Michael Schwartz Library 2026–2028 Strategic Plan

Priority: Advance Student Success and Instructional Engagement

Pursues effective alignment of our research, instructional, and support efforts to advance student success and engagement across the curriculum; aligns with the University priority to Advance Academic Offerings, Delivery, and Scholarship to Foster Success.

Goal: Integrate librarians into assignment and course design by providing targeted research support, specialized instruction, and experiential learning opportunities

• Offer and implement information literacy grants to faculty to encourage collaboration with librarians beyond single or introductory instruction sessions.
• Grow our experiential learning offerings for classes and individuals through existing resources and relationships (for example, the digitized Cleveland Press, Special Collections, and the Cleveland Museum of Art).
• Investigate potential librarian roles in Blackboard courses, especially those with a research component, and pursue outreach that furthers our relationships with faculty.
• Propose and teach credit-bearing courses on digital and information literacy and collaborate with faculty to design and deliver integrated information literacy sessions within research‑focused courses, including multi‑session engagements wherever possible.

Goal: Investigate and assess the effectiveness of in‑person and virtual research services and determine how to most effectively provide assistance to all library users

• Use all available statistics to evaluate different modes of research support (Help Desk, chat/email, and research appointments) and adjust our approach accordingly.
• Explore a wider campus presence for research support, such as targeted advertising of services and participation in shared spaces like the Academic Support Hub.
• Create and implement consistent procedures for in‑person research assistance at the Help Desk, along with expectations for basic maintenance of the Learning Commons area.
• Develop a shared teaching philosophy that guides our instructional and research services.

Goal: Purposefully strengthen the Library’s role in student success and engagement

• Partner closely in course materials selection, acquisition, and accessibility with faculty, academic departments, and campus partners, facilitating affordable and timely student access to required learning resources.
• Leverage our 2026 Leganto implementation (a new e‑reserves platform) as an opportunity to deepen interactions with faculty around the selection and delivery of course materials.
• Work with student groups, campus offices, and centers to co‑create workshops, programs, and outreach tailored to the needs and interests of our students.
• Create additional welcoming programs and experiences that support student well‑being and a sense of belonging within and beyond the library.
• Lead and expand campus initiatives for open educational resources (OER) and affordable course materials, partnering with others to increase access and equitable learning.
• Continue to explore efficient and ethical use of new technologies, such as generative AI, and provide guidance to students, staff, and faculty regarding responsible use.

Priority: Amplify Outreach, Partnerships, & Advocacy

Strengthens our essential role on campus, advancing Cleveland State’s academic goals through partnerships, engagement, and consistent advocacy, extending beyond traditional expectations; aligns with the University priority to Reimagine Community Partnerships to Increase Opportunities.

Goal: Advance community and donor engagement through a revitalized Friends of the Library, and pursue donors in concert with University Advancement

• Offer online gift‑giving and memberships, with an updated set of Friends member benefits.
• Continue ongoing Friends sponsorship of Connect with Faculty events recognizing and showcasing the expertise and research of CSU faculty.
• Create an “in memoriam” section and a “giving” section of the Friends site, integrated with our new main site.
• Cultivate current and potential donors interested in supporting our Library and its role in supporting student success.

Goal: Elevate and transform the Library’s overall digital presence

• Design and launch a WCAG/Title II‑compliant Library site, aligned with CSU branding and providing an improved, mobile‑friendly user experience.
• Remediate all content managed by the Library, including electronic reserves, Cleveland Memory, Pressbooks@MSL and EngagedScholarship@CSU, to ensure WCAG/Title II compliance.
• Evaluate emerging tools and look for opportunities to adapt existing platforms so the Library’s extensive content is fully accessible.
• Simplify updates and routine maintenance to make this efficient and possible with minimal web development expertise.
• Establish a process to monitor the compliance of licensed platforms and vendor‑hosted services (for example, Springshare, CONTENTdm, databases), and advocate for remediation or configure local implementations to meet University and external expectations.
• Collaborate with the Law Library to develop and launch a dedicated mobile app as a central access point to core library services, evaluated based on user feedback and emerging needs. Core functions include:
  • Searching Library and OhioLINK content, checking item availability, and accessing e‑resources, course reserves, and full‑text materials.
  • Integrating with user accounts to manage loans, due dates, fines, and renewals.
  • Providing hours, contact details, locations, events, updates, and alerts.
  • Offering a digital CSU ID to let patrons check out materials with mobile devices.

Goal: Engage students and campus communities using signage, programs, and events

• Complete a comprehensive visual identity refresh to strengthen our visibility and recognition as a central partner in CSU’s academic life.
• Establish and maintain a consistent, visible presence in high‑traffic campus locations including the Student Center, academic buildings, and at major university events.
• Partner with campus offices and organizations to promote our services, showcase resources, and create opportunities for connection and collaboration through tabling events and use of bulletin boards and electronic signage across campus.
• Strengthen connections between faculty and students through ongoing co‑sponsorship of Student Government’s annual Textbook Hero Awards, recognizing those who advance open pedagogy and support student success through the use of openly licensed materials.

Goal: Reimagine and revitalize the entrance to our physical spaces

• Design and install new exterior signage to guide visitors and highlight the Library’s location and role at the heart of the university.
• Refresh the Rhodes Tower lobby entrance to emphasize the main doors and create a clear, welcoming sense of arrival that reflects CSU’s student‑centered spirit.
• Repurpose or adjust the first‑floor Study Abroad brick display wall as a donor recognition showcase celebrating the generosity and impact of Library supporters.
• Simplify and unify signage systems—including entrances, interior wayfinding, virtual tours, service desks, and study spaces—to enhance clarity, visual consistency, and intuitive navigation throughout the Library.

Goal: Reinforce the Library’s role as a visible partner by deepening our organizational and affordability advocacy across the university

• Normalize participation in Faculty Senate, Provost’s Council, and departmental meetings, using the Senate Library Committee as a channel for advocacy and communication.
• Provide a formal report to Faculty Senate on the current use of open educational resources, number of courses and faculty involved, and savings to students, and continue advocacy for the growth of OER on campus, the OpenCon event, and similar efforts.
• Offer syllabus reviews and affordability consultations to help faculty find low‑cost and open alternatives, reducing student costs and strengthening course design and impact.
• Build on and expand Provost‑sponsored grants and coaching to support faculty in finding, adapting, and authoring open and affordable course materials, advancing student success while contributing to teaching portfolios, scholarly output, and professional recognition.
• Work with faculty, academic leadership, students, and appropriate governance bodies to advocate for the development of z‑degrees, in which students can complete their degrees using exclusively no‑cost course materials, expanding CSU’s commitment to affordability and access and distinguishing us in a competitive enrollment environment.
• Collaborate with the Bookstore and campus partners to develop and refine clear, transparent indicators of low‑ and no‑cost course materials in course catalogs and discovery systems, enabling students to make informed, timely choices.

Priority: Cultivate our Collections and Content

Emphasizes our responsibility to manage, preserve, and share resources that reflect our mission, values, and community; demonstrates responsible stewardship and use of financial resources in developing and maintaining collections and content; aligns with the University priorities to Advance Academic Offerings, Delivery, and Scholarship to Foster Success, and to Reimagine Community Partnerships to Increase Opportunities.

Goal: Center the Library as the home of the University’s archives, history, and records

• Pursue creative options for filling needed vacancies in the Archives or Special Collections.
• Update and implement a streamlined University records retention program and create a retention schedule in cooperation with the Director of Compliance.
• Secure the funding to ensure the proper preservation and responsible stewardship of our print and digital Archives and Special Collections, including the Cleveland Memory Project.

Goal: Enhance the discoverability of Library‑provided scholarly resources

• Implement the Leganto course reserves platform in Fall 2026 and reach out to all faculty to center the Library as partners in the delivery of course materials.
• Continue to grow EngagedScholarship@Cleveland State University (our institutional repository and digital showcase for the research, scholarly, and creative output of our campus community) and promote it to campus and the greater community.
• Determine the future use of Pure as a platform for faculty and other profiles, and clarify its relationship with Interfolio as a similar tool for the University.
• Explore ways to improve our resource‑sharing experience and to optimize expenditures and staff time devoted to interlibrary loan, gathering data internally and from other OhioLINK institutions to inform best practices.

Goal: Focus collection development to reflect our mission as Cleveland State’s source of high‑quality content while embodying our values of belonging and community connection

• Update our written collection development procedures, including guidelines for Archives and Special Collections (in consultation with the Law Library) and an effective challenge policy. Consider student belonging and varied perspectives in this process, along with other needed procedures (for example, how book displays come together).
• Develop a Library of Things to support students facing financial constraints, including wellness tools, digital production resources, and essential items (for example, kitchen items, sewing kits, and games).
• Invite students to suggest useful items, then make them available and promote them through displays, pamphlets, digital signage, and our website.
• Establish a clear and efficient process to recoup costs for missing electronics and digital design equipment.
• Frame deaccessioning of damaged or obsolete physical materials as an ongoing component of collection management, integrated with systematic inventory to improve data accuracy and identify underdeveloped subject areas to be strengthened.
• Apply the same collection management framework to digital holdings by reviewing and selectively deaccessioning older digital content in disciplines undergoing significant change, ensuring alignment with current teaching and research needs.
• Seek funding to update areas such as, but not limited to, the Curriculum Materials & Juvenile Books collection and the Comics and Graphic Novels collection. Promote these collections to our community and offer guidance for incorporating them into the curriculum.

Goal: Update gift acceptance procedures and documentation to reflect current staffing and desired practices

• Assemble current gift and donation documentation and determine the best approach for differing types of donors.
• Update policies and practices related to campus and community book donations, considering available staffing and Friends of the Library sales, and inform all employees, Friends, and donors of these updates.
• Determine which privileges the University offers staff and faculty retirees, emeriti faculty, retired librarians, and others. Decide what complementary privileges we can offer for each group and codify this on our website and in campus documentation.

Priority: Develop Resilient and Sustainable Library Environments

Creates safe, adaptable spaces to meet the evolving needs of collections, services, and users; aligns with the University priority to Restructure Operational and Financial Model to Enable our Mission‑Focused Work.

Goal: Design and reimagine spaces for students and faculty that reflect our commitment to accessibility, plurality, and a sense of belonging for all

• Update classroom spaces to create flexible, inviting, and technology‑enhanced environments to encourage use for instruction, collaboration, and campus partnerships.
• Partner with Disability Services to improve the Adaptive Technology Lab’s accessibility, functionality, and visibility through updated technology, design, and outreach strategies.
• Establish a voluntary program, in collaboration with Greek Life and other student organizations, to assist with cleaning the stacks, as appropriate and in alignment with applicable union contracts and labor agreements.
• Collaborate with the Department of Art & Design to feature student art in library spaces, including walls, displays, and commissioned works for the atrium and stairwells.
• Review current use agreements for RT 416 and explore potential new uses, including any plans for the Poetry Center space that might relate to 416.
• Actively seek partners and relevant projects for the former Digital Design Studio area.
• Explore options to physically connect the Library to Berkman Hall and integrate it into the InnerLink, including potential changes to existing security‑gate systems.
• Consider innovative ideas from Lyrasis Consulting to create unique spaces that will better serve our community and determine policies to prevent misuse.
• Explore co‑location options with other academic affairs departments and organizations such as the Writing Center and other support functions needing new or satellite locations.

Goal: Establish and maintain environmentally responsible practices and hygiene to create healthy and sustainable work and learning spaces for students, faculty, and staff

• Advocate for regular cleaning of LC Labs, Instruction Rooms (302, 401, 502), the Presentation Practice Room (304), and the Learning Commons spaces.
• When fourth‑floor leaks are repaired, remove tarps and bins and create emergency response supply kits for each floor.
• Evaluate ways to make our spaces more eco‑friendly and provide recycling opportunities for office supplies and other items.
• Invest in window film to prevent bird collisions.
• Purchase wireless, automated monitoring for humidity, temperature, and related conditions.
• Address stained carpets, chairs, and tables; burned‑out lights; and dirty or dusty windows, blinds, and windowsills, and develop a plan for regular maintenance.
• Improve the lighting control in Special Collections and Archives spaces.
• Explore UV filtering for windows and fluorescent lights, and low‑UV bulbs.

Goal: Implement a comprehensive plan integrating disaster preparedness, risk management, and health safety measures to protect people, collections, and operations in conjunction with FAST and Capital Planning

• Complete and finalize the existing draft of a disaster plan and leak‑response procedures and implement related staff training to ensure readiness.
• Create disaster‑response kits for each floor that include essential supplies like flashlights, plastic sheeting, paper towels, cleaning supplies, masks, and a pocket response plan.
• Prepare the former Montage Vault to repurpose it into a quarantine room for any damaged content, as suggested in the Lyrasis Consulting plan.
• Consider installing sliding automatic doors at the entrance.
• Engage early and consistently with FAST and Capital Planning on the planned remediation and updates to Rhodes Tower and continue these collaborations wherever possible.

Goal: Optimize and improve collection space use through shifting

• Transfer Quick Reference materials and remove unused shelving units from the Learning Commons.
• Create a plan to reconfigure book stacks to arrange collections in call‑number order, minimize risk of water and mold damage, and increase study and activity space.
• Shift to condense periodicals to move them away from leaks and areas affected by future asbestos remediation.
• Develop a plan for the Curriculum Materials & Juvenile Books Collection, including improving the current space on the third floor or relocating the collection to another area of the library with more visibility.
• Optimize and design a space in Special Collections as a “Reading Room” for appointments, classes, and experiential learning opportunities, and designate a separate space as temporary storage for new Special Collections acquisitions.
• Convert some long‑term rentable study carrels into more private video‑conferencing rooms or quiet study rooms.
• After weeding the collection, combine vinyl records and audiovisual materials in one location and provide listening technology to create a “Vinyl Revival Room”.

Goal: Transform library spaces to maximize welcoming functionality and increase usage of collections and services, ensuring they meet evolving academic and community needs

• First floor – Use the February 2026 flooding of the Learning Commons as an opportunity to reimagine that space.
  • Clarify the future of the Learning Commons service desk and consider new uses for the available space, including exploring University needs for co‑located functions.
  • Right‑size the number of computers in the Learning Commons and reassess how the resulting space can best support student and instructional needs.
  • Declutter the wall across from the restrooms to create a visible display space.
  • Develop a flexible event/presentation area with projection and movable furniture that is visible from the entrance; explore opening into Berkman Hall if a relevant project arises.
  • Create community‑focused book displays and re‑evaluate or refresh the “Outstanding Books” display.
  • If structurally safe, make the outdoor floor balcony usable for employees or events.
• Second floor – Adjust furniture to support both quiet and group study needs and add wider individual desk cubicles for users who need more space. Consider moving the quiet study area to the fourth floor. Work with IS&T and Math to adjust the size of the Math Emporium as needed, and move the maintenance of that lab/classroom to IS&T.
• Third floor – Find a suitable location for the remaining films in the former Digital Design Studio area and explore options for repurposing that space or potentially opening into Berkman Hall.
• Fourth floor – Consult usage statistics and move or remove the rentable lockers as needed to accommodate any stacks reconfiguration.
• Fifth and eighth floors – Pursue flexible furniture for room 502 and plan for moves or other adjustments on floors five and eight as Rhodes Tower remediation progresses.

Priority: Support Employees and Strengthen Organizational Stability

Improves our organization by implementing clear and contemporary structures, training, and practices that support employees and sustain our work; aligns with the University priority to Restructure Operational and Financial Model to Enable our Mission‑Focused Work.

Goal: Act on specific organizational needs and ideas that support safety, transparency, and shared understanding

• Schedule available safety and emergency‑management training (for example, ALICE, fire, tornado, civil disturbance) and offer it to all employees.
• Establish an annual report or digital publication that highlights our achievements and contributions.
• Explore the “Mister Rogers” team’s ideas for an employee professional‑development program, a community‑service activity, and a field trip, and schedule these opportunities annually at convenient times for staff participation.
• Normalize sharing Library and University non‑compensation budgetary information with all library employees, to build an understanding of the context in which decisions are made.
• Encourage informed participation in planning by helping staff understand how their work and data inform resource‑allocation decisions and strengthen the Library’s case for sustaining its share of limited campus resources.
• Review our Thrive and Connect guides, read each, and discuss collectively, and when possible do another round with as much participation as possible.

Goal: Develop our employees and the plurality of our organization through intentional hiring, advancement, and community‑connected recruitment

• Commit to updating the descriptions of any open positions to reflect current needs, and when an opening is approved for hire, consider internal possibilities first.
• Push any externally open position to city or local organizations for direct community advertising to new applicant pools.
• Create and share with HR a list of national library‑related outlets where we can share job postings, when appropriate, to attract a broader range of applicants.
• Clarify and communicate career pathways and advancement expectations for all employees and strengthen support for professional development and reclassification or promotion opportunities, in alignment with applicable collective‑bargaining agreements and University policies.

Goal: Implement broad organizational updates and actions that clarify roles, support planning, and strengthen evidence‑based decision‑making

• Work with employees and Human Resources to ensure all position descriptions and titles are accurate and represent the work being done.
• Reorganize existing teams and groups to meet current needs and to align with the goals in our strategic plan, recognizing that structures will evolve over time and require regular reassessment.
• Pursue potential donor relationships and advocate for endowed positions, space improvements, naming gifts, and other support, working with Advancement.
• Audit our statistics‑collection processes and determine which data are needed for accreditation, staffing, decision‑making, and marketing.
• Foster a shared understanding among all staff that usage, service, and impact data are critical evidence when making the case for staffing, budgets, spaces, and services.
• Incorporate statistics gathering into staff and student‑worker training, emphasizing not only how to record data but why it matters, and encouraging everyone to look for patterns in work and user behavior so that statistics collected are relevant and reflective of how the Library is used.
• Make strategic planning a central practice for the Library, aiming for an updated plan that integrates with University planning every two years (for example, 2026–28, 2028–30, and so on).
• Update our Librarian Personnel policies with SEIU, Board of Trustees, and Office of Compliance approval, and streamline the librarian evaluation procedures where possible.
• Reorganize subject‑librarian responsibilities so each librarian has a functional role (for example, scholarly communication, student success, digital literacy) in addition to subject areas, allowing for more responsibility and clarity while aligning our expertise with interdisciplinary programs and blended degrees.