ENRICHING THE LIBRARY EXPERIENCE The FY2019-2023 Strategic Plan of the Library of Congress TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Opening Message The Strategy 7 Framework 8 Our Mission 9 Our Vision 12 A Unified Role 13 Direction Forward 16 Being User Centered Goals and Objectives 18 Implementation and 27 Metrics 28 Library At-a-Glance 1 OPENING MESSAGE The Library of The Library’s collection and its human expertise hold untold intellectual and Congress is the inspirational value. I have seen firsthand the spark that results when someone makes a world’s largest connection with the Library: when a Member of library, with nearly Congress is moved listening to a historian bring to life a founding document of history; when 170 million items high school music students from Maryland studied the papers of Leonard Bernstein and in our collections, wrote original music inspired by what they saw; and extensive when teachers at our summer institutes have shared with me their innovative strategies for expert services and making history come alive using the Library’s collections in the classroom; when Smokey programs. What Robinson saw his very first piece of sheet does this mean music submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office. How do we extend those experiences to people for you? across the country? The Library of Congress has built the To meet this challenge, the Library is embarking largest collection of human knowledge on an exciting new journey that puts users ever assembled. It is an awe-inspiring first. By expanding access and enhancing achievement — a testament to the wisdom of services, while applying data and optimizing Congresses throughout our history, which have resources, we will build lifelong and meaningful invested national resources in the ideal of a connections with our users of today and of universal collection available to all. tomorrow. Yet, as Librarian of Congress Herbert Putnam This strategic plan, Enriching the Library noted more than a century ago, “A book Experience, is our roadmap to expanding the used is fulfilling a higher purpose than a book Library’s reach and deepening our impact, thus which is merely preserved.” In other words, fulfilling our mission to engage, inspire, and it is not enough to collect and preserve. To inform our users. be successful, collections must be used. I can’t wait to see the many thousands of This same principle applies to all parts of our sparks we ignite. Maybe one of them will agency — services and programs too must be be yours. accessible and used. Carla Hayden 14th Librarian of Congress Enriching the Library Experience 3 THIS STRATEGIC PLAN WILL GUIDE THE LIBRARY IN EXPANDING OUR REACH AND DEEPENING OUR IMPACT WITH OUR USERS. THE STRATEGY FRAMEWORK Mission Vision Engage, inspire, and All Americans are inform Congress and the connected to the American people with a Library of Congress. universal and enduring source of knowledge and creativity. Expand Access Make our unique collections, – Increase Discoverability and experts, and services available Availability when, where, and how users – Use Connectors to Extend Reach need them. – Expand Physical Presence Enhance Services Create valuable experiences – Elevate Digital Experiences for every user to foster lifelong – Transform In-Person connections to the Library. Experiences – Develop User-Centered Content Optimize Resources Modernize, strengthen, and – Align Core Library Activities streamline our operational – Modernize Operations capabilities. – Invest in Talent for the Future – Diversify and Expand Funding Measure Impact Use data to measure our impact – Understand Our Users on the world around us and share – Communicate Impact a powerful story. – Promote a Culture of Continuous Improvement A Unified Role Direction Forward Memory User Centered Knowledge Digitally Enabled Imagination Data Driven Enriching the Library Experience 7 OUR OUR MISSION VISION Engage, inspire, and inform Congress and All Americans are connected to the the American people with a universal Library of Congress. and enduring source of knowledge and The Library’s vision is aspirational and speaks Connectedness has many forms to the tangible and intangible connections that for the Library: creativity. are possible with the nation we serve. Through our unequaled collections, services, events, Service to Congress has been and remains Inspire Informing lawmakers, policy-makers, and and products, users can connect with the at the core of our mission. We will continue With 1.6 million annual visitors, the Library’s their constituents requires us to be connected Library in meaningful ways throughout their to engage, inspire, and inform Congress Thomas Jefferson Building has become intellectually. life journey. through our collections and our diverse a landmark destination, renowned for its Engaging and sharing knowledge with users service and experience offerings, including architectural beauty and celebration of This vision reinforces the agency’s focus on worldwide, and quickly and easily copyrighting policy consultations, on-demand analysis, knowledge and creativity. users — visitors, researchers, and patrons from creative works requires us to be connected briefings, events, programs, and constituent a variety of locations, circumstances, and Programs, exhibitions, centers, and marquee digitally. engagement. walks of life — by expanding our efforts to make events such as the Veterans History Project, the nation’s universal and enduring source of Creating strong ties that move partners, As the steward of a unique, universal, and National Book Festival, and Digital Learning knowledge and creativity more discoverable, organizations, and individuals to donate their ever-growing collection that belongs to the Labs expand the Library’s reach and inspire accessible, relevant, and useful. time, resources, stories, and creative works American people, the Library of Congress also learners of all ages. requires us to be connected societally. has a mandate to inspire, inform, and serve all Americans by engaging their cultural and Inform Being a unified organization requires being connected to our workforce with support, intellectual curiosity and creativity. Congress, the judiciary, and other federal training, and a sustained commitment to agencies have reliable, round-the-clock recruit the next generation of Library experts Our mission in action takes access to reliable knowledge in print, online, and leaders. many forms: and via consultation with scholars and experts from the Congressional Research Service, the The goals and objectives in this Strategic Plan Engage U.S. Copyright Office, the Law Library, and the help us get closer to this vision. Enhancing Researchers and authors turn to the Library Kluge Center. awareness of the Library’s offerings, improving for source material not available anywhere discoverability of and access to those Families seeking to research their heritage else. With access to original manuscripts, resources, and increasing usage through a can rely on subject experts in our reading ancient maps, rare books, photographs, films, suite of services that meet diverse needs will rooms, tap into the StoryCorps Archive, or and sound recordings, these authors create connect more people to the agency in more take advantage of the vast digital collections new works that help interpret history for meaningful ways. of early American newspapers, manuscripts, future generations. The process of copyright maps, photographs, and prints. Additionally, with a strong emphasis on digital registration and deposit completes a virtuous enablement, the Strategic Plan will further the cycle that may result in the addition of these Library’s worldwide influence. new works to the Library’s collections. The Library helps ensure that millions of Americans with blindness and other disabilities continue to experience the joy of reading through a national network of libraries that distribute the latest contemporary literature in a variety of accessible formats. 8 Library of Congress Enriching the Library Experience 9 IN EXECUTING THIS STRATEGIC PLAN OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THE AGENCY WILL MAKE A DECISIVE SHIFT TO BE MORE USER CENTERED, DIGITALLY ENABLED, AND DATA DRIVEN. A UNIFIED DIRECTION ROLE FORWARD The Library’s The Library’s rich and diverse body of work The unifying Digitally Enabled can be framed in terms largely inspired by As much as we desire to have every American more than 3,000 Thomas Jefferson’s organizing construct for themes of Memory/ come to Washington, D.C., to visit the Library, his personal library — the core from which the that is not possible. This is why being digitally dedicated staff Library’s collection developed: Knowledge/ enabled is paramount to our success. work every day to Imagination Realizing a digitally enabled Library of provide authoritative Memory ground the strategy; Congress is an ongoing process. As technology Acquire, sustain, and provide advances, new business models emerge and and objective access to a universal collection; the direction user expectations evolve. We will take a long view, developing strategies that account for information to Knowledge forward guides it. what is on the horizon. Our Digital Strategy will be closely aligned with the Strategic Plan. Provide authoritative and In executing this Strategic Plan over the next Congress. objective research, analysis, and five years, the agency is making a decisive shift Library staff build, steward, describe, and share Data Driven to be more user centered, digitally enabled, information;