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Catalyst ’25 celebrates another year of meaningful change at the Libraries

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In August, the Libraries celebrated the end of its fifth year of Catalyst, the Libraries’ strategic plan. Catalyst is a flexible, iterative, staff-driven approach to strategic planning with yearly initiatives centered around three goals. This year, three teams worked on projects ranging from staff recognition to increasing the Libraries’ external funding.

Goal 1: Develop talent, resources, and experiences that facilitate community.

Talent Management – Staff Recognition: Workgroup members created and administered a staff survey to gather feedback on existing recognition and appreciation events. Based on survey results, they created a quarterly appreciation event - Donuts with the Dean. The workgroup also explored staff anniversary recognition, expanding on the work that the University does by aiming to honor Library-specific service. By laying the groundwork for a permanent committee, this workgroup has created conditions for continual positive change for our staff.

Goal 2: Transform the Libraries’ environment and user-centered experience to anticipate evolving modes of learning.

Library Recognition: The workgroup completed an environment scan of academic library awards to pursue and enacted plans to apply for select awards. The workgroup  submitted and drafted multiple applications for recognition of the Libraries’ recently-renovated Sidley Lounge space and has other applications in progress for submission in 2026. The processes created by this workgroup for identifying and applying for awards and other forms of recognition will help raise the national profile of the Libraries.

Goal 3: Forge meaningful partnerships that foster affordability, ensure relevancy, and cultivate life-long connections.

External Funding: This workgroup completed an environment scan for project ideas across the Libraries and created a project tracking tool to monitor grant projects from inception to completion. The workgroup also met with University Advancement’s Corporate and Foundation Relations staff to explore new routes for funding. The contributions of this workgroup have allowed the Libraries to quickly adapt to changes in the external funding environment.

Planning for Catalyst ‘26 is well underway, with this year’s initiatives being developed in intentional alignment with MiamiTHRIVE, the University’s strategic plan.

More information on Catalyst can be found at Lib.MiamiOH.edu/Strategic.