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Winter Closure

Multiple Danforth campus libraries will be closed and inaccessible to patrons from December 21 until January 2. Read on for more details. 

Strategic Priorities

The Brookings Hall arch photographed during sunset.

WashU Libraries’ strategic priorities outlined below are intended to move the Libraries forward in concert with WashU’s Here & Next strategic plan launched in 2022.

Strategic Priorities Framework

Three priority areas underpin the framework:

  • Infrastructure
  • Collections
  • Collaboration

Each of these areas is a distinct focus area and targets a defined need. However, projects will regularly and often relate to more than one of the strategic priorities. 

A Venn diagram showing the three priority areas - infrastructure, collections, and collaboration - of the WashU Libraries Strategic Priorities and where the three guiding principles of Research Focus; Academic Distinction; and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion interact within the priority area infrastructure.

In addition to the priorities, the framework calls out three Guiding Principles of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Academic Distinction, and Research Focus. These principles represent the values of both the Libraries and WashU. The Guiding Principles should be considered when assessing the appropriateness of any Libraries’ undertaking or project and are broader than the priorities themselves.

Read the full Strategic Priorities Framework (PDF)

Infrastructure

Because the modern research library is physical and digital, its underlying infrastructure is also. WashU Libraries has significant infrastructure needs in both areas. All infrastructure investment aims to do more than address shortfalls and leapfrog the Libraries as leaders and valued partners among peer institutions. 

Collections

Collections are at the heart of the work of libraries and underpin the broader spectrum of services and programs that the Libraries offer. Formats of collections are changing and expanding, and those changes have impacts on both workflows and library budgets. Librarians are addressing the cultural bias that long-held collections are recognized to reflect. As the university’s research program expands, the libraries must expand collections to address new research areas, impacting budgets and necessitating a deeper understanding of the collections. There is also a need to build services, instructional programs, and other types of support to facilitate access and understanding for our users.

Collaboration

Because the community defines the WashU Libraries, it is important to be a collaborative, connected organization. The Libraries will work to build connections and be truly collaborative at three different levels: internal, campus-wide, and national and international.

Next Steps

The WashU Libraries will begin operationalizing the Strategic Priorities Framework through assessment and project tracking. This will involve defining assessment metrics for the priorities outlined above and developing a central project tracking and management system to foster collaboration across divisions and ensure an effective and transparent process going forward.

Strategic Priorities in the News