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SSC College Libraries Annual Review 2021-22

Director's Introduction

Morgan Tracy, Director of Library Services                                                                                            

 

2021-22 was a busy year for the College Libraries!  As more on-campus instruction resumed, the Libraries pivoted to meet the needs of students returning to campus while maintaining a high level of service for students accessing the library online.  While in-class instruction was offered again, librarians continued to offer a variety of methods for support in the online setting, including being embedded in classes, offering modules in Canvas, and providing real-time assistance via chat and streaming platforms.  Traditional metrics for in-person use of the Libraries, such as gate count and circulation, rebounded, although the stats were still far less than pre-pandemic numbers.  Students, faculty, and staff did continue to use the Libraries' online resources at a good clip, particularly in the area of streaming video and ebooks.  Several new e-resources were added to provide students with 24/7 access to additional curricular and co-curricular materials, and the Libraries also started a pilot project to make more textbooks accessible to students online.

The College Libraries also embarked on some new initiatives to engage and support students in the post-pandemic environment, which are described in more detail on the next page.   Briefly, a series of weekly on-site programs were launched, providing social activities and learning opportunities.  There were also collaborative educational programs sponsored by the library and multiple campus partners.  In addition, the Libraries became the distribution point at the college for loaning laptops and calculators, critical tools to help support student success.  Finally, the physical spaces at several campus libraries were enhanced by renovation projects and the addition of new types of furniture to encourage individual study.

In sum, the College Libraries not only maintained the excellent service and resources that the college community was accustomed to before the pandemic, but also expanded and innovated to meet the evolving needs of students.  The faculty and staff of the Libraries are ready to continue this forward movement into 2022-23.

Organizational Chart

Key: Green - Faculty; Blue - Career Service; Orange - Student Worker; Purple - Professional