Forward plan 2028

We will create engaging and inclusive experiences that connect people with our collections, expertise and services. By working with our users, communities and partners, we will improve access, encourage discovery and develop new opportunities for learning and participation.

Objective 13: Deliver socially engaged and responsive engagement and learning using our collections and expertise

KR 1. Run a programme of cultural experiences to increase awareness of cultural collections research, to encourage further research activity using our collections.

KR 2. Increase visibility of our cultural collections materials by lending items to institutions and establishing strategic lending partnerships, to reach agreed audiences.

KR 3. Develop equitable access to in-person experiences with our events, to enable engagement and improve the student experience.

KR 4. Share the history of the Brotherton Library with our users, to increase awareness of the impact of the Brotherton legacy and support the University’s philanthropic aims.

Objective 14: Identify and strengthen civic partnerships, collaborating with communities to offer valuable services, opportunities and access

KR 1. Support the University’s Civic Exchange to develop new external partnerships to provide more opportunities for inclusive and accessible cultural participation.

KR 2. Work with Advancement to cultivate philanthropic support for a Libraries initiative, to improve our services for our users.

KR 3. Develop a framework to assess the mutual value of our partnerships and use it to work strategically with local institutions to ensure appropriate allocation of resources.

KR 4. Improve access to online library collections for those outside the University, with a particular focus on alumni access to electronic resource, to benefit the wider community.

Objective 15: Experiment, develop and partner in innovative approaches that support discovery and use of collections, underpinned by transparency and ethics.

KR 1. Explore and adopt linked data standards so that users can find and interpret our materials more effectively.

KR 2. Launch digital storytelling tools to increase access to digital collections and enhance teaching and learning as part of the Digital Library Infrastructure Project.

KR 3. Launch new Cultural Collections and Galleries catalogue interface to increase engagement with Cultural Collections.

KR 4. Provide meaningful internship and volunteering opportunities for students to enable skills development and provide opportunities to experience a range of professions.

Objective 16: Engage in co-creation and active engagement with our users to improve experience of our services

KR 1. Gather user requirements for digital library resources and use a people-centred design approach to make it easier to discover, access or use our collections.

KR 2. Share effective co-creation best practice with library staff, to increase staff confidence using co-creation approaches in service development.