From the Director
Gretchen Trkay, Director of Libraries
The Libraries & Archives are pleased to share our strategic vision for how we can best contribute to the success of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, our students, and our campus community.
The Libraries & Archives’ AY 20252027 Strategic Plan is the biproduct of many months of collaborative brainstorming, inclusive of our librarians and staff, and alignment with the strategic goals of our institutions.
Our strategic goals are in service to the Libraries & Archives’ mission to be an inclusive and welcoming organization where all are supported as they engage in inquiry, experimentation, exploration, and creation. We partner across campus and beyond to share and connect our wealth of information resources, technology, and expert staff to our diverse community as they seek to satisfy their curiosity and answer wicked questions We seek to answer wicked questions of our own! The Libraries & Archives strive to be the campus hub where all can relax, recharge, learn, and connect. GRETCHEN TRKAY
Gretchen Trkay
The Libraries & Archives are positioned to align our work in significant ways with our institutional strategic direction and initiatives, particularly those initiatives focused on the student experience.
Libraries & Archives’ initiatives related to sense of belonging, creative exploration, student employment as a high-impact practice, experiential education pedagogies, and course material affordability each support a robust and engaging student experience
strategic priority 1 : care
CSB + SJU LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES WILL CONTRIBUTE TO STUDENT , FACULTY , AND STAFF ’ S SENSE OF BELONGING BY FOSTERING A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY THAT PRIORITIZES INCLUSION , CONNECTEDNESS , AND THE WELL - BEING OF ALL .
Objectives
Create opportunities to engage and connect . The Libraries & Archives will execute and partner to execute events, programs, and activities that strengthen the interconnectedness of our community. Promote inclusion . The Libraries & Archives will be intentional about creating connections with all members of our community, including those that are currently underserved, so that everyone sees a place for themselves in our spaces and programming and recognizes access points to our resources and expertise
Initiatives
Develop and execute sense of belonging-focused programs and events. Create choices for students that center affordability and address financial insecurity
strategic priority 2 : scholarship
THE LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES WILL ENCOURAGE INQUIRY AND INSPIRE SCHOLARLY DISCOURSE THROUGH OUR SERVICES , TEACHING , RESEARCH , AND COLLECTIONS .
Objectives
Teach transferable skills . The Libraries & Archives will partner with faculty and other campus partners to integrate metaliteracies (information, maker, data, digital, media, etc.) into curricula and assess related student learning. Embed in scholarly discourse . The Libraries & Archives will contribute staff’s disciplinary expertise (metaliteracies, publishing, information ethics, scholarly communication, etc ) to increase the efficacy of initiatives across campus and within our professional associations
Initiatives
Transform the instruction program to prioritize high-impact practices and applied learning pedagogies that integrate metaliteracies with subject-based learning outcomes and incorporate our specialized technologies and collections (e.g. Kling Media Lab, makerspace, special collections, archives).
Create a sustainable model for Libraries & Archives staff to be integral partners in digital scholarship teaching and research across our institutions, including digital humanities and data-focused services and curricula
strategic priority 3 : creativity
CSB + SJU LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES WILL NURTURE A SENSE OF WONDER AND CURIOSITY AND PROVIDE PROGRAMMING AND RESOURCES THAT ENCOURAGE EXPERIMENTATION AND INGENUITY .
Objectives
Inspire exploration & support curiosity. The Libraries & Archives will facilitate ideation and the exploration of ideas through our resources, spaces, and programming. Encourage experimentation & ingenuity. The Libraries & Archives will create an environment where all feel empowered to test their assumptions, explore solutions, and share what they discover
Initiatives
Expand the capabilities and use of the Clemens Library makerspace to create a low stakes environment in which students can explore ideas and innovate. Experiment with growing the suite of creative technologies available to students as part of the Libraries & Archives technology lending program, including funding and supporting a “Library of Things. ”
strategic priority 4 : practice
CSB + SJU LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES WILL SUSTAIN A GROWTH MINDSET GROUNDED IN REFLECTION , COLLABORATION , AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING .
Objectives
Learn continuously & support professional development. The Libraries & Archives will resource the development of our staff in support of continuous learning.
Initiatives
Explore the feasibility and applicability of emerging professional trends and practices that have the potential to advance the Libraries & Archives’ goals, e.g. controlled digital lending. Evaluate and revise student employment practices within the Libraries & Archives to prioritize the deliberate development of transferable skills and embed student learning and reflection into the student employment experience
strategic priority 4 : practice
CSB + SJU LIBRARIES & ARCHIVES WILL SUSTAIN A GROWTH MINDSET GROUNDED IN REFLECTION , COLLABORATION , AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING .
Objectives
Reflect, assess, and (sometimes) reinvent. The Libraries will learn from our success and mistakes by using both qualitative and quantitative data to determine the impact of our work and adjust and re-envision as needed.
Initiatives
Develop a needs assessment plan, including a student advisory panel, that makes visible our strengths but also the gaps in our collections, services, spaces, and programming. Create a comprehensive plan to assess the impact of the Libraries & Archives’ work that is mapped to institutional initiatives and key performance indicators. Form a comprehensive marketing strategy for the Libraries & Archives that makes visible the opportunities which we provide and shares the impact of our work
Establish a staff-led team that identifies challenges to Libraries & Archives’ employee wellness and proposes solutions to library administration that will mitigate those challenges
