies, instruction and spaces, the Libraries create pathways to education innovation and student success and make a substantive impact on the research, learning and teaching agendas of faculty, staff and students.

The spectrum of collections, services, access, instruction and the expertise of our people are at the core of what libraries do.

Steps along the pathway:

  • Ensure that students, faculty and staff across all disciplines and research levels have equitable and inclusive access to all resources, regardless of format.
  • Utilize partnerships such as OhioLINK and others in the Cincinnati area to maximize the potential of collection development and access.
  • Encourage interaction with special collections as a powerful means to intersect with research and student learning.
  • Partner with academic units across UC to develop a student-centric digital core competency curriculum and integrate it into the university’s general education curriculum, building from our strengths and accomplishments in digital scholarship, information literacy instruction, research and services.
  • Ensure the long-term sustainability and physical access to library spaces and collections for everyone of any ability.
  • Provide environmental and physical protections for special and archival collections.
  • Create and adapt facilities that incorporate emerging and changing virtual and physical integrated space needs and growth strategies.

2. Empower – Research, Scholarship & Innovation

Foster scholarly pursuits and the broader research agenda through a commitment to inclusive and equitable access to diverse information, resources and collections – whether in-person and one-on-one with library experts or when accessing library resources online. We will support and inspire local and global, novel, innovative and one-of-a-kind research and scholarship through our collections, expertise and services.

We pursue innovation through empowerment, education and open exploration with a commitment to expanding discovery and knowledge.

Steps along the pathway:

  • Expand additional grant funding resources.
  • Establish an open source Model-of-Model community.
  • Through the launch of UC’s Digital Futures, create “center of excellence” of multidisciplinary, human-centric AI practices.
  • Through work in the 1819 Innovation Hub, explore commercialization of the Digital Scholarship Center, broadening its reach and output beyond the university community.
  • Expand OA for scholarly publishing and Open Education Resources (OER) through efforts lead by the Press and Cincinnati Publishing Services (CLiPs).
  • Develop a comprehensive, collaborative strategy for acquiring, utilizing and preserving Open Data.
  • Support the mission of the Research & Data Services (RDS) unit in the development and implementation of interdisciplinary research data services that enable research and promote synergistic collaborations between librarians/staff and UC researchers.
  • Embed library collections in teaching, with emphasis on special and archival collections.
  • Increase visibility, access and use of special and archival collections through online and physical exhibits.

3. Engage - We are Cincinnati

By engaging and collaborating with our academic and community partners, we insure that UC Libraries is a hub for learning, economic development, discovery and access. Our faculty and staff collaborate across campus and the broader community to create an inclusive, accessible and engaging experience for all users.

Engage with the local, regional and global community to foster innovation, learning, research and to develop the future information professional. We are dedicated to the collection, organization, dissemination, preservation and promotion of information and knowledge. We are community catalysts.

Steps along the pathway:

  • Strengthen and broaden partnerships and involvement in the Venture Hub at the 1819 Innovation Hub.
  • Partner with Cincinnati cultural institutions to build a multi-purpose storage and community engagement facility to house, preserve and highlight distinctive cultural collections.
  • Partner with Cincinnati culture heritage organizations to enrich the creation of and access to local resources, including continued involvement in activities such as Books by the Banks.
  • Publish and promote Cincinnati related publications.
  • Support and enhance enrollment pipelines to UC’s main campus from local high schools, universities, Clermont and UCBA.
  • Increase participation with CPS Strong to increase student engagement with library resources and to cultivate interest in the current and emerging library profession.