USC Libraries Mission
Our mission is to foster learning and discovery by connecting people with significant collections and expert support of research.
USC Libraries Shared Values
Service: We are committed to providing excellent service. We are responsive, respectful and accessible.
Continuous Improvement: We anticipate and are responsive to changes in user needs and the needs of our institution. We strive for excellence in all we do, creating and employing best practices.
Professional Development: We invest in the training and development of our employees, and they approach their work with respect and skill.
Collaboration and Teamwork: We rely on our collective expertise in accomplishing our goals. We establish partnerships outside the library to further our mission.
Innovation: We are creative, adaptable and amenable to intelligent risk-taking.
Discovery: Our collections, spaces and services nurture scholarly exploration by our users.
Learning: We foster learning and work to advance the library’s role in the wider educational mission of the university.
Strategy Statement
Our three-year strategic plan features five pillars of action and improvement, with an emphasis on maintaining and caring for our human infrastructure both inside the Libraries and within our South Carolina community. Our recommended strategies support pedagogical excellence through the building of Libraries infrastructure and systems that streamline our efforts in academic effectiveness, fiscal responsibility and personnel-based collaboration. We hope that this plan evolves and improves with the continued input and active participation of the USC community.
Strategic Planning Team
Nelson Rivera, Amy Meaney, Michael Weisenburg, Valerie Vera, and Timothy Simmons.
Former contributing members: Mēgan A. Oliver (Chair), Matt Darby, Anita Mays, Jade Geary.
PILLAR I: Staffing
A commitment to Libraries employees is a commitment to student, staff and faculty success. After conducting surveys and holding open sessions, we know that as a unit we share a commitment to the value of service to our patrons, and we know that our ability to serve is based in human resources. The strategic plan recommends we prioritize people -- ourselves and our community. This focus encourages closer and more collaborative professional relationships, in order to streamline our unit-wide efforts to serve our campus constituents.
PILLAR II: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Ensuring that we stay current with our peer institutions and with the general tenor of academic libraries, we need to invest our time and energies in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices. This investment should be multipronged and include efforts in hiring, public statements of intent and acknowledgement, programs that promote inclusion for and within our community and DEI-based education provided to all Libraries employees.
PILLAR III: Funding
Due to a variety of budget needs like building renovations and technology replacements, this plan recommends a three-prong approach to funding at USC Libraries: a recurring library fee, more active grant writing and an emphasis on and support for current fundraising efforts. We can use this three-year period to review and improve our funding usage, as well as assess future Libraries funding needs that will ensure the success of our USC students, faculty and staff.
PILLAR IV: Technology
We know that our faculty, staff, and student communities are actively using more digital resources and actively requesting access to current collaborative learning technology. In order to maintain our community center status at USC, this plan recommends the assessment of our progress as it regards our technological efforts, specifically looking at the funding of efforts, the prioritization of new technology spaces and active, consistent user experience studies with our students.
PILLAR V: Collections
Sharing our incredible print and special collections are a large part of our Libraries’ mission, and we dedicate significant financial and human resources to the acquisition and maintenance of these collections. This plan recommends the full review of collection development policies, a clearer emphasis on supporting the success of under-resourced and underrepresented units, faculty, staff and students, as well as shifting from a print-first ideology to a digital-first ideology.