7 tips to align with institutional strategic goals (and why you should)

On some university campuses, the library is still viewed solely as a program provider, with little acknowledgement of its potential to contribute strategically. Increasingly, libraries are seeking to change this. In this case study, we hear how University of Mississippi Libraries is shifting the needle.

The team also swiftly identified an existing program it could leverage to support that goal – its First Year Instruction Initiative (FYII) opens in new tab/window. Following the launch of the FYII a few years earlier, sessions had been held only intermittently due to the complexity of arranging and promoting them. However, Melissa and her colleagues were passionate about the initiative’s value. “The library had fallen off the summer orientation program, so the FYII was our opportunity to teach new students how the library could help them find a study space and use library services and resources,” Melissa explains.

The power of strategic alliances

The final part of the puzzle was the university’s decision to launch two new units to support its 10-year plan:

• The Center for Student Success and the First Year Experience (CSSFYE) opens in new tab/window, which runs courses to help students succeed in the classroom, on campus and in their day-to-day lives.

• The Department of Writing and Rhetoric (DWR) opens in new tab/window with a remit that includes delivering the first-year writing and speech communication programs.

Positioning the library as a partner for success

For Ashley and Melissa, the library’s decision to align with the institution’s strategic goals has not only raised their department’s profile as a potential collaborator, it has also made it easier to talk with those partners. Ashley explains: “Because we are looking at the same top-level goals, we are speaking the same language. And then when we veer off into our own goals, they still make sense because the vocabulary doesn’t change.”

Another big plus point is that it is changing the perception of the library on campus. “I think that we are a department that is not always well understood,” says Melissa. “Although we are tenured; for example, both Ashley and I are associate professors, how we’ve climbed the ladder looks a little different from other faculty. That means it can be challenging sometimes to remind them that we are peers.”

Ashley believes that increased access to the FYII sessions is also helping students to view the library as a partner. “Sometimes students don't want to ask us a question because they think they're bothering us, or they worry their question is dumb,” she explains. “During these freshmen classes they get to hear, hey, every question deserves an answer, and you have a librarian whose job it is to help you answer it.”

Melissa adds: “During the FYII sessions we can try to break down any potential barriers, whether it’s anxiety or nerves because the students don’t know how to talk to us - or why they would. And we can get them thinking in a way that benefits their education; for example, we’ve started asking students to email us about their interests. That may sound simple, but for some of them emailing is a brand-new skill. And if we can help them practice this skill, that’s something their instructors will really appreciate!”

Identifying the right evaluation measures

In addition to using traditional metrics, such as session and attendee counts, Research and Instruction regularly surveys instructors to understand how the training has impacted their students’ critical thinking and information literacy skills. A full breakdown of their survey results is available in the 2024 scholarly article opens in new tab/window that Melissa and Ashley have published on the project.

For Melissa, one of the most compelling outcomes has been the FYII’s contribution to improving first-year retention figures. “The course is elective, but we probably reach more than half of the new students arriving on campus each year with the library session. And we have found a statistical correlation between the people who show up on our library day and those who return the next semester. That was surprising, but also really exciting. And our administration is very happy that we can show how the supportive structures and services the university invests in are collaborating to deliver positive results in an area as important as retention.”

For Ashley, the fact that the collaboration is still running after all these years is another sign of its success, along with the anecdotal feedback she hears from students. “When I’m in a research consultation with a junior or senior now, quite frequently they'll mention something about the FYII class they took as a freshman, so we know that it sticks with them. And that’s a great feeling!”

7 tips for developing a collaborative approach to strategic goals

Here, Ashley and Melissa share some of their key takeaways from the past 15 years.

1. Don’t try to align with every goal

As Ashley explains: “There's no point in trying to force a square peg into a round hole. If after just a few minutes of discussion, you can't figure out how the library can support a goal, then don't try. It’s better to focus your time and effort where you can make a difference – even if that’s just one area.” Melissa adds: “It’s about figuring out what’s important and then latching on to it, and that may look different for every library."

2. Think about which departments share the same objectives

As Research and Instruction has shown, building partnerships is a great way to increase the library’s impact on your university’s goals. But it’s important to think about which departments on campus can amplify your contribution and then invest in those relationships.

3. Keep talking to partners

According to Melissa, Research and Instruction works hard to ensure it doesn’t take its relationships with its partners for granted. “Every single semester, I reach out to the chairs of the CSSFYE and the DWR to keep those lines of communication open. That might involve going to lunch together or just having a quick impromptu meeting.” This has helped to bridge team member changes across the departments. She adds: “You must also talk to your campus and library administrators. And they must talk to their supervisors. This keeps it audible across campus.” 

4. Listening is important too...

Melissa explains: “We have a good idea of what students need to know, but it is really valuable to hear from our partners what outcomes they want to achieve. It means there is equality there, and that’s vital for the relationships.” 

And they are continuing to adapt the course to meet students’ changing needs. Ashley says: “The attention span of freshmen coming into the library is often short, so we’ve made the sessions more interactive with group activities.” 

5. Don’t be afraid to get creative

When the partnerships began in 2010, Research and Instruction delivered each session face to face. However, over time, the department’s numbers have reduced – today they have six faculty members, two graduate students and an undergraduate. At the same time, the number of new students arriving on campus each year is booming. “We had 6,000 freshmen last year,” Melissa reveals. “When we started the FYII it was around half that number.”  When it became clear that maintaining in-person sessions would be a challenge, the team came up with an innovative solution. “We created what I call the à la carte menu, which enables lecturers to pick and choose,” Melissa explains. “We still offer face-to-face classes, but we also have more passive instruction models – updated library LibGuides and tutorials, and a library Blackboard course with an escape room that helps students learn about the library in a fun way.” 

She adds: “It would have been very easy to fully transition to the passive options, but because we care so much about the FYII and we see the value it brings, it was important to us to find a sustainable solution.” Ashley agrees: “We are very proud to be educating Mississippians for the future of Mississippi. And I do think that passion has played a part in the program’s continuing success.” 

6. When you encounter challenges, work together to resolve them

Due to the strong relationships that Research and Instruction has built with the CSSFYE and the DWR, they have become active partners in addressing the increasing pressure on Melissa’s team. Ashley explains: “Some of the instructors we’ve been working with for many years have helped us carry the weight, offering to share the more passive models with their students, so we can prioritize conducting face-to-face sessions with the newer instructors.”

7. Make it easy for people to participate

The librarian responsible for launching the FYII created templates and scripts to cover every aspect of delivering a session – a tradition Research and Instruction has continued as it has developed the course to become more interactive. That low barrier has proved invaluable in encouraging other librarians to volunteer to deliver the sessions, helping the team to maintain a healthy level of face-to-face instruction. 

Interested in learning more? In 2024, Melissa and Ashley published an article on the project -  “Strategic alliances: The library as a partner for student success” opens in new tab/window - in The Journal of Academic Librarianship.