Forward plan 2022-2025

Sponsor – Associate Director: Special Collections and Galleries

O20 – Develop an institutional cultural programme that positions the University as a major cultural hub. Contribute to Leeds 2023 through innovative programming.

KR1: Commission a sustainable sculpture on campus as part of the public art trail by August 2023.

KR2: Review the public art strategy with stakeholder consultation and events series, building on the collective regional strength by May 2023.

KR3: Improve our thematic partnerships with galleries and cultural organisations, with an initial programme launched with Hepworth Gallery by December 2022.

KR4: Evaluate the impact of campus wide cultural programmes and economic and social contribution to region by August 2022.

KR5: Establish a community engagement programme for collections and galleries by August 2024.

KR6: Enhance audience learning through art works and creative practice, starting by developing a collaborative program with Marks and Spencer by August 2022. KR7: Promote opportunities to engage with key and recently acquired collections by July 2025.

Linked strategic priorities: SP16

O21 – Better understand and meet the information needs of our users.

KR1: Review academic and student engagement with the new reading list system by June 2023.

KR2: Review how we support faculties and schools (including faculty reports) in delivery of their strategic aims by January 2023.

KR3: Better understand how our users engage with our resources by March 2024.

KR4: Develop capacity for real-time intelligence on use of our assets and resources by June 2025.

KR5: Undertake collection management, enhancement and interpretation activities to expose unique features and discoverability of our collection by July 2024.

KR6: Embrace new standards and technologies to improve the discoverability and promote the use of collections and resources by November 2024.

Linked strategic priorities: SP15, SP18

O22 – Create engagement programmes that inspire curiosity, creativity and knowledge sharing for diverse audiences locally and from around the globe.

KR1: Develop a plan to support educational engagement and widening participation by August 2023.

KR2: Produce high quality digital storytelling content using AI and extended reality by July 2025.

KR3: Provide volunteer opportunities to engage with our collections and each other by July 2023.

KR4: Initiate co-curation and co-production opportunities, working with our communities as partners, by July 2023.

KR5: Collaborate with Schools to devise skills modules and work placements focused on curatorial and archive practices on an ongoing basis by September 2022.

Linked strategic priorities: SP16, SP20, SP3

O23 – Develop an alumni offer for the libraries and attract philanthropic funding opportunities.

KR1: Renegotiate publisher licenses wherever possible to provide alumni access by December 2024.

KR2: Contribute to the institutional philanthropic fundraising targets, particularly in the areas of digital, collections and space on an ongoing basis.

KR3: Revise external access policy and charging structure to reduce barriers to access the libraries by alumni and members of public by September 2023.

Linked strategic priorities: SP19, SP20

O24 – Extend access to our buildings to support the needs of diverse audiences.

KR1: Provide longer and more consistent access to study spaces by August 2023.

KR2: Provide 24-hour access to a managed space all year round by August 2023.

KR3: Undertake accessibility reviews and upgrade our physical and digital spaces to be fully accessible by August 2024.

KR4: Use library spaces more effectively to tell the stories of our communities by July 2024.

KR5: Streamline the front of house offer for the Brotherton Research Centre and Galleries by July 2023.

Linked strategic priorities: SP20, SP13