In fall 2018, the staff of the Shannon and Michael Priddy Library at The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) began work on creating the library’s first strategic plan. Before this, the library had been pursuing a number of large and small initiatives, such as repurposing spaces, expanding our footprint, procuring equipment, and launching a Data Management and Visualization Lab. In order to shape and implement these ideas in a way that supports a changing student population and broader institutional goals, the Executive Director of USG, Dr. Stewart Edelstein, requested the creation of a strategic plan. Dr. Edelstein gave the library the following charge:

Working in collaboration with a consultant the Library staff will develop a 3-5 years strategic plan outlining the vision, mission, goals and objectives related to providing high quality services and resources to its patrons.

This document embodies the library’s response to Dr. Edelstein’s charge. It presents the strategic vision, mission and values that infuse all aspects of our work. Developed collaboratively with the input of various stakeholders, this plan will allow us to build upon our strengths and overcome challenges as we strive to best meet the needs of our community over the next four years.

The importance of the library staff came up repeatedly during the creation of this plan. Academic libraries often tout the breadth of their research collections, their unique special collections, their thoughtfully-designed spaces and their cutting-edge technology. Without the staff to help support and guide users, however, libraries become beautiful warehouses. People are vital to the success of a library in meeting its vision, mission and goals, which ultimately becomes intertwined with the successes of students and faculty.

Library staff brought the same dedication they demonstrate in their day-to-day work to the crafting of this strategic plan. Everyone played a role throughout the process, and we collaboratively developed the vision, mission, goals and strategic actions. Because of this participation, hopefully, all of us will embody this strategic plan in our work over the next four years, and it will serve as a living document guiding us towards a bright future.