With employee feedback, Yale Library builds new programs for staff development and engagement

At Yale Library, building a workplace rooted in respect, learning, and growth is not just an aspiration, it’s a collective commitment. In January 2025, in response to findings from the 2023 Yale Library Staff Climate Survey and the 2024 Yale Employee Engagement Survey, the library launched a robust set of strategies titled “Moving from Words to Action: Yale Library Staff Development and Engagement Action Plan.”

Designed to support staff recognition, connection, learning, and career advancement, the plan reflects the library’s investment in its people. Risë Nelson, director of Staff Development and Engagement (SDE), provided an overview of the vision and goals for this work and shared an update on the progress being made.

What do you want to amplify or enhance as part of your action plan?

We are focused on deepening staff trust, recognizing contributions, and creating more opportunities for connection and growth at all levels of the library. Our action plan amplifies priority areas—from valuing and empowering staff as one of the library’s most essential assets to fostering more transparent career pathways and facilitating a culture of continuous learning. We are expanding access to professional development, building more library-wide collaborations, strengthening local community partnerships, and more intentionally evaluating the impact of our efforts. Across the board, we are investing in strategies that enhance staff experiences and support long-term cultural transformation. 

How did you seek input from your team when crafting your action plan?

Our action plan was directly shaped by staff voices. We began with a comprehensive library staff climate survey, supported by data from the Yale Employee Engagement survey. We then formed five working groups comprised of nearly 40 staff members, including entry-level staff, managers, senior leaders, librarians, non-librarians, and new and longtime employees. These groups generated thoughtful recommendations, which I synthesized, refined, and integrated into a library-wide action plan, that was approved by the Library Executive Committee. Throughout this process, we prioritized collective visioning, open dialogue, and shared ownership with the goal of co-creating actionable strategies rooted in the lived experiences, ideas, and expertise of our colleagues.

What does success look like for your unit six months from now—and how will you measure it?

Success is already taking shape through early, visible momentum. Our new Learning and Development Workshop Series, which launched in September 2025, is well underway, with themes intentionally selected in response to key issues raised in the employee surveys. To date the series has included four general workshops, four manager-focused workshops, and four community of practice sessions. The topics, which I developed based on staff responses to the surveys, include “Building Psychological Safety and Trust,” “Address Harmful Workplace Interactions,” “Strengthening Communication in the Workplace,” and “Navigating Resistance and Sustaining Momentum.”

As of the end of December, more than 20 percent of our library staff (120 employees) have participated in these offerings, with many attendingn multiple sessions. This spring, we are expanding access through virtual options. We are encouraged by the level of engagement and strong return participation. In the months ahead, we aim to build on this momentum by implementing new peer learning and recognition practices and ensuring that promotion pathways are clearer and more widely understood.

We are tracking progress through participation data, qualitative feedback, staff use of the SDE resources (for example, professional development funding, the staff resource library, and our SharePoint hub), and milestones achieved by task forces advancing our action plan. Regular touchpoints during office hours allow us to respond to feedback in real time and adjust strategies as needed. These efforts are also aligned with the library’s current strategic planning process and with upcoming preparations for university and library surveys that will help assess progress, identify emerging needs, and guide future direction.

As a leader, what personal commitments are you making in response to the survey findings?

Working closely with Barbara Rockenbach, the Stephen F. Gates ’68 University Librarian; my colleague Nick Wantsala, the library’s inaugural Kenya S. Flash Resident; and Kenya Loudd, SDE’s graduate fellow for accessibility initiatives, I am committed to holding space for both candor and care. That means consistently centering staff needs and perspectives throughout planning, implementation, and evaluation; staying open to constructive feedback; and fostering an environment in which staff feel supported to do their best work.

I am personally committed to modeling the same accountability and growth mindset that I ask of others. I continue to invest in my own learning, respond transparently and adaptively to challenges, and push for meaningful, sustainable progress. My role is not just to lead the action plan but also to advocate for the people behind it.

How can other staff members or departments get involved or learn more about your efforts?

Because community engagement is a core value of our plan, we have invited colleagues from local academic libraries and the New Haven Free Public Library to participate—alongside Yale Library staff—in our Learning and Development Workshop Series and in conversations about recognition, growth, and workplace culture. Their perspectives and involvement have been invaluable, and we welcome additional collaboration with other departments at Yale.  

Anyone interested in learning more about our working group, model, peer-learning approaches, or the tools we are piloting—whichare intentionally designed to be adaptable across units—may contact me at YaleLibrarySDE@yale.edu. This work depends on connection and community. We are always eager to learn with and from others who are building stronger, more supportive workplaces.

Visit the Employee Engagement Survey’s Action Planning web page to learn how other Yale units are advancing their action plans.

Photo of Risë Nelson by Samantha Schannon