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Written by Jackie Wrosch, Eastern Michigan University   

Updates From the MLA Academic Libraries Interest Group

While the academic year and the students it brings to our campus are the primary purpose our university library and others exist, the summer semester also provides an important contrast to the rest of the year. Summer semester, with its alternative class schedule and fewer students, creates a new rhythm for the library and allows us both collectively and individually to reset and prepare for the upcoming year. It's a gift and one that should be used wisely. Here are a few ways we plan to do so.

Are there projects that we never got to because the regular year schedule and pace just didn't allow it? Now is the time to get these moving. Without the regular year operations, there is more uninterrupted time to devote to these projects.

Summer is also a great time to reevaluate our research and writing agendas. What did we accomplish in the last year and how does that change our plans for the next few years? Is it time to take a different direction? What new ideas have we had and where might they fit into everything we are doing?

We will write more. If it's not part of our regular routine, we attempt to make it so this summer. It's easy to push this individual activity aside when students and faculty are demanding our time during the academic year. Once summer arrives, we try to reinstall this into our daily activities.

While service opportunities on campus may be minimal during the summer, there are plenty of other professional and community organizations to which we can contribute. Summer is a great time to capitalize on service beyond the library and university. 

Projects that require collaboration from many colleagues can come to a screeching halt once the summer semester begins and many have alternative schedules. It can be difficult to keep the momentum going and requires effort to make sure it doesn't get forgotten. Instead of pushing all that work aside, we will try to focus on individual contributions to the project. Once everyone returns, your efforts will help the group initiate a strong restart in the fall.

The summer rhythm and different pace is an important reset for the next year. September will be here soon!

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