IU Libraries' Strategic Plan 2030

Our Mission

By connecting individuals to expert information services and responsibly curated, world-class collections, the people of IU Libraries inspire and empower students and faculty to excel in innovative research and creative activity, outstanding teaching and publishing, and deep, reflective learning. 

Our Vision

IU Libraries Bloomington will be an in-demand partner and leader in advancing research and creativity, facilitating teaching and learning, and amplifying scholarship by enabling and encouraging critical thinking and discourse, cultivating supportive environments that invite everyone to participate, and providing access to a credible, broad spectrum of perspectives and resources.

Goals

A person wearing a pink suit jacket holds a microphone in front a crowded room inside a historic house
Research & Creativity
Four students stand with a cardboard cutout of Herman B Wells.
Student Experience
Two women stand proudly holding a certificate. They are both blond and dressed in browns and yellow.
Organizational Development & Culture
Students stand around a librarian with an old book. The students are dressed for summer.
World-Class Collections

Goal: Research & Creativity

IU Libraries will be an integral partner in the pursuit of groundbreaking research and creativity.

Advance and contribute to the coordination of research data services, support, and infrastructure.

Expand support for researchers in managing, communicating, and measuring the impact of their scholarship. 

Advance fair and sustainable practices for disseminating research and creating openly accessible scholarship for everyone.

Strengthen IU Libraries role as a partner in supporting and contributing to external research funding. 

Increase publishing relationships with institutional stakeholders on campus and throughout the state that focus on Indiana University, Indiana, and the Midwest.

Goal: Student Experience

IU Libraries will equip students for academic success and lifelong learning, and actively contribute to an exceptional student experience.

Ensure the availability of welcoming and supportive learning environments and services for all students.

Maximize opportunities for students to develop the literacies needed to navigate an increasingly complex information landscape. 

Facilitate the adoption and use of openly accessible scholarly and educational resources. 

Expand services and opportunities for student engagement in research and creative experiences.   

Provide experiential learning opportunities for students to obtain transferable skills.  

Goal: Organizational Development & Culture

IU Libraries will be a welcoming work environment with a culture of fairness, care, and trust where everyone feels valued and supported.

Enhance hiring processes and retention practices for all library positions.

Expand opportunities for leaders to engage in intentional leadership that supports all library professionals.

Strengthen investments in organizational learning and employee development opportunities that address emerging and evolving needs. 

This objective from the original draft of the strategic plan was removed in July 2025.

Maximize working practices that enable organizational effectiveness and align with organizational values, mission, and vision. 

Goal: World-Class Collections

IU Libraries will provide and preserve world-class collections that are broadly representative, sustainable, easy to discover, and usable.

Extend representation and accessibility practices and policies into all collections work according to professional standards and ethics.

Maximize capacity for sustainable collection development and management.      

Improve discoverability across all collections.   

Expand access to the library’s distinctive and special collections.     

Grow digital collections and integrate these into teaching, learning, and research workflows.   

The IU Libraries 2030 strategic plan was originally adopted in March 2024 and was last updated in July 2025. To request a full copy of either version, please email the IU Libraries Communications department at the link below.

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