Documenting for Success: A Case Study of a Graduate Writing Retreat

Graduate students often find themselves balancing the demands of research and writing while managing complex academic and personal needs. Writing retreats provide an intentional space for graduate students to focus on their academic goals while supporting community-building, institutional belonging, and a welcoming environment. This proposal outlines a model for academic librarians and staff to plan and implement an effective graduate writing retreat designed to support graduate student academic activities through intentional collaboration and documentation. Penn State University’s (PSU) Graduate Student Writing Retreat started as an event housed within the University Library’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) department. The retreat began as a STEM-focused event, supporting the needs of those graduate students. The three-day writing retreat takes place over Spring Break and allows students to utilize library spaces to promote individual and group work. In 2025, the librarians expanded the Retreat to be interdisciplinary, open to all PSU University Park campus graduate students, not just STEM students. One of the most impactful services provided by the Writing Retreat are the meals: breakfast, lunch, and snacks are provided for all attendees each day, removing the distraction of finding food while students maximize their attention on academic productivity. Additionally, short research skill workshops are offered each day, and librarians are available during the retreat for drop-in consultations. This ensures participants are holistically supported throughout the retreat. The successful growth and sustainability of this program is achieved through intentional documentation and collaborative planning. The working group implementing this event maintains and organizes a collection of internal documents for each component of the planning process, making future iterations of the Writing Retreat easier to execute. These documents address important aspects, such as: Communications: Documenting communications each year means the team need only update new information rather than starting from scratch. Food and Giveaways: Keeping track not only of how much we ordered, but also what was (or was not) left and the number of participants helps the team make informed decisions for future events. Partnerships: Making note of who contacted which person in partnering offices helps to build relationships and encourage future collaboration. Assessments: Informs purchasing, assessments like participant counts and feedback surveys inform workshop topics, future events, and marketing decisions. Reports: Writing a short reflection after each event provides a great starting place for successes and lessons learned from previous years. Detailed documentation establishes a foundation for a replicable model that can be adaptable year after year. PSU subject librarians, while well-situated to connect with graduate students, do not engage in outreach or event planning as a primary responsibility. This planning process has streamlined documentation and allowed the team to create large-scale, high impact events while managing workload expectations. This framework can support librarians who wish to host impactful outreach events but may feel overwhelmed with multiple duties. Attendees will engage with practical planning tips, documentation templates, and creative engagement strategies adaptable to diverse settings through the use of a digital toolbox.