Purdue University Libraries

PLAN 2004: A Framework for Action

The basic structure of Plan 2004 began to form in a thoughtful analysis by the Libraries faculty and staff of the outcomes, strengths, and weaknesses of the Libraries' first strategic plan, A Shared Commitment to Excellence: A Plan for the Future, 1992-1997. From this analysis came a reaffirmation of the Libraries' vision as an image of a desirable future for the Libraries and our clientele, and a recommitment to our mission. A realization also emerged that our new plan needed to better equip the Libraries to respond rapidly, and with greater flexibility, to challenges and opportunities as they arise. This sense was underscored by the insights which emerged as campus deans, the University Library Committee, and the entire Libraries staff participated in a series of environmental scans to identify changes in higher education and in information and communication technology, and to consider their impact on the Libraries.

The first consideration in the development of the strategic directions for Plan 2004 was to maintain a strong relationship with the key directions in the first plan: user access, collection quality, library instruction, information delivery, and internal resources. Furthermore, the environmental analysis indicated a need to reflect more clearly the obvious shift toward access in the ownership-access balance of scholarly communication, as well as the increasingly learner-centered information age. Finally,it was essential to incorporate outcome assessment. The result is four strategic directions: The Learning Library, Scholarly Communication, User-Centered Services, and Infrastructure.

The next level in the structure of Plan 2004 — a group of strategic goals developed for each direction — builds into the plan the desired ability for rapid and flexible response to the environment. The determination of specific actions is reserved for annual planning. The strategic goals are designed to be measurable, outcome-oriented at a higher level than the implementation milestones of the first plan, realistic, and achievable in one to seven years. In addition, they are free of reference to specific technologies and methods, stating outcomes rather than an a priori determination of the means that will be used to achieve them. The goals for each strategic direction are presented in a list that has not been prioritized. Annual planning and priority-setting will involve an evaluation of the past year's actions and the drafting of actions for the coming year, all conducted in light of the strategic goals supported and broadened by particular actions and initiatives.