This document discusses the relationship between Salem State University and the city of Salem, Massachusetts. It notes that Salem is a tourist destination known for the Salem Witch Trials. Salem State University enrolls around 9,000 students and is a major economic force in the city. The document outlines various types of collaboration between the university and community groups like the Peabody Essex Museum, including service learning projects where students provide research assistance to local businesses and organizations. Challenges to collaboration include time constraints and access to resources, but benefits include improving the university's image and profile in the community.

1. Image: dresdnhope

2. Who are we?
Why are we here?

3. Salem
• Part of the Greater Boston Area
• Known for the Witch Trials and all things Halloween
• Tourist destination: 1 million visitors a year (City of Salem, 2007)
 Museums
 Shops
 Restaurants
 Festivals
 Historical sights
• Very active community
• Diverse community
• Home to Salem State University

4. Salem and the North Shore

5. Salem State University (SSU)
• Service oriented university
• Around nine thousand students (82%
undergraduate, 18% graduate)
• Students: one of the 4 top consumer groups in
downtown Salem (City of Salem, 2007)
• 3rd top employer in Salem (City of Salem,
2015)

6. Salem and SSU
Not our biggest fans!

7. Salem and SSU

8. Types of Collaboration
• Direct collaborations
 Business owners
 Enterprise Center
 Peabody Essex Museum (PEM)
• Supporting service learning initiatives
 Communications
 Business

9. Working with Community Groups
Peabody Essex Museum
• China trade/export art
• Historic houses
• American decorative art
• Native American art
• Contemporary art

10. Summer Bridge Academy
• 6 week preparatory
summer program for
incoming freshmen
• Collaboration among
Library, Center for
Academic Excellence,
English/Independent
Studies, and Peabody
Essex Museum began in
2010
Richard Hunt (Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl), birth 1951);
John Livingston (Adopted Kwakwaka'wakw (Kwakiutl),
birth 1951)
Door, 1984

11. Role of the Library
• Teach 5 week
information literacy
course
• Provide research
support
• Visit PEM with students

12. PEM Guides
• Research docents
– Bibliographies
– Web content
– Exhibit guides
Mr. Odell (American); Thomas Russell
(American)
Full-hull model, about 1804
Fully-rigged model of the ship FRIENDSHIP
(1797)

13. Role of the Library
• Collaborate with PEM
Lead Interpretive
Planner on course
content
• Co-teach guide training
course (4 weeks)
• Create LibGuide and
training material

14. “...teaching methodology in which
students learn through thoughtfully
organized service and structured
reflection tied directly to academic
objectives. Service activities, conducted
with and meeting the needs of a
community partner, foster civic
responsibility and deepen academic
understanding.”
What is Service Learning?

15. • Small towns with active
economies
 Small business
 Tourism
 Large companies
(Route 128)
• Potential for growth
• Lack of resources
Supporting Service Learning Initiatives

16. Types of Projects
• Plan a marketing/expansion strategy
• Help reignite the innovation cluster
• Create a business directory of downtown
Gloucester

17. Create a business directory of downtown
Gloucester
• Students in BUS 22: Business Plan
Development for Non-Business
Majors
• Asked by the City of Gloucester to
create a directory of the
businesses in the city’s
downtown
• Also asked to look for gaps in the
types of products and services
offered
Images: Courtesy of John McArdle

18. Role of the Library
• Put research within
the service learning
framework
• Create print and
online research aids
 Very specific
needs

19. Role of the Library
• Serve as research
consultant:
 In class
 On the field

20. Benefits
• Boosts the university’s image
• Raises the library’s profile
• Improves usage
• Seeing students out of the classroom
• Librarians get to work with different
populations/materials

21. Challenges
• TIME!
• Location
• Administration
• Finding opportunities
• Finding resources
• Access inequality

22. Useful Links
• Salem State University: http://www.salemstate.edu/
• City of Salem: http://salem.com/Pages/index
• PEM: http://www.pem.org
• Summer Bridge Information Literacy 2013:
http://libguides.salemstate.edu/summerbridgelibrary
• PEM Guides: http://libguides.salemstate.edu/PEMGuides
• Service Learning at SSU:
https://www.salemstate.edu/community/25147.php
• City of Gloucester: http://gloucester-ma.gov/
• All About That Gloucester Guide:
http://libguides.salemstate.edu/gloucester

23. Thank You!
Catherine Fahey, Humanities Librarian
cfahey@salemstate.edu
Marcela Y. Isuster, Business Librarian
misuster@salemstate.edu