Discover. Create. Collaborate.
Libraries and Cultural Resources' 2026 – 2030 Strategic Plan.
Download the planMessage from the Vice Provost - LCR
I believe that LCR is indispensable. Our services are transformative. Our work and systems are sustainable and scalable. We will create a better tomorrow for our faculty through innovation and risk-taking.
Vice-Provost (Libraries & Cultural Resources), University of Calgary
"I believe that LCR is indispensable. Our services are transformative. Our work and systems are sustainable and scalable. We will create a better tomorrow for our faculty through innovation and risk-taking."
The strategic planning process in Libraries and Cultural Resources was led by a cross-portfolio team and gave every staff member multiple opportunities to participate. Our goal was to formulate an LCR-wide response to the strategies in Ahead of Tomorrow: UCalgary’s 2023–2030 Strategic Plan.
As you will see in this plan, LCR is a vibrant, interwoven portfolio, integral to the education of the "whole person" at UCalgary. Our collections, spaces and services support teaching, learning and research initiatives. We support the development of critical thinking and information related skills indispensable in navigating life-long learning and the ever-changing, post-university world.
Educating the whole person means instilling an appreciation of creative endeavours and expanding critical thinking through gallery, archive and special collection exhibits. It means providing continuing opportunities for researchers and scholars to publish academic content with the University Press and it means initiating innovative transdisciplinary partnerships across campus to create experiential and research-based opportunities for students who want to solve big library and world problems.
Our staff are our most valuable resource. Every innovative idea, every bold initiative, every solution to a problem comes from our staff. Without our staff, the collections, the technology and the spaces are nothing, and our programs and services wouldn’t exist. We will continue to invest in staff and staff development so we truly can be Ahead of Tomorrow.
As a digital library, LCR will be a leader in the digital transformation on campus. We will ensure that any student who wants an experience with generative artificial intelligence (AI) will become AI literate, understanding ethical use, integrity and the opportunities and challenges of using generative AI.
Inherent in the planning process and the strategies put forward are core values that underpin everything we do. LCR will be a place for all on campus. We will recognize and embrace diversity. We will endeavour to create welcoming spaces and programs for all.
As society navigates a world of mis- and dis-information, libraries will remain the curator and purveyor of trustworthy information. LCR will embrace this role and ensure all students have an opportunity to not only access high quality information resources, but to develop information literacy skills that will allow them to differentiate information and its source.
LCR will have a demonstrable impact on the lives of every student and faculty member that comes through our doors, virtually or physically. As I hope you see from this plan – LCR will be Ahead of Tomorrow.
Who We Are
Foundational Work
The diverse expertise of our team creates transformative experiences as we weave the power of technology with our extensive analog and digital collections and our physical and virtual spaces to make us indispensable to our user community. We are committed to enriching the student experience, inspiring teaching and learning, and supporting research and innovation at the University of Calgary. With our LCR-wide user-centric philosophy and the synergies symbolized by the interwoven threads of this tapestry, LCR provides unique opportunities for our students, faculty, staff, and the broader university.
Foundational Commitments
LCR is committed to Indigenous engagement; equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility; mental health and wellness; and sustainability. We take a user-centred approach to the work we do for the university community.
University Strategic Priority 1
Increase access to impactful and future-focused learning
LCR’s experiential learning opportunities bridge disciplines, connecting students with the information, materials, and artifacts essential for deep learning, while equipping them with the skills and knowledge to interpret and apply these resources effectively.
LCR GOAL 1: Strengthen our position as a leading digital academic library
Widely regarded as one of the most technologically progressive academic library systems, LCR will continue to push boundaries. We will enrich our online environments to create a sense of place and belonging. By prioritizing digital access and adopting an online-first, technology-forward approach, we aim to expand our digital offerings to support research, learning, and preservation.
Initiatives
- Streamline discovery of and access to all LCR collections and resources, including archival fonds, museum collections, physical and digital library materials, Open Educational Resources (OERs), Library Research Guides, and all LCR services. Prioritizing digital records creates holistic discovery and access to materials-based research and learning experiences.
- Leverage LCR expertise and resources through strategic partnerships with researchers, faculties, appropriate consortia and organizations.
- Prioritize and expand digitization of unique or difficult to obtain content to create digital collections that amplify marginalized voices and facilitate the discovery of primary materials.
- Lead in innovation by introducing robotics to different aspects in the library.
LCR GOAL 2: Enable students to meet the challenges of our current and future information landscape
We will foster student expertise in critical analysis, creative engagement, digital skills, ethical thinking, and emerging literacies. We remain committed to meeting students where they are, whether in skill, modality, or learning preference.
Initiatives
- Provide innovative programming and services, recognizing the different and diverse starting points of students and supporting First-in-Family and other under-represented student populations, as exemplified by the MyLibrarian program that match student needs with staff experience.
- Create scaffolded programming for emerging literacies including information, data, visual, and digital to span the student learning experience. Expand these programs to develop and deliver micro-credential courses, aligning our expertise with university demand.
- Realize the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Ethics, Literacy and Integrity (CAIELI) as a hub to support and encourage appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for academic learning.
- Integrate learning opportunities into our student-focused programming that address the university’s research priorities.
- Energize and strengthen the university community through LCR-led student engagement events and activities, teaching and learning initiatives, services, and partnerships.
University Strategic Priority 2
Harness the power of innovation and research to tackle society’s biggest challenges
Over the past few decades, LCR has been at the forefront of the shift toward advanced research tools, transcending traditional searches for books and articles. From digitization to research data management, from visualization to open scholarship, we continue to offer researchers the collections, tools, services, and expertise needed to maximize their impact.
In alignment with Ahead of Tomorrow, we will pursue future-focused initiatives to enhance user experiences by providing access to information, learning resources, and new knowledge while stewarding unique materials for future generations of researchers.
LCR GOAL 1: Increase the visibility and impact of UCalgary’s research
UCalgary researchers are tackling society’s biggest challenges. LCR actively supports and leads initiatives that contribute to the institution’s robust research ecosystem and increases visibility of research outputs.
Initiatives
- Enhance our capacity to support research through a variety of established and emerging research methodologies, methods, modalities, analyses, and dissemination.
- Leverage our expertise in open scholarship and equitable research assessment through stewarding Research Data Management (RDM), Open Access (OA), Open Scholarship (including Open Science), and the Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) by collaborating, creating, or leading across the University and beyond.
- Empower students, faculty, staff, and researchers to showcase innovative research by supporting infrastructure that underpins a diverse, transdisciplinary, and sustainable research and innovation ecosystem.
- Increase the university community’s access to OA material and their ability to make impactful scholarly contributions.
- Lead in creating a shared national repository for scholarly output accessible to all researchers.
LCR GOAL 2: Enable imaginative and innovative research through strategic collaborations and transdisciplinary scholarship
LCR’s team creates and supports scholarship. Our services, resources, and expertise uniquely transcend disciplines and faculties, and position us at the intersection of transdisciplinary research.
Initiatives
- Actively lead and participate in appropriate alliances and organizations at the provincial, national, and international level to support UCalgary’s research mission.
- Advance non-traditional research through pilot projects, transdisciplinary scholarship, and innovative programming, creating research and work-integrated learning opportunities for students.
- Facilitate opportunities for large scale analysis and manipulation of digital data, content, and collections by our research community.
University Strategic Priority 3
Locate community in everything we do
LCR seeks to exceed the expectations of our university community by providing innovative service models, collections, technologies, spaces, and staff expertise to meet diverse needs.
LCR GOAL: Be a catalyst for meaningful and transformative experiences for our university community
LCR is committed to fostering success and eliminating barriers to empower students and researchers in traditionally underrepresented groups.
Initiatives
- Leverage our expertise across the university community in emerging areas through programming, contributing to policies and standards, and developing campus partnerships.
- Continue to eliminate barriers to research and learning across our diverse communities. This would include website accessibility, access to learning resources, and decolonizing our collections in a good way.
- Explore entrepreneurial partnerships for innovative collection development and service models.
- Consider an Indigenous-led imprint at the University of Calgary Press.
University Strategic Priority 4
Make our processes clearer, simpler, and better than any other university
LCR will seek ways to leverage the rich and varied expertise of our team, while automating processes or implementing technology for routine tasks. By empowering and engaging our staff, we will build capacity for future developments and enhance internal collaboration, maximizing the impact of our collective knowledge and skills.
LCR GOAL: Empower, engage, and prepare staff
Initiatives
- Foster a stronger organizational culture by increasing the number of LCR-wide events.
- Strengthen system-wide collaboration and innovation across LCR through gathering feedback and planning opportunities in LCR units. Embark on consultative and collaborative reviews of our processes ensuring their efficiency, effectiveness, and value.
- Address Ahead of Tomorrow priorities by providing resources, enhancing the diverse and deep areas of expertise across LCR.
- Create professional development pathways for the LCR team, aligning with the goals of Ahead of Tomorrow and include deepening our understanding and commitment to the University’s strategic initiatives relating to Indigeneity and decolonization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA), mental health, and sustainability.
How we Demonstrate Impact
Our assessment approach aligns with evidence-informed practices in Canada’s higher education and cultural resources sectors.
LCR is committed to integrating an Indigenous-led perspective into our programmes, services, resources, and spaces.
We demonstrate our value through a holistic approach incorporating both quantitative and qualitative measures, as exemplified by the CARL (Canadian Association of Research Libraries) Impact Framework.