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About LOUIS

LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network
Strategic Plan

Mission:

LOUIS is a consortium of Louisiana academic libraries united to harness and leverage the strength of their collective power to provide cost-effective information resources, services, and technology that advance the teaching, learning, and research missions of its members’ institutions. 

Values:

Collaboration - As LOUIS, we unite to amplify our collective impact. Working together allows us to effectively leverage expertise and resources, advancing higher education across Louisiana.
Support - Our focus is meeting member needs by providing equitable access to critical technologies, resources, and information for all students and faculty.
Advocacy - We advocate for the diverse needs of our member institutions by championing the value of academic libraries and the resources required for them to best serve their campuses and communities.
Affordability - Together we can leverage the strength of our collective power to negotiate advantageous pricing for technology and resources for all of our members. We support initiatives reducing the cost of education for students through affordable education resources (AER) and open education resources (OER).
Transparency - We uphold high standards of clarity, communication, and responsibility through transparent processes, data-driven analysis, and collaborative decision making involving the membership, working groups, and the Executive Board.

Vision:

We strive to:

  • Ensure that Louisiana’s academic libraries are the premier source of authoritative, affordable information and technology, meeting the teaching, learning, and research needs of our diverse communities.
  • Actively pursue external funding to expand projects, resources, and initiatives upholding our mission.
  • Facilitate communication, cooperation, and collaboration by leveraging library faculty and staff expertise across the consortium.
  • Advocate for and promote the value, needs, and evolving roles of our academic libraries, highlighting our significant return on investment.
  • Lower the cost of education through affordable learning programs and creative digital opportunity initiatives, reducing financial barriers to student success.

Strategic Directions and Goals

Build an advocacy strategy to demonstrate the value of LOUIS and our academic libraries across Louisiana higher education.

1.1 Offer professional development for library personnel on effective advocacy approaches, including data storytelling, peer to peer library comparisons, stakeholder engagement, awareness campaigns, and advocacy best practices.

1.2 Promote LOUIS resources, technologies, and services to stakeholders including campus administration, the Board of Regents, and the Legislature.

1.3 Support the membership's efforts in academic library scholarship, specifically to highlight LOUIS initiatives, resources, efforts, and services.

Expand and enhance resources, services, and innovative technologies within budget.

2.1. Identify, develop, and promote inclusive and accessible library services, tools, and technologies based on universal design principles.

2.2 Explore emerging innovations to meet evolving user needs and advance academic libraries.

2.3 Identify ways to enhance the consortium-wide interlibrary loan network, including controlled digital lending.

2.4 Support student success efforts including creative, innovative models to address the affordability of higher education through OER/AER, digital opportunity initiatives, and partnerships with student success focused campus offices.

Facilitate opportunities for collaboration and build capacity through networking, professional development, and sharing expertise.

3.1 Establish communities of practice for ongoing idea exchange and problem-solving on current and emerging topics relevant to academic libraries.

3.2 Enable informal mentorships or sponsorships, faculty and staff exchanges, and other networking across member libraries to build capacity and share expertise. Seek to facilitate knowledge sharing in diverse areas beyond those traditionally supported.

3.3 Provide accessible online platforms and communication channels that make collaboration simple and inclusive for all interested faculty and staff at member institutions.

3.4 Boost understanding of consortium resources, services, technologies, and communities by orienting library faculty and staff new to member institutions.

Approved February 22, 2024