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UVic Libraries

Impact

Inspired by and honouring place, the University of Victoria Libraries advances the university's commitment to excellence in teaching, research and creative works.

We hold ourselves accountable to ʔetalnəw̓əl̓ | ÁTOL,NEUEL. We aim to respect the rights of one another, live in right relationship with all things and uphold the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Impact Action Plan

Our strategic impact action plan has three guiding principles: Open. Engaged. Enduring.

Open

Our organization is an agent of digital transformation and excellence. We open pathways for knowledge translation and foster intellectual community.

Engaged

Our organization centres learning and creates an environment in which all students can succeed. We set students up to contribute to scholarship and society.

Enduring

Our organization ensures ongoing access to knowledge. We steward research collections that enrich, inform and improve people’s lives.

Read the full Impact Action Plan
Our strategic work engages with and builds on the goals described in UVic’s Strategic Plan, Distinctly UVic.

Rankings & reputation

  • #1 among Canadian university libraries in support for making research public (CARL Library Statistics 2024)
  • #2 nationally for open access publishing (CWTS Leiden Ranking 2024)
  • #2 globally for promoting sustainable cities and communities, including support for arts and heritage (THE University Impact Rankings 2025)

Partnering for a better future

Kula: Library Futures Academy

The Kula: Library Futures Academy is a library-based institute of advanced studies and transdisciplinary research hub at the heart of UVic Libraries & Art Collections. The Kula Academy builds partnerships with local and global communities and organizations at the intersection of knowledge creation and technological change. Officially launching in September 2025, the Kula Academy will host programs and activities to support cross-disciplinary exploration in areas such as data, AI, digital ethics, metadata and digital literacies.

Faculty research partnerships

UVic Libraries is proud to partner with faculty from all disciplines on research initiatives and grant-funded projects. We are stronger together. Read about some of our successful faculty partnerships.

Find out more about how we support scholarly research.

Transgender Archives

UVic Libraries is home to the world’s largest collection of Trans+ materials. The Transgender Archives actively acquires materials about Trans+ history and activism. These collections are available to the community and visiting scholars through Special Collections & University Archives.

In 2024, we were awarded a landmark digitization grant for the Transgender Archives through the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR). Through this project, we will digitize and make accessible 521 unique audiovisual items from the Rikki Swin Institute.

National and global initiatives

Academic libraries play a vital role in shaping the future of research, learning and knowledge sharing.

UVic Libraries is an active participant in these national and global initiatives:

These partnerships develop standards, share resources and support open scholarship. Through our participation, we ensure that UVic remains at the forefront of global knowledge ecosystems.

Assessment & user feedback

Ongoing assessment and user research helps us make sure our work is aligned with our goals. We work with partners inside and outside UVic Libraries to:

  • advance our understanding of user needs
  • gather feedback about our services and resources
  • demonstrate and communicate library impact
  • foster a culture of assessment through training and development

Read our 2024 User Feedback Survey Report to find out more about our work.

Are you interested in sharing your voice and shaping your experience with UVic Libraries? Join our User Engagement Pool to learn about opportunities to share feedback and engage with us.

Support UVic Libraries

Want to help us make an impact? Excited about the work we're doing and want to help bring it to life?

Initiatives like the Kula: Library Futures Academy and our student awards and fellowships are made possible through the generous gifts of our donors.

Learn more & donate to UVic Libraries