Mission
Stony Brook University Libraries inspires learning, research, scholarly inquiry and service in an environment dedicated to the open exchange of ideas and information. The University Libraries are engaged in scholarly, cultural and artistic interactions with Stony Brook University, its regional and global communities by:
- Promoting academic engagement
- Building, preserving and providing access to rich and diverse collections
- Developing responsive library spaces for diverse user communities
- Fostering an innovative culture of learning and assessment
Vision
The University Libraries is an essential partner in Stony Brook University’s mission of global leadership in research, discovery, and learning, positioning ourselves as the hub of collaboration, digital innovation, and scholarly endeavors. We enable the dissemination, preservation, and creation of new knowledge by remaining committed to delivering world-class physical and digital content and services critical to research, education, and outreach, now and in the future.
Core Values
We believe the University Libraries is paramount to the research and educational excellence of the people we serve. We are committed to:
- Access
- Collaboration
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Stewardship
- Innovation
- Integrity
- Respect
Guiding Principles
Promote Academic Engagement
Stony Brook University Libraries are committed to participating in the entire life cycle of the research, teaching, and learning processes that emphasize critical thinking and innovative forms of expression. We identify priorities that guide strategic efforts to foster academic collaborations and cultivate enduring partnerships to enable student, faculty, and research success.
Goals:
- Participate in academic, research, and clinical excellence through curricular support, subject area expertise, diverse and relevant collections, and research engagement and collaboration.
- Increase the impact of Stony Brook University research and scholarship productivity by advancing scholarly communication practices such as open access publishing, open educational resources, digital humanities projects, data management, and the Stony Brook institutional repository.
- Champion emerging trends in student learning, scaffolded learning, and critical thinking.
- Facilitate scholarly, interdisciplinary, and intellectual dialogue and culturally diverse programming that engages the campus, community, and global partners.
Build, Preserve, and Provide Access to Rich and Diverse Collections
We equip students, faculty, and researchers with the means to reach their fullest potential by ensuring an equitable and balanced collection that reflects and anticipates the University’s teaching, research, and clinical priorities; deploys seamless and flexible technology in discovery of relevant information in all formats; and implements sustainable policies and procedures to ensure the availability and integrity of information resources now and into the future.
Goals:
- Promote and enhance discovery and productive use of all collections, including locally created collections and archives.
- Build, preserve and sustain diverse and accessible digital and open access collections.
- Advance the research lifecycle, open access, and Open Educational Resource (OER) development and adoption through dynamic collections and information infrastructure.
Develop Responsive Library Spaces for Diverse User Communities
We design library spaces to increase productivity and develop communities of learning. We benefit curricular and research initiatives with library facilities, technologies, and services and we design flexible/multi-purpose spaces in a high technology environment.
Goals:
- Provide user-centered physical spaces that complement the diverse and inclusive learning needs and environments of the campus community.
- Develop and optimize dynamic virtual spaces to deliver the Library’s resources and services to all users.
- Improve accessibility to physical and virtual spaces in order to provide excellent service.
Foster an Innovative Culture of Learning and Assessment
We encourage and enable all staff to contribute to the development of the library as a learning organization that acquires knowledge and responds appropriately to a rapidly changing environment. Learning organizations (a) create a culture that encourages and supports continuous employee learning, critical thinking, assessment, risk taking, and innovation of new ideas (b) allow experimentation, and value employee contributions (c) learn from experience and experiment, and (d) disseminate new knowledge throughout the organization for incorporation into day-to-day workflows.
Goals:
- Sustain a dynamic and efficient library organization by investing in talent development, rewarding innovation, embracing change, fostering collaboration, and celebrating diversity.
- Further the impact and value of research and learning by developing a holistic and proactive assessment program that anticipates and responds to changing needs of the University community.
- Deliver excellent service and equitable access to resources by continuously reviewing and optimizing operations, enhancing internal communication, and cultivating knowledge sharing.
You can also view the Strategic Plan as a PDF.
