University of Idaho Library: 2024-25 Achievements

The University of Idaho Library went through its second full year in its recently reorganized structure. Faculty and staff from the library collaborated across units, departments, and teams to accomplish set goals, meet new challenges, and develop innovative approaches to their work.

We accomplished a great deal. See below for some of the highlights.¹

For detailed information about specific team/unit accomplishments and final reports on their progress, explore our Teams and Units pages. A compilation of all reports is also available.

Executive Summary

The University of Idaho Library achieved exceptional success across all major areas in 2024-25, demonstrating remarkable growth, innovation, and impact. Through comprehensive digital infrastructure expansions, enhanced research support services, and sustained high-quality programming, the library positioned itself as an essential partner in the university’s academic mission while delivering significant value to students and faculty.

Major Accomplishments by Impact Area

Student Success & Accessibility

• Course Reserves program served 12,365 students across 194 courses with substantial textbook cost relief (AEU Unit)
• Open educational resources reached 1,927 students through strategic course adoptions (Open Strategies Team)
• Smart collections management optimized resources while managing significant inflation pressures (Collections Team)

Digital Innovation & Accessibility Excellence

• 139 digital collections now meet full accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA) (Digital Collections Team)
• 77,713 total digital items representing steady growth with 12,043 new additions in 2024-2025
• Comprehensive catalog enhancement with over 10,000 new items systematically added (DA Unit)

Research & Scholarship Excellence

• Complete faculty representation in VERSO with 98.4% accurate biographical information (Research Impact Team)
• 3,337 new research outputs added through collaborative partnerships across colleges
• Robust open access support with full utilization of institutional publishing funds
• Growing research discovery platform with 7,568 total VERSO users in Spring 2025

Instruction & Student Engagement

• 540 total instruction sessions reaching 12,983 students across both semesters (Instruction Team)
• Outstanding orientation success with 99.66% of ENGL101 students planning to return after library tours (FYE Team)
• 206% increase in student engagement programming participation (Student Engagement Team)
• 28 diverse events reaching 1,506 students through creative programming initiatives

Operational Excellence Highlights

Workflow Innovation & Efficiency

The ATS Team transformed processing workflows, implementing daily turnover for donations, periodicals, and papers (previously requiring weeks). Despite increased efficiency demands, quality remained high with 2,897 periodical issues and 1,743 books/serials processed while maintaining stable collection integrity.

Strategic Resource Management

The Collections Team demonstrated exceptional planning and stewardship, meeting 100% of renewal deadlines while implementing evidence-based decision making. Strategic portfolio adjustments enabled investment in high-priority resources like specialized databases while maintaining collection quality.

Special Collections Expansion

Special Collections experienced significant growth with 304.75 linear feet of new acquisitions, including major archival collections and 10,000 historic images. Research support flourished with 267 patron interactions representing a 55% increase in scholarly engagement.

Physical Spaces & Technology Innovation

The REL Unit completed transformative facility improvements including MILL renovation and Studio relocation. The modernized spaces attracted 24,182 MILL visits while GIS services reached 552 unique monthly users, demonstrating strong community adoption.

Key Performance Indicators: 2025 Highlights

Web Engagement Growth

• 153,771 total web users in FY25 showing strong online presence (Web Analytics)
• 4.25 views per user maintaining excellent engagement depth (Web Analytics)
• 54.31% engagement rate across all library digital properties (Web Analytics)

Instruction Program Evolution

• 540 total sessions in 2024-25 representing significant program expansion (Instruction KPIs)
• 12,983 total participants demonstrating broad educational impact (Instruction KPIs)
• 151 ENGL101/102 sessions serving 3,685 first-year students in Spring alone (Instruction KPIs)

Digital Collections Momentum

• 5 new collections launched in 2025, expanding research resources (Digital Collections KPIs)
• 2,220 items added representing consistent collection development (Digital Collections KPIs)
• Universal accessibility compliance achieved across all active digital collections (Digital Collections KPIs)

Strategic Achievements

Organizational Development & Culture

• 7 new faculty successfully mentored through comprehensive support program (Mentorship Team)
• Enhanced student employment program with improved tier system and recognition (Student Employment Team)
• Expanded digital expertise with 11 different contributors to web development initiatives

Innovation & Collaboration Excellence

• Archive-It implementation successfully preserved university web content during major transitions (Digital Collections Team)
• Collaboration Network beta launch featuring AI-powered research discovery tools
• Exemplary crisis management during facility emergencies with minimal service disruption

Community Impact & Engagement

• 251,843 Main Library visitors demonstrating sustained community value
• 132 hosted events serving diverse campus constituencies (Physical Spaces Team)
• Strong departmental partnerships maintained across all academic areas (Liaisons Team)