Our Vision & Strategic Priorities
Connecting. Engaging. Creating.
As research and teaching evolve, the Library will support and help drive these changes. Our expertise and experience connect us with all members of the campus community. We engage by listening and responding to changing needs. Together, we create a dynamic Library that is essential for every researcher, teacher, and learner at the U of A.
Strategic Priorities
Scholarly Communications
Creating bright futures for research and knowledge sharing.
We believe that timely access to a wide array of information and scholarship is fundamental to enabling the best possible research and learning outcomes. We seek to invest our time, energy, and financial resources in building and supporting open, sustainable, and responsible scholarly communication solutions -- a partnership strategy that will help us realize a healthy and robust scholarly communications ecosystem.
Supporting Research
Active partners in research and knowledge creation.
We bring curiosity, passion, and professional expertise to research challenges and the problems of tomorrow. We help lead and build networked initiatives at appropriate scales that enable research to happen locally and for knowledge to be optimally shared. We identify, develop, and contribute solutions to shared challenges, from research data management and sharing, to better understanding research impact as an information science. We build on a long tradition of service and stewardship, but increasingly look to a future that considers the full lifecycle of research, and one that recognizes where our depth of expertise and experience has the greatest impact.
Inclusion
Recognizing, supporting, and celebrating the diversity of our community.
We aim to be a welcoming, safe, inspiring library where individuals know they belong and are able to fully and confidently learn, research, and collaborate. As a strategic priority we deliberately build spaces, collections, and services which recognize, support, and celebrate the diversity of our community.
Student Experience
Enriching student learning.
We strive to enrich student learning through spaces, services, and teaching that complement classroom learning. We create spaces that are welcoming and enable experiential learning as well as individual study. Our services and collections support learning outcomes and contribute to student success. We care about students and our libraries are an important part of their campus life, contributing to both academic and personal growth. We work with students and campus partners to continually adapt and ensure student needs are met.
Indigenous Initiatives
Decolonizing library services, collections and spaces.
We aim to decolonize library services, collections and spaces, prioritizing good relationships with Indigenous community members on campus and beyond, and appropriately including Indigenous perspectives. UAL's services, collections and spaces will enable Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars to experience success in teaching, learning and research related to Indigenous Studies across disciplines. At UAL Indigenous staff members will find a positive environment in which they can contribute to the appropriate Indigenization of the library, and non-Indigenous staff members will actively contribute to decolonizing the library. Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous staff will have learning opportunities, including experiential learning, to grow their knowledge of Indigenous perspectives.
Our Principles
- Accountable
- Open
- Responsive
- Sustainable
- Transparent
Our Values
- Collaboration
- Inclusivity
- Innovation
- Intellectual Freedom
- Service
Our Mission
- We collaborate at the University of Alberta to advance teaching, learning and research.
- We provide access to the past and present through collections, services, spaces and expertise.
- Our work empowers learners scholars and researchers with local and global impact.
- Together we shape the future.