Strategic Directions for the Columbia University Libraries

November 28, 2016

Dear fellow members of the Columbia community:

Last year, I charged the Provost's Advisory Committee on the Libraries to work with Vice Provost and University Librarian, Ann Thornton, and her staff on the strategic direction of the University Libraries.  I asked the Committee, a faculty and student group chaired by Jean Howard, the George Delacorte Professor in the Humanities, to consider Library priorities for the coming decade and to assess how the Libraries can further increase its effectiveness as a core part of Columbia's teaching and research mission.  

The Libraries Committee has produced an outstanding report, which is available for download here.  It includes recommendations that address fostering student success, supporting research and faculty services, and developing strategies for the development, management, and preservation of the Libraries’ collections. 

I invite all members of the Columbia community to review the report, and to send questions or comments to [email protected].  Committee members will be meeting with various University groups in the coming months to discuss the report and the ways in which the Libraries plans to act on the report’s conclusions.

I thank Jean Howard, the Libraries staff, and the members of the Provost's Advisory Committee on the Libraries for their efforts in generating this report, and I look forward to receiving your feedback.

John H. Coatsworth
Provost