Cataloging Feedback: Library Embarks on New Strategic Plan

While periodic planning is continual, this outreach is part of a more comprehensive effort. It reflects how much library services have changed in just the past 10 years. University libraries have increasingly shifted from print collections to dynamic, technology-rich learning environments that emphasize digital access, data literacy, open educational resources and collaborative study.

Integrated AI-driven research tools will continue to impact how knowledge and resources are shared and how data is managed. Remote and hybrid learning has advanced, even as students have continued to seek spaces for in-person group work and creative collaboration.

The community feedback will help to ensure that future goals reflect evolving needs and priorities based on insights shared about what the SHU community prefers and prioritizes when it comes to library services, according to library staff.

The hope is students will share specific feedback and creative ideas, according to Jeff Orrico, University librarian, and Kelly Lindell, business & instruction librarian, who are leading this effort, along with four other library staff members: Renata Cioffi, director of library budget & administration; Mark Denny, manager of information technology; Emily Komornik, discovery and metadata services librarian; and Sharaya Smith, manager of public and user services.

The group is working with the Connecticut Library Consortium as part of a strategic planning cohort that includes public libraries. SHU’s library is among the first academic libraries to participate in this project.

Led by Maureen Sullivan, a former president of the American Library Association and the Association of College and Research Librarians, the group works to pool collective knowledge through discussions and professional development programs, according to Orrico and Lindell. That information helps participants to address common challenges through best practices.

“Working with librarians across academic and public sectors strengthens the SHU Library by expanding the expertise and perspectives we can draw from,” Orrico said. “Academic libraries contribute research and instructional insight, while public librarians excel in community engagement and innovative service.”

“Collaborating through the consortium gives us new perspectives, helping us build more responsive, community-centered resources for our students, faculty, staff and alumni,” Lindell said.

Don’t miss your chance to have a say in what makes it to the stacks, how research help is delivered, when group study rooms are available or how the SHU community can access online resources. All the input will lead to a finalized strategic plan next year. “We’ll highlight the survey results and show how we are using the feedback to shape the library’s future,” Orrico said.

“Students who want to continue sharing their ideas can also participate in focus groups after the survey, giving them more opportunities to guide our decisions,” Lindell said. “Rumor is there will be pizza.”

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