Reflection from Julie Garrison

Reflecting on the University Libraries’ progress this past year, I am proud of our achievements.

Among our many accomplishments this year, we invested in flexible, modern, collaborative, and individual study spaces and developed library programming that supports academic experiences in and out of the classroom. Our talented and dedicated library team continues to innovate in response to the changing higher education environment and needs of the Western Michigan University community.

More students and faculty returned to in-person activities this year as COVID-19 restrictions eased. Our campus reawakened this fall, full of energy and activities similar to pre-pandemic levels.

In-person library events, instruction and programming returned in full force, bouncing back from COVID-19 with new ideas and energy. Our library team led student study groups to help students connect, collaborated with faculty on new digital projects and engaged our community with historical walking tours.

We continue to see an increased need for space as students flood back into the library. We heard that balancing in-person and online classes was challenging for students, and we creatively triaged space requests to help them manage their hybrid schedules. Students need more functional and comfortable spaces in their libraries.

In response, we further improved Waldo Library by refreshing the lower level with energy-efficient lighting, new carpet and an improved layout. Library users now have access to a wide range of technology services and collaborative workspaces that are easy to access and comfortable to use. We will continue to invest in our spaces this year by renovating student study rooms and installing digital signage in Waldo Library.

As we move into the new year, I am full of anticipation. We are developing our next strategic plan to focus our energies and resources and help us respond innovatively to our community’s future research and academic needs. I’m excited for our dedicated library team to build upon this year’s successes and collaborate with our community to elevate research and learning so that all may learn.

Here’s to a productive and impactful new year!