Strategic Planning

Library Planning

The Z. Smith Reynolds Library has developed a three-year plan for the period of 2019 through 2021. This plan builds on the Library’s strengths and vision for the future while continuing its mission to inspire learning, advance knowledge, and build community at Wake Forest University. The three primary goals of the plan are:

  1. Reimagining the library experience to inspire curiosity, discovery, and collaboration.
  2. Reimagining the library’s role within the university, the local community, and academia.
  3. Reimagining the library environment to promote an increasingly responsive, creative, and user-centered faculty and staff.

Download the full plan

Planning History at ZSR

Z Smith Reynolds Library’s previous strategic plan was put in place in 2007, in conjunction with the Wake Forest strategic plan. By 2011, all viable components of the plan had been accomplished. Our success in accomplishing this ambitious plan was affirmed when ZSR won the ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries award for 2011.

Following the success of the 2007 plan, the Library created a set of strategic priorities for 2012-2014. This plan positioned the Library to lead the transformational changes that are happening in higher education today. At the end of 2014, most of those priority items have been accomplished. A Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan was also created in 2013 to complement this work.

July 1, 2014 brought an unplanned change to Z. Smith Reynolds Library. Its Dean, Lynn Sutton, was invited to take on the role of Vice Provost of Wake Forest University. Again, ZSR Library wanted to keep its forward momentum going, while recognizing that a new dean will want to set his/her own agenda. To that end, for FY15, the Library leadership team established a set of objectives to help keep the Library as the hub of campus intellectual life and prepare for the Capital Campaign renovations.