Thanks to everyone who attended State of the Libraries on Wednesday. We had over 200 folks join the meeting, and I’m so glad you all found the time to be there even with the competing demands of work and home. It was no replacement for our traditional in-person gathering, but it was nice to feel a sense of togetherness despite the circumstances and our physical distance.
If you haven’t had a chance to yet, I encourage you to view the poster presentations prepared by our colleagues from across the Libraries:
It is so inspiring to view these and reflect on all the good work that has been done over the last year, as well as how we are preparing for the work that lies ahead. There will be no shortage of challenges in the year to come, but with all the creativity and dedication on display through these presentations, I know we are well-equipped to handle whatever comes our way.
If you’d like to review them, you can view the slides from all the presentations on our staff resources site or a recording of the entire event on YouTube.
As you might imagine, a lot of activity happened behind the scenes to make sure everything went smoothly. Special thanks to Kalaivani Ananthan, Matt Badessa, Tracey Meyer, Joann Parrone, Ed Smith, and the Major Events Committee—Elsa Alves, Matt Bridgeman, Ann Marie Latini, Erica Parin, Tonie Perkins, Jennifer Reiber, and Daphne Roberts—for their support.
We also received some great actionable feedback that we will incorporate into our future virtual gatherings, so thanks to everyone who provided thoughtful comments via the feedback form.
A theme that emerged from all of yesterday’s presentations was collaboration, and State of the Libraries was just another example of what we can accomplish when we all work together with a common goal and sense of purpose. I hope we can carry forth some of those lessons and apply them to our work moving forward. In the coming months, it’ll be more important than ever to identify the areas where we can leverage our shared interests and maximize our impact on the university community.
