The strategic plan is used being used to clearly identify the needs and aspirations of the libraries over the next five years.  While the immediate focus is on the next five years, the strategic plan will also look ahead to planning for the next ten-year period and even beyond.

    
Gail Staines, Assistant Provost for University Libraries
David Cassens, Assistant Assistant Provost for University Libraries for Administration, Pius Library
Patricia Gregory, Assistant University Librarian for Public Services, Pius Library
Shuqin Jiao, Assistant University Librarian for Access Services, Pius Library
Patrick McCarthy, Director, Medical Center Library
Donna Neely, Executive Assistant, Pius Library
Jean Parker, Assistant University Librarian for Technical Services, Pius Library
Gregory Pass, Assistant University Librarian for Special Collections and
       Vatican Film Librarian
Steven Pryor, Automation, Pius & Medical Center Libraries
Cathy Riedesel, Business Manager, Pius & Medical Center Libraries
John W. Stroup, Directory of Development, Pius & Medical Center Libraries
John Waide, University Archivist

Richard Amelung, Associate Director, Law Library
Barb Coleman, ITS Administrator
William Mootz, MD, Assistant Dean, School of Medicine
Sara Van den Berg, Chair, English Department
Dr. Ronald Rebore, Associate Dean, Graduate School

Marla Berg-Weger, Associate Provost

    
The Strategic Plan is based on a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis and a detailed Needs Assessment that was written during the summer and fall of 2006. 

    
This strategic plan includes Pius XII Memorial Library and the Medical Center Library. Although not specifically addressed, the Omer Poos Law Library was an active participant in the development of the strategic plan.

    
The Plan includes six general goals. 

1. Enhance the visibility of the University Libraries;
2. Attract support and build resources;
3. Enrich the academic community;
4. Develop a dynamic learning organization;
5. Optimize access to information resources that support research and scholarly activity; and
6. Establish ideal conditions for preservation, access and promotion of the University’s rare and unique collections.

    
Establish a central location for Special Collections and Archives that includes the Walter J. Ong Center for Language and Culture; expand reading room space for students and faculty; create a climate-controlled storage facility, processing space, and staff offices. 

    
Pius Library will be fifty years old in 2009. Part of the Library was built in 1911.  The building needs significant renovation and expansion if the University is to continue to be a premier academic research library for the next fifty years.

    
More sources are becoming digital, but not all sources will be digitized.  Also, the library is more than a collection of books and electronic resources.  The library is a “place,” with many uses and purposes.  Sam Demas, library director at Carleton College, noted that the renowned ancient library at Alexandria was not merely a storehouse of literature, but a center for arts and inquiry. As academic libraries reinvent themselves in the 21st century, they can find inspiration in the Alexandrian model. SLU students today demand:

• Spaces for reading and relaxing in safety and in quiet
• Individual study
• Group study
• Browsing subject collections – digital and print
• Exploring rare and unique materials
• Checking email and using the web
• Finding information for assignments and academic projects; information production: computing, writing, creating presentations
• Attending classes in library classrooms and seminar rooms

    
We will begin by developing a comprehensive communication and marketing plan that will raise awareness of the needs and goals of the University Libraries as outlined in the five-year strategic plan.

    
You can provide your feedback and input into this process by adding information to our strategic planning blog that you can find on this web site.