Research Guides: GC Library Strategic Priorities 2024-2030: Core Library Services for the GC Community

Core Library Services for the GC Community

In alignment with standards and best practices for academic libraries, the Mina Rees Library provides:
•   Customized research consultation and instruction offered by subject liaison and reference librarians
•   Access to physical and digital collections, at and beyond the Graduate Center, to support research, scholarship, and teaching
•   Responsible stewardship of physical and digital collections to support research, scholarship, and teaching
•   Spaces for academic work
Library faculty and staff also collaborate and build relationships widely across and beyond CUNY libraries, sharing our expertise and collections as generously as possible.

Strategic Priorities & Goals 2024-2030

Our strategic priorities and goals align with those of the CUNY Graduate Center, CUNY Libraries, and CUNY's Office of Library Services.

Strategic Priorities	Goals
Student-focused access to libraries	Continue to develop the library as a hub for information generation and knowledge creation, broadening the scope of information services we provide Reimagine the role of the reference desk to best meet current and anticipate future student research needs Continue to pursue improvements to physical and digital accessibility for inclusion and equity
Institutionalizing path-breaking and proven practices	Lead development of a model for campus-based expertise sharing and mentorship across CUNY libraries to provide professional development for CUNY library faculty and staff while building knowledge across the libraries Forefront resource sharing within and beyond the Graduate Center via robust interlibrary loan and local circulation activity, undertaking new collaborations and expanded lending as licenses allow, to facilitate access to a diverse range of collections and materials Support and evaluate open initiatives in scholarship and teaching, and expand our role in education and support of scholarly publishing, open access, and open educational resources across the GC and CUNY, promoting equity in access to resources
Cultivating information and digital literacy	Leverage and develop opportunities including workshops, class visits, research consultations, and the Open Knowledge Fellowship to strengthen graduate students' information and digital literacy, to support their own academic work as well as that of the undergraduates they teach throughout CUNY Ensure access to library resources for GC students who are teaching across CUNY, working with the Office of Library Services and campus libraries to streamline access procedures for Graduate Teaching Fellows Reimagine library spaces to support student success at the GC, including enhancements for individual and group work, and the completion and opening of the digital scholarship lab on the C level
Supporting evolving notions of research and scholarship	Support student and faculty navigation of scholarly publishing and emerging forms of scholarship, particularly during the thesis, dissertation, tenure, and promotion process, further integrating the library into research and scholarship at the GC Explore and expand research data services across the university in collaboration with CUNY colleagues Build knowledge to inform our approach to ethical, equitable, and inclusive use of AI for research, scholarship, and teaching
Dynamic and efficient collections and platforms	Invest in archives and special collections at the GC, and explore centralizing archives of CUNY history at GC library Develop GC collections policy that enhances support for teaching, research, and scholarship needs, including coordinated collection development across CUNY, support for new degree programs, and increasing equity and inclusion in our collections
Professional development and organizational culture	Strengthen team building, peer learning, collaborative professional development across all employee classifications Continue to attend to transparent communication and documentation to foster an inclusive and supportive internal work culture in the library Offer paid opportunities for graduate interns and fellows from historically underrepresented communities in libraries/higher education to contribute to the work of the library and grow their experience in academic librarianship