Strategy 2026-2029 | University Library

Strategy 2026–2029

PREFACE

The University Library Basel (UB) is an innovative knowledge hub, enabling people to independently find and use information and data, and gain new insights.

As both the library of the University of Basel and the cantonal library, it combines its academic profile with both public responsibility and the dynamic developments of the digital age. The strategy is based on the library’s mandate and university’s strategy for 2022–2030, but also addresses current discussions in library and information science.

The four strategic goals arise against the backdrop of the urgent societal need for trustworthy and freely accessible information, open knowledge production, sustainable digital innovations and social equality. To this end, the UB collaborates closely with other university departments and stakeholders. Through this strategy, the University Library not only presents a programme for the ongoing development of its services. It also contributes to the creation of an open, sustainable and inclusive knowledge society.

The University Library’s mandate forms the basis of its operations and offers orientation for current and future services.

The University Library is the academic information centre of the University of Basel and also serves as the cantonal library for the Canton of Basel-Stadt. As a partner in research and teaching, it is responsible for the availability and dissemination of the academic literature and data sources produced and required at the University of Basel. It ensures that users have access to information and promotes information literacy skills.

The University Library’s mandate is to grow and record its analogue and digital media collections according to professional criteria and to archive and make these collections accessible for future generations.

As a memory institution, the University Library is responsible for collecting, cataloguing and preserving Basel’s written cultural heritage and other special collections, including those of the Swiss Economic Archives (SWA). These documents are made available in their original format, and in digital form whenever possible and necessary.

The University Library provides modern learning spaces and environments for all users at its locations. It thus supports interaction and exchange across disciplinary boundaries.

The University Library manages the Basel Library Network and promotes networking among academic libraries in the region.

It provides operational leadership within the university with regard to open access and coordinates the university’s research data management network, including data stewards. These services are available to all academic qualification levels.

In terms of the university’s overall information provision, the University Library aims to ensure its user-oriented and efficient organisation.

The University Library plays a key role in Switzerland‘s nationwide information provision. It works closely with other academic libraries and is involved in national organisations and programmes to promote professional exchange and shared information infrastructures.

THE FOUR STRATEGIC GOALS

_{Strategic goal 1}

Promote diversity, manage information overload and strengthen the relevance of our services

The University Library and its staff recognise their academic and social responsibility to ensure free and open access to independent information. They strive to offer a diverse and balanced range of media. In view of the growing threat posed by misinformation, the University Library is stepping up its support for users in selecting, receiving and evaluating information.

We want to:

give guidance and promote skills among users and staff in dealing with the growing range of information available,
offer new information literacy training programmes (especially in the field of generative AI) for different user groups (students, researchers, the general public),
contribute to promoting academic integrity and collaborate with researchers and relevant university units. In this way, our services and infrastructure contribute to the transparency and traceability of scientific results.

_{Strategic goal 2}

Optimise services and improve user experience

The University Library optimises its services by consistently focusing on the needs of its users and continuously evaluating its own services. To this end, it establishes standardised and versatile methods and co-creation opportunities. The University Library uses these findings to develop forward-looking measures aimed at improving satisfaction and increasing its visibility among users.

We want to:

promote and maintain relevant contacts with users in appropriate forums and channels,
establish and comprehensively utilise suitable methods for usage analysis and service evaluation,
expand opportunities for user participation.

_{Strategic goal 3}

Design open knowledge landscapes and set up virtual data rooms

The University Library supports the creation and growth of open learning and knowledge landscapes as well as virtual data rooms and familiarises its users with these concepts. These services include collaborative work spaces and research environments designed for the innovative use of digital holdings and data collections. In doing so, the University Library makes use of current technological developments and, in particular, the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence.

We want to:

develop the University Library into a centre of excellence for data provision and enrichment in relation to its holdings, and collaborate with our university partners to this end,
expand (digital) access to its holdings through contextualisation, location-independent availability and customisation,
create and communicate legal certainty with regard to data use,
expand innovative (digital) advisory services,
expand usage-oriented publication services with local, regional or (inter)national partnerships.

_{Strategic goal 4}

Promote staff development and strengthen the University Library as a whole

The University Library enables its employees to assess the impact of social and technical developments on academic information provision and address these in their field of work. In order to promote self-directed learning and actively contribute to innovation in their own field of expertise, employees are empowered to take responsibility for their own further development. The University Library as an organisation is changing and growing in line with the skills and capabilities of its employees.

We want to:

design and implement a methodically sound, adaptable and sustainable staff development programme,
expand internal training in a targeted manner and enable access to university and external continuing education opportunities for skills development,
promote flexible structures and new forms of collaboration to make the University Library more efficient as an organisation and more attractive as an employer,
continuously monitor and address the transformation of the professional field in order to sharpen the profile of the University Library as an innovative place of knowledge.

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Strategy 2026–2029

PREFACE

OUR MANDATE

THE FOUR STRATEGIC GOALS

Promote diversity, manage information overload and strengthen the relevance of our services

Optimise services and improve user experience

Design open knowledge landscapes and set up virtual data rooms

Promote staff development and strengthen the University Library as a whole

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