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Bentley Historical Library Strategic Plan

September 2024

Vision

People and archives that help us all explore the context of our lives, discover our stories, and hold each other accountable for the future we are creating.

Mission

We promote learning, discovery, and scholarship by actively partnering with communities to build, preserve, and make accessible a record that reflects the unique and complex history of the state and University of Michigan.

Values

Inclusive: We are cultivating a physical and digital environment that is accessible and welcoming, a record that more fully documents the complex histories of the communities we serve, and a fundamental recognition of our interdependence with those whom we’ve historically excluded and that are under-documented in the Bentley’s collections. We aim to approach this work with respect, empathy, and humility, and to decenter ourselves by listening deeply to the perspectives of others.

Creative: We have courage to try new things. We embrace innovative practices for collecting and sharing stories, as we adapt to an ever-changing world of information and user expectations. In doing so, we also recognize the value of repair and maintenance, of both collections and relationships, and consider both types of work to be inherently creative. We strive to support the next generation of researchers and archivists.

Responsible: We commit to ethical and transparent choices about what we collect, making strategic decisions that help make Michigan history accessible, whether it lives at the Bentley or elsewhere. Collections will be cared for in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in them. We are committed to preserving the cultural record and providing access to original materials, giving context to help users deepen their understanding of history — the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Collaborative: We seek to build positive relationships through the mutual exchange of knowledge, trusting the unique perspectives of local communities, and embracing the variety of specializations in other archives. We work to build a stronger network within our university, with other archives, and with the community at large. We do this by developing partnerships that strengthen engagement with our collections and help find the best home for materials, whether that’s at the Bentley or somewhere else.

Strategic Priorities and Actions

  1. Create a more inclusive collection.
    1. Develop and publish a collections plan to guide more strategic collecting and deaccessioning and promote responsible stewardship.
    2. Focus on areas of existing strength and add new collections that will better represent communities that are under-documented in the Bentley’s collections.
    3. When materials are more appropriately kept in their community of origin or another archive, support the strengthening of other collecting and storytelling efforts, recognizing that not all records belong at the Bentley.
    4. Enhance and broaden staff training in cultural competency and accessibility, with an emphasis on trainings led by individuals with direct personal experiences.
  2. Increase access to our collections and services.
    1. Improve physical and digital spaces and services to be more accessible and welcoming to all, including improvements for those with disabilities.
    2. Develop new programming to bring more and new visitors to the Bentley and Detroit Observatory, and bring collections out into the community.
    3. Use data and other information to inform expanded hours of operation at the Bentley and Detroit Observatory.
    4. Increase visibility and awareness of our collections and services through a comprehensive communications and public outreach strategy.
    5. Develop innovative solutions to improve user discovery of materials, especially as relates to finding aids.
  3. Engage and collaborate for greater impact.
    1. Develop and strengthen mutually beneficial relationships with community partners, especially those who are underrepresented in the Bentley’s collections and in historical records altogether.
    2. Invite community leaders to share expertise, give advice, and serve as ambassadors for the work, ensuring it is relevant to their communities.
    3. Strengthen (and, where needed, repair) relationships with, and referrals to, other archives with the goal of connecting people to the best source of materials; deaccession and repatriate materials that are better archived elsewhere.
    4. Partner with others at U-M and beyond to responsibly explore and pilot AI and other technological advancements to improve archival systems and practices.
  4. Improve support for teaching and learning.
    1. Expand outreach to U-M faculty members and K-12 teachers to help them integrate primary materials into their curricula.
    2. Reinvigorate partnerships to renew the Bentley’s role in preparing future leaders and to leverage students’ energy and creativity to connect the stories of the Bentley collections with the histories of others, especially groups typically underrepresented in history.
    3. Better integrate student employees into the Bentley team – welcoming them into staff meetings, committees, and Google chats, and inviting their perspectives on projects and key challenges.
    4. Share learnings internally and externally through publications, conferences, and events (particularly in the areas of digitization, archival ethics, inclusive collections, and information literacy).
  5. Provide the organizational resources needed for success in core work and new strategic priorities.
    1. Increase staff representation that is reflective of our community.
    2. Add opportunities for staff to learn about each other’s work and have fun together.
    3. Provide staff more autonomy and authority over the budgets that impact their work (within appropriate boundaries) as well as more direct and frequent communication.
    4. Develop comprehensive resource strategies that will support current and evolving technological, space, staffing, and other needs.
    5. Increase the use of technological solutions, such as tutorial videos and other self-serve tools, to free up staff time for higher impact work.

*All strategic priorities and related actions will be pursued in accordance with the law and University policy.