Engaging with Library Staff: Lessons from a Staff Assembly

Abstract

East Carolina University’s J.Y. Joyner Library provides its employees with the opportunity to have their voice heard and impact the direction of the library by engaging its staff assemblies. The current SHRA Executive Council assumed leadership in June 2019 and identified the need to foster more meaningful engagement among Joyner staff members within the non-faculty assembly. The council set goals to make the assembly meeting times more interactive, impactful, and positive in tone. Changes to the meeting and leadership structure were put into practice and initiatives to reach the council’s goals during them full assembly meeting times were implemented. While many of the initiatives have had positive effects, not all of the well-intentioned changes have been as successful and challenges remain.