Strategic plan 2025–29

Our vision

A library of influence, inspiring and connecting people through knowledge, storytelling and creativity.

Our purpose

State Library collects and preserves Queensland’s cultural and documentary memory, providing free access to information, fostering knowledge and learning. We partner with local government to realise the potential of public libraries and Indigenous Knowledge Centres.

Enduring values

Access is free and equitable. We serve people everywhere in Queensland, onsite and online

Diversity is celebrated. We seek and share the diverse stories of Queenslanders

First Nations peoples and their knowledge, strength and resilience are centred. We are commited to respectful processes of truth-telling

Our workplace is safe and purposeful. We respect the expertise of our people

Collecting memories 

Sharing knowledge and stories through our collections.

Strategies

• Intentionally collect and share a trusted record of Queensland
• Enable respectful truth-telling practices by all, centring culturally safe co-design with First Nations peoples
• Preserve the collection for future generations through the development of resilient and robust systems and plans
• Reflect and reveal shared histories and new narratives through our collections and practices

Enriching experiences

Engaging our audiences through discovery, participation and learning.

Strategies

• Create safe, meaningful and memorable experiences that enable and inspire onsite, online and across Queensland
• Attract new audiences by celebrating and communicating compelling, innovative visitor experiences and programs
• Build inclusive digital experiences that are secure, rich and intuitive
• Prioritise easy to find and use information however people access collections, services and programs

People and communities

Building enduring, collaborative engagements and partnerships.

Strategies

• Drive the collective impact of libraries and IKCs as place based cultural and social hubs
• Embrace Brisbane 2032 by enhancing and accelerating services and programs
• Initiate and collaborate on diverse and culturally informed research to deepen knowledge
• Attract partnerships and investment to enhance service to Queenslanders

Responsive innovation

Pursuing innovative, sustainable and culturally responsive ways to deliver our services.

Strategies

• Champion an enriching workplace which is healthy, diverse and culturally responsive
• Invest in our people to embrace the opportunities and challenges in the digital age
• Pursue sustainable, resilient and innovative environments and systems across all our work
• Deepen our agility to ensure flexibility and responsiveness to our changing world

Performance indicators

• Additions to Queensland Memory collections
• Use of collections
• Visits to State Library onsite and online
• New members
• Local Government satisfaction with State Library service delivery
• Increased online regional reach
• Overall visitor satisfaction with services and programs
• Average cost per visit

Commitment to community objectives

We contribute to:

A better lifestyle through a stronger economy

• Relieving cost of living pressures through free access to library spaces, collections and services.
• Creating better lifestyles through local government partnerships for libraries and IKCs which contribute to the liveability of local communities.
• Delivering digital inclusion programs to ensure a stronger economy by expanding opportunities to participate in the digital economy.

 A plan for Queensland’s future

• Preparing young Queenslanders for the future by creating safe, meaningful and memorable experiences onsite, online and in libraries and IKCs.
• Building world-class cultural experiences for Queenslanders and visitors, contributing to the Olympic and Paralympic Games legacy.

Strategic opportunities

1. Expanding reach – onsite and online engagement that embraces innovation to deliver responsive services and connect more people across the state with content in new ways.
2. Vibrant cultural experiences – creation of meaningful and memorable cultural experiences, which build communities and share Queensland’s remarkable stories.
3. Fostering truth and trust – sharing the diverse lives and experiences of people in Queensland in trusted and respectful ways through collections, community engagement and partnerships.
4. Strengthening democracy – sparking courageous conversations and citizen engagement and continuing to champion intellectual freedom and media literacy.
5. Statewide impact – harness the collective potential of physical and digital resources, as well as skilled staff in libraries and IKCs across the state.

Strategic risks

1. Cyber security – increasing sophistication and scale of cyber threats raises risk levels for our digital assets.
2. Rapidly evolving community needs – changing social, economic and cultural demands on libraries present challenges to the delivery of responsive library and information services for all.
3. Funding – financial sustainability requires diverse income streams and reprioritisation of existing funding to deliver on our commitments and enhance our services to meet demand.
4. Threats to our assets – extreme weather, natural hazards and the heightened national terrorism threat level create risks to State Library’s people, collections, storage and infrastructure. The rise in threats to freedom of expression, hate crimes and misinformation risks eroding the shared values foundational to libraries and trust in quality information sources.
5. Workforce resilience – the rapidly evolving context of our work requires competition for highly sought-after expertise in ICT, digital, leadership capability and culturally responsive, safe and healthy ways of working.

Funding

Queensland Government funding allocated for State Library’s operations over the next three years:

• 2025–26: $77,083,000
• 2026–27: $77,605,000
• 2027–28: $77,632,000

Human Rights Act 2019

State Library respects, protects and promotes human rights in our decision-making and actions. State Library acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination is a human right as enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Queensland Human Rights Act 2019 also recognises the significance of the right to self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Sustainable Development Goals

State Library is committed to designing sustainable services and collection practices. In partnership with National and State Libraries Australasia and the global public library sector, State Library supports the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This includes providing free public access to information, providing opportunities for all Queenslanders to pursue lifelong learning, and ensuring the management and access to collections and services is culturally informed and respectful.