The Plan
This plan was built in consultation with employees and external Library partners and draws on student and employee survey data; it reflects our commitment to student success and to supporting the work happening within faculties and other departments at Vancouver Island University.
The plan has been developed from:
- Library Strategic Planning Sessions December 13, 2022 and June 23, 2023
- VIU Library’s 2023 Student, Faculty, and Staff Survey
- VIU’s 2021-2026 Strategic Plan
- VIU’s Academic Plan
- Community partner interviews
- Opportunity for input from librarians, Client Services and Technical Services employees
Key supporting documents include:
- VIU Strategic Plan: People Place Potential
- VIU Library Pledge to Users
- VIU Library Pledge to Us
- VIU Academic Plan
The plan underscores a time of fiscal restraint at VIU; over the three-year period of this plan, we anticipate no increases in either human resources or budget; it is a plan for ‘less with less’. As such, student retention and engagement are an important part of the work we do. At times like these, there are opportunities for growth as well; examining the work we do for ways to make it better and collaborating with partners to work together and find areas of overlap.
Externally, the library landscape is shifting quickly with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), further emphasizing the importance of information literacy skills in our information-driven society. Volatility in scholarly publishing is another area of instability, requiring ongoing advocacy work on the part of library consortia members. There is uncertainty and we need to be flexible to adapt to new trends.
Working with and supporting Indigenous communities and students continues to be foundational to what we do in the Library. This is important relationship and place-based work, grounded in seeking opportunities to sit, watch, listen, and to act when invited to do so.
The plan highlights the Library’s role in supporting students and employees and, where we can, connecting and collaborating with the broader community.