Introduction

Lyndelle Gunton, Manager (Education Support) | Alisa Howlett, Coordinator (Evidence Based Practice)

In 2019, USQ Library undertook a mapping exercise to reflect upon, and highlight its contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals were adopted by UN members in 2015 to provide “a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future”. There are 17 goals with 169 targets and the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) contributed to the development of the goals. We engaged staff across the Library to develop understanding about the SDGs and reflect on how the Library’s purpose and vision align with these goals. This mapping exercise led to applying the SDGs as a framework with which to evaluate outcomes and actions.

For 2020, USQ Library has chosen again to base our assessment of our services, projects and action plans on this framework. In addition to mapping the 2020 Library action goals against the University’s strategic goals and the UN SDGs, we tracked our progress and final outcomes as well as identified other initiatives and activities that emerged during the challenges faced by library staff as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Library Report recognises the agile and transformative ways in which USQ Library staff has responded to the pandemic. Further to this, we looked for opportunities to enable staff to identify where their professional and personal values intersect with the SDGs. As one example, some Library teams and individual staff aligned their own 2020 professional goals with SDGs. We have sought to include those voices in the stories included in our 2020 report.

This publication gives an account of University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Library’s services, activities and associated impacts during 2020. Library staff share their stories of achievements and milestones, our challenges, and experiences in contributing to the outcomes of the University’s strategic goals. These narratives also demonstrate the knowledge and information infrastructures by which we enable student achievement and success, and research excellence.

We seek to raise the awareness of library staff about the broader cultural and societal implications of their roles. We seek to further engage university leaders in discussion about the SDGs and draw their attention to the value and impact of USQ Library in improving access to information and the library’s role in transforming the lives of USQ students and community. Finally, we hope to encourage more university libraries to engage with the SDGs as a both benchmarking tool and as a challenge to set stretch targets aligned with the United Nation’s 2030 agenda.

This infographic is a visual summary of the range of services and supports that USQ Library delivered during the first half of 2020.