Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226 – 241
Creating connections: Library instruction across campus Sylvia G. Tag ⁎, Stefanie Buck, Martha N. Mautino Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, USA Available online 6 February 2007
Abstract The Library Outreach Program Committee at Western Washington University serves as a coordinating body for outreach activities to the non-departmental campus community. Successful projects include collaboration with New Student Services/Family Outreach, Academic User Technology Services, and Residential Life. A database of outreach activities assists in tracking and assessing outreach activities. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Keywords: Academic libraries; Student services; Library instruction; Outreach; Collaboration; Networking
1. Background Finding opportunities to offer instruction to students in a diverse, multi-level campus environment can be a challenge for academic libraries. Reaching outside of the library building, both physically and metaphorically, allows us to create connections with students in innovative and enhanced ways. Outreach at Western Washington University Libraries takes place on many levels, from freshman to faculty, and to many different users, including the greater community, and through various channels. The focus of this article is instructional outreach to students through non-departmental campus services. ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address:
[email protected] (S.G. Tag). 0734-3310/$ - see front matter © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.resstr.2006.12.001
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
227
Western Washington University is one of six state-funded, 4-year institutions of higher education in Washington. Fall 2004 enrollment was 12,940 full- and part-time students, including 2,456 new freshmen, and 995 new undergraduate transfer students. Western's Fall 2004 student body included a record 1,892 students of color, or 15% of the student body, a figure that has steadily increased over the last decade. Nearly 4,000 students live on campus in the residence halls, including 92% of first year students. The Western Libraries hold a collection of more than 1.3 million books, microforms, videos, serials, newspapers, government documents, and electronic databases. The Reference and Instruction Services department, staffed by 11 librarians and 4 reference specialists, is responsible for providing library orientations, consultations, and bibliographic and for-credit instruction. The Western Libraries, along with the academic colleges, departments, and programs, are administered under the office of the provost and vice president for the Division of Academic Affairs. Two programs the Libraries work with are Academic Technology and User Services (ATUS), part of the Division of Academic Affairs, and New Student Services/Family Outreach, under the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support Services. See Fig. 1 for the organizational structure. In Fall 2004, the Division of Student Affairs and Academic Support Services underwent a major restructuring. One of the three strategic goals of this realignment was to “enhance
Fig. 1. Organization structure.
228
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
Western's unique niche as the premiere undergraduate institution in the state of Washington through investments in first year programs for freshmen and transfers that ensure successful academic and social integration into the culture of the academy” (Coughlin, 2004). An important consequence of the restructuring was an emphasis on orientation and academic support programs for freshmen and transfer students with a focus on reaching out to collaborate with other campus programs. For many years, Western Libraries outreach activities to the non-departmental campus community at Western Washington University were characterized by a focus on promoting library services, encouraging library use, providing information, and offering hospitality. Activities ranged from participation in welcoming activities, such as staffing information tables and participating in campus Open Houses, and offering short walking tours of the library complex periodically and by request. Individual reference librarians acted as faculty advisors to student clubs as part of their service activities, or were involved with other campus community groups relating to their departmental liaison responsibilities. Many different groups within the library participated in these outreach activities and involvement in these activities was actively supported and encouraged by the library administration. However, the coordination of many of these events was handled by a library staff member, as only one part of her job responsibilities. When this staff member retired, the library had an opportunity to reevaluate our services. The library wanted to continue to offer traditional outreach activities, but there was significant interest in expanding our focus to provide more targeted instructional opportunities.
2. Library Outreach Program Committee In the Fall of 2003, a reference librarian and a reference staff member initiated a study of past outreach activities and accomplishments as a means of facilitating a discussion within the Reference and Instruction Team about the future of the outreach program. The team needed to come to consensus about whether to continue, disband, or modify the outreach program for the university community, and to consider whether the past level of activity could be sustained. In addition, we had to evaluate, modify, and prioritize to make best use of resources, including personnel, and to review how the outreach program adds value to our library services. The Reference and Instruction Team recommended that the Outreach Program for the university community be continued with modifications and created an Outreach Task Force with a charge to examine and identify the scope of the library's outreach activities and to make a recommendation about how outreach should be provided in the future. In turn, the Outreach Task Force recommended creating a committee to provide a formal organizational structure for outreach and the implementation of an assessment plan and developed membership criteria and a committee charge. Campus outreach for our library was very carefully defined as orientation and instructional activities for students outside of the academic departmental liaison context. The Library Outreach Program Committee (LOPC) was formed in the Spring of 2004.
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
229
As its first task, LOPC examined the types of activities that had traditionally been offered and gathered under one umbrella any type of event or activity that might be considered nondepartmental campus outreach. This is reflected in the committee's charge: The Library Outreach Program Committee will prioritize, plan and keep track of the nondepartmental campus and community outreach activities of the library. The committee reports to the Reference and Instruction Team, coordinating with Reference and Instruction when services overlap. The committee will monitor, update and foster communication between the library and campus programs; currently consisting of Academic Advising, Admissions Office, International Students (AUAP and IEP), New Student Programs, University Extended Education and Summer Programs, WWU Foundation. Members of the team will coordinate specific programs and activities. The committee will inform the University Librarian in a timely manner regarding new developments and outreach services. The committee will design and implement an annual assessment plan that is disseminated to the library faculty and Reference and Instruction. Committee members were recruited from all library departments, from both faculty and staff ranks, including reference services and circulation services (with liaisons to special collections, technical services, and the library display team). Shared ownership of responsibilities is an important aspect of the committee structure, as is transparency of committee activities. An e-mail group account was created so that contact information and facilitation would remain stable and independent of membership changes. Outreach activities by library departments, e.g., the Reference and Instruction Team or Special Collections, as well as individual non-departmental outreach efforts are reported to the committee for tracking purposes. Committee members each volunteer to coordinate specific departments and programs: Academic Advising, Admissions Office, International Programs, New Student Services/Family Outreach, University Extended Education and Summer Programs, and the University Foundation. LOPC works with this wide range of campus organizations to provide a variety of library instruction services. Meeting minutes, brochure text, reports, assessment instruments, an Outreach Database, and other committee documents are posted to a shared network drive accessible to the entire library staff. Regular reports of initiatives and accomplishments are made to the library personnel and administration. Assessment is administered at all levels of the program to provide adaptability and modifications that are based on real data. A report to the library faculty is included in Appendix A.
3. Literature review The creation of the Library Outreach Program Committee coincided with a renewed interest in outreach services to students by academic libraries. On university and college campuses, increasing attention is being paid by academic libraries to reaching out to underserved student populations with non-traditional approaches, and to providing all students with an enhanced educational experience.
230
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
The importance of connecting, collaborating, and partnering with student services offices and other non-traditional areas on campus is only now receiving more attention (Cawthorne, 2003; Hollister, 2005; Rockman, 2001), although Hollister (2005) notes that “to date, student services divisions are an unexplored area for librarian outreach and information literacy instruction” (p. 105). More libraries are beginning to recognize the need to market their services and to work with student support services to advertise library services (Cawthorne, 2003; Dodsworth, 1998; Neuhaus & Snowden, 2003; Rockman, 2001). The Web has gained a predominant position as a public relations tool to reach out to students who may not otherwise come to the library, but other tools for reaching out such as e-mail, electronic discussion lists, and other push-technology are also being used to successfully get the message out (Harringon & Li, 2001). Publicity is key to making any outreach effort a success. The primary goal of such marketing and outreach efforts is to raise the awareness of library services to regular and special user groups and to center the library on campus (Kuchi, Mullen & Tama-Bartels, 2004; Rader, 2001). The value of such partnerships with other academic and non-academic units in helping to increase the visibility of the library is also well documented (Rader, 2001; Rockman, 2001). One of the main catalysts for libraries to pursue these connections is the changing nature of reference work. The advent of the Internet has seen a steady decrease in use of reference services and many libraries have discovered the values of marketing and outreach services to highlight the special services libraries can offer (Cawthorne, 2003; Neuhaus & Snowden, 2003). Another consequence of the competition of other information services is a “widespread lack of knowledge among faculty and students regarding library services and programs” (Moeckel & Goode, 2000, p. 273), a sentiment echoed by others (Neuhaus & Snowden, 2003). In marketing library services, however, most academic libraries have either been reluctant to market themselves, or have chosen to target the more traditional user groups of faculty, students, and staff (Marshall, 2001). Marshall (2001) attributes this to a general feeling among academic libraries, especially directors, that academic libraries have a “captive audience” since students and faculty are expected to use library resources in their research, and therefore marketing library services is either unnecessary, or simply not part of an academic library's mission. Another catalyst has come from the student services side of the equation. Over the last 15– 20 years, student services staff have been aware of the fact that they need to reconnect student services and academic services into one “seamless learning environment between in- and outof-class experiences for students” (Kellogg, 1999, p. 2). The Student Learning Imperative (SLI) document issued in 1994 by the American College Personnel Association offers guidelines to student services staff on how to bridge the gap between intellectual life on campus and the social, personal, and emotional experiences of the students during their academic career. Both SLI and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators' Principles of Good Practice for Student Affairs (1997) encourage collaboration between student affairs and the academic units on campus. While libraries are only mentioned incidentally in the SLI document, the library is clearly an academic unit where collaboration with student affairs can only improve the student's learning experience (Gratch-Lindauer, 2005).
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
231
A review of the literature of the National Orientation Directors Association reveals a number of articles that emphasize the importance of collaboration. In their case study on the perceptions of current students regarding how university orientation programs do and should work together, Love and Miller (2002) found that “students do not think that universitysponsored or university-wide new student programs must include all activities and address all services by themselves.” Looking at this data from student questionnaires reinforces the fact that students are sensitive to the demands on their time. “These findings indicate that orientation professionals need to be purposeful in their program planning and need to facilitate a holistic approach to orientation that includes a variety of campus offices and academic departments” (p. 31). All of the libraries that have attempted some form of non-departmental outreach agree that having a variety of partnerships, making personal acquaintances and maintaining a positive relationship with university administration are crucial components of a successful outreach campaign and that the general result has been a library that is more visible and more central to the campus (Hollister, 2005; Kuchi et al., 2004; Rader, 2001). This type of campaign requires that more marketing research be done before another project of the nature they describe should be attempted (Kuchi et al., 2004). Rockman's (2001) comment that “strategic alliances and collaborative partnerships are central to our purpose and are of paramount importance for advancing our goals, services and programs” is echoed across the literature (p. 616). In describing the University of Buffalo's efforts to provide library services at the student center, Hollister (2005) notes that “having the right contacts and knowing the right people can often bear fruit for library liaisons” (p. 109). He also notes that the success of the librarians' integration into the curriculum library “blossomed into additional instructional opportunities,” in this case, offering workshops to users of the career service office on researching potential employers (p. 107). The librarians at Kresge Library at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, state that their efforts have dramatically increased contact with previously underserved student populations. The impetus for many of their outreach activities came from their effort to connect with the Student Affairs division. They note that “since the librarians have become further acquainted with the directors and support staff of student affairs, they have been invited to do more than the outreach activities initially envisioned” (Kraemer, Keyse & Lombardo, 2003, p. 8). Other excellent models of campus collaborations between the library and campus programs include the Partners Program at Washington State University (Library Instruction Program, 2005) and the HVC2 : High Velocity Change through High Volume Collaboration initiative at the University of Kansas (University of Kansas' Information Services, 2005). Both of these programs offer a rich collection of ideas and practical strategies. Clearly, outreach has been revived in the 21st century and is increasingly being revitalized as a part of standard services for academic libraries. The online environment means that remote access to the library is a common, typical, and ordinary experience for many students. The less time students spend in the library the fewer opportunities there are for librarians to make contact. This is especially true for non-traditional students or transfer students who may not have received library introduction in the classroom. Proactive contact by going outside the library walls to meet students at their point of need is becoming increasingly important.
232
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
4. New student orientation workshops The Western Libraries are trying to thoughtfully respond to the changing definitions of library outreach services. A majority of the Western Libraries outreach committee's activities involve collaboration with the New Student Services/Family Outreach department and this is a crucial focus for our instructional outreach efforts. The Western Libraries have traditionally offered sessions in conjunction with the quarterly new student orientations provided by New Student Services/Family Outreach. In the past, these library orientation sessions attracted a minimal audience. This was partially due to the fact that we were scheduled at the same time as the well-attended Academic Technology User Services (ATUS) presentation,
[email protected]. The sessions focused on practical matters like computer connections in the residence halls, how to set-up campus e-mail and, surprisingly enough, locating the library Web site. Based on the fact that ATUS was already including information about the library in its presentation, library outreach personnel approached ATUS about combining forces with a focus on technology services and online research resources. Joining our two services was a natural fit. The library, in conjunction with ATUS, now offers
[email protected] workshops during quarterly orientations, providing incoming students with a basic introduction to technology and library services and resources. The 50-minute sessions focus on technology resources at WWU and are held in fully mediated campus lecture halls. The library portion typically covers an online orientation to the library Web site, with emphasis on searching the library catalog; accessing, choosing, and searching databases; accessing a library record to renew materials; finding help with research guides; and obtaining materials through interlibrary loan. The library presenter provides packets of information for each student, including the annual library newsletter, the Library Handbook, a plagiarism brochure, and a flyer about the library's online interactive Assignment Planner. Woven throughout the ATUS and library presentations are references to each other's resources. For example, the ATUS presenter mentions that the library's online resources are one of the critical items available through the student portal, MyWestern. As a reflection of the academic integration that students need to make at the university, the joining of seemingly disparate technology services and library resources serves to reinforce an integrated approach to academic work. As with most 4-year educational institutions, transfer students from 2-year community colleges or from other 4-year institutions, or older students returning to higher education, make up an important segment of our university's incoming student population. The needs of these non-traditional students are considerable, but they have typically been given limited attention by student services and libraries. This is beginning to change as 4-year institutions acknowledge that targeted outreach activities through collaboration with student services is critical to academic success (Kippenhan, 2004). In fact, a survey conducted at Western Washington University in 2002 showed the majority of incoming transfer students were actually interested in some form of library instruction (Tag, 2004). New Student Services provides an annual summer orientation session, called Transitions, aimed at transfer students who will start in the Fall. The
[email protected] workshops have become an important part of this effort.
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
233
5. Library research workshops In the Spring of 2004, the New Student Services Office and the Academic Advising Office contacted the library about enhancing our services to transfer students. The Library Outreach Program Committee (LOPC) brought this forward to the larger Reference and Instruction (R&I) Team. The R&I Team created a survey to determine student interest that was administered during the Western transfer student summer orientation, including the
[email protected] workshops. We found that 82% of students surveyed were interested in discipline-specific research workshops. The R&I Team was eager to respond and decided to create a pilot project. It occurred to the team that newly declared majors are often in the same position as transfer students in terms of library research experience. Course work during their first 2 years at Western may or may not include a research component. Therefore, we proceeded to develop library research workshops that were discipline-based and promoted them to newly declared majors as well as transfer students. The workshops were offered mid-quarter when papers and projects had been assigned. Six subject areas were offered: Arts and Humanities, Business, Science, Social Science, General, and Internet Research. Advertising consisted of a notice on the library Web site, posters in the library and direct e-mails to faculty with a request to alert students. Turnout for the workshops was dismal, but the students who did attend were extremely enthusiastic. From anecdotal postings on library instruction discussion lists, it appears that other libraries have had similar experiences with workshops. The R&I Team invited New Student Services representatives to offer feedback and explore additional ways to collaborate in publicizing the workshops. Because New Student Services was interested in finding a way to continue the workshop offerings, we began to brainstorm how to expand the publicity via weekly e-mail newsletters and to increase promotion at orientation events. The Western Libraries have used a mix of traditional and electronic publicity methods to advertise the workshops. For example, for the library workshop, originally geared towards the transfer students, we created posters with the slogan “resources your professor will love.” In addition, small cards were placed at the reference desk advertising the workshops. This Fall, based on a suggestion from University Residential Technology Services, we will also advertise with table tents in the dormitory dining halls. The latest effort at publicity is to put announcements for library research workshops onto the university portal (MyWestern). This idea came from the Student Technology Center (STC), a student-funded computing lab that assists students in higher-end computing activities such as creation of digital video and digital image management. To promote their workshops, the STC incorporated a channel into the university portal listing the courses offered and linking this to an online registration form. Registration and walk-ins increased from under 50 attendees per quarter to over 200 attendees per quarter (Brown, 2005). In Spring 2005, a breakthrough occurred when the University Librarian had a conversation with the Director of University Residences. The Office of Residence Life is making efforts to improve the academic support services offered in the residence halls. A meeting was called to bring together the offices and programs that provide academic
234
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
support. The table included representatives from New Student Services, Tutorial Center, Academic Advising, Academic Technology Services, Writing Center, Special Programs/ Events, the University Library, and the Residential Directors and Advisors. We will never know if the library was invited to this meeting because we already had outreach activities in place, but, with a program already in place, we were able to mobilize and respond with efficiency and clarity. The idea that emerged was Residence Hall Workshops where students can “learn about library resources from the comfort of their campus home.” A new initiative for 2005–2006 is to strengthen our collaboration with the Graduate School. In the past, the library has provided a brief article in the annual Graduate Brochure highlighting resources and services. In Summer 2005, an assistant from the Graduate School contacted our outreach committee facilitator to find out if the library would be offering any tours in Fall 2005, and if so, whether 10–30 incoming graduate students could tag along. When the outreach facilitator suggested that a tour designed specifically for the new graduate students might be especially effective, the response was enthusiastic. This is now an annual event. These are just a few examples of connections leading to outreach opportunities. The library's participation in the Residence Life meeting led to our involvement with University Residences and the inclusion of the library in the university-wide effort to improve academic support services. The library and the academic computing services have had regular meetings to discuss joint technology issues. The suggestion about using MyWestern came from the Director of Academic Technology User Services during one of these meetings and library workshops are now advertised on the MyWestern portal.
6. Tracking, archiving, and assessing outreach activities Literature on the assessment of library outreach activities to non-departmental campus services is sparse. While some libraries have administered surveys to evaluate their outreach efforts, responses have generally been low. Rod Library (University of Northern Iowa) discerned no increase in its reference desk statistics after a concerted marketing campaigning in 2001, although there was a considerable increase in requests from faculty for library instruction (Neuhaus & Snowden, 2003). Rutgers University Libraries experienced a similar problem when they surveyed students using the new satellite reference service (Kuchi et al., 2004). When Kresge Library at Oakland University partnered with Student Affairs for orientation programs, however, they did notice increased library gate counts and higher numbers of reference transactions (Kraemer, Keyse & Lombardo, 2003). Neuhaus and Snowden (2003) conclude that the benefits of these activities may often be more intangible than tangible. Assessment has been an integral part of our outreach activities, particularly for the Library Research Workshops. We use assessment instruments to identify who attends the workshops and to gauge the overall satisfaction of the content. We have recently used the assessment feedback to justify more in-depth research workshops held throughout the academic year. Student feedback also provided useful information regarding the time of day and when they
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
235
should take place during the quarter. Because of the small number of participants, we decided to reduce the number of workshop offerings and make the content more generic. We also learned that students don't necessarily come to the workshop designed for their major. They may come to a workshop in science research because they are taking a science course that quarter and want some extra assistance. A summary of student feedback received through the assessment instrument can be found in Appendix B. Assessment of the
[email protected] workshops, gathered from evaluation questionnaires and attendance data, confirmed a continuing interest in this type of collaborative session. The answers to the question, “What was one thing you learned today about the library?” helped us to focus our limited time on the items that particularly captured the attention of students new to our campus and library. We find that while attendance at these workshops varies from 10 to 40 students and parents per session, it remains relatively stable for particular days and times and from year to year. Outreach database To keep all this valuable information organized, a database is used by the Library Outreach Program Committee to track and preserve information about all outreach activities, to establish and maintain an outreach calendar and timeline, and to create reports. Other universities have used other methods of recording their outreach activities. Utah State University, for example, used SPSS to create an in-house program that can generate various charts and statistics (Piette & Dance, 1993). At Western Washington, we chose to create our outreach database using Microsoft Access, which has the advantage of being available on almost any computer fitted with Microsoft Office. The database tracks each event by noting the number of attendees, associated costs, equipment, and resources needed. Of particular use are links to related documents and materials that are available on the library server. In addition, the outreach database helps the committee maintain its contacts. Staff changes occur throughout the university and the committee has established contacts in each partner program. There are many departments or programs with which the committee has to coordinate events. It is important to maintain contacts and keep the information up-to-date. Not doing so may mean a lost opportunity. Not only can the committee keep track of events but we can also generate reports of committee activities whenever that information is required, e.g., annual reports to the library administration, financial reports, reports of promotional materials distributed, etc. Long-term planning is made easier by having this information readily available. An example of a statistical report is available in Appendix C.
7. Opportunities and challenges Maintaining current ties and connections on campus and developing new ones requires proactive contact on the part of the library. Upon making contact with a group, the librarians often hear the response, “we've been wanting to do this for a long time,” but generally these
236
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
wishes have not developed into action. Some of this is due to staff turnover in offices on campus. Networking with programs and offices allows the library to find the most opportune time to reach students. For example, 2 years ago a library session for first year students was moved from a Thursday evening to a Wednesday evening because a Residential Adviser counseled the library that the popular television show Friends airs on Thursday nights and students do not attend any university function that competes with that show. Another reality to keep in mind is that information overload is not only on the Internet. During a recent conversation with a faculty member, who serves as a new student advisor, frustration was expressed about the amount of information that new students are bombarded with during orientations. This faculty member was trying to decide what to emphasize when meeting with students and felt that it was impossible to give attention to all the material that students receive. Promoting the wealth of resources and services on campus was literally overwhelming. The master calendar of the university may affect program planning. We have found that being flexible at the planning stage has long term benefits. The objective is to work with programs, not to impose a “library agenda.” Collaboration, with all its challenges, allows all the parts of the academic community to be represented in ways that are not competitive but complementary.
8. Conclusion This overview of the library outreach program at Western Washington University has described some of our current activities and collaborations. The Library Outreach Program Committee (LOPC) has become a well-functioning group with library-wide representation and participation. A significant shift in the campus environment that is just beginning to be discussed in library literature is the blending of campus services. From the student's perspective, the academic community is not compartmentalized. This is particularly true for new students and students who have not declared a major, connected with an academic discipline, or used advanced research services. For our library, an effective response is collaboration between service points on campus. With an outreach program in place that allows for flexibility in membership, maintains a database of dates and contact information, and does regular assessment at all levels, we can create opportunities and share library initiatives through campus partnerships. Finally, we would be remiss if we failed to mention the various offices and programs on our campus that work willingly with the library: New Student Services/Family Outreach, Academic Advising and Tutorial Center, Academic Technology User Services, Writing Center, Special Programs/Events, ResTek, International Programs, and Residence Life. If there is a personality type for university service professionals that is characterized by the traits of fun-loving, insightful, knowledgeable, and kind, then campus programs and services here at Western Washington University exceed the mark.
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
237
Appendix A Library Outreach Program Committee Report to Faculty—January 24, 2005 1. Membership and Charge Library Outreach Program Committee established February 2004 Meeting biweekly or monthly Current members: Librarians, Reference Staff, Library Staff from Acquisitions and Circulation 2. Program Activities Outreach to WWU Students: Admissions: Discovery Days and Transfer Days-provide Connectors; Western Preview– promotion of Passport Tours through bookmark/pen offer ■ Alumni Office: Western Wire (online alumni newsletter)–monthly submissions ■ Associated Students: AS Info Fair–library info table with handouts, souvenirs ■ International students: AUAP–presentation, coupon at welcome event; IEP–library orientation ■ New Student Services/Family Outreach: Summerstart, Transitions–info table, guided library tours, orientation workshops, brochure copy; Quarterly Orientations–guided tours, brochure copy; Fall Family Open House and Western Family Showtime (spring)– passport tours, special programs (Special Collections Open House, Storytelling in Skybridge), brochure copy; Scholars Academy and Out-of-State Students Welcome Reception–provide Connectors and souvenirs ■ Library Research Workshops ■
Outreach to Community: ■ K-12 Schools: Program–substantially revised focus, policies and procedures, key component = coordinating with school librarians, revised Web pages; K-12 Librarians Workshop; History Day research visits ■ September Project: presentation, Web site, posters, and handouts ■ Community Colleges: library orientations and bibliographic instruction ■ Visiting Faculty and Dignitaries: orientations and tours ■ Library Tours of Mongolian Collection 3. Materials, Web Pages, and Other Activities Promotional Materials and Publications: Brochures distributed–The Connector (100s), Library Handbook, Circulation, Media, Music Library
■
238 ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
Self-Guided Passport Tour revised Souvenir pens and magnets created for the self-guided tour Web pages: Western Libraries Outreach Program, http://www.library.wwu.edu/ref/inst/campusevents. htm Services for Visitors, http://www.library.wwu.edu/ref/inst/community/visitorservices/ index.htm K-12 Guidelines for Group Research Visits, http://www.library.wwu.edu/ref/inst/ community/visitorservices/visitguide.html
Other Activities: ■ Directory on the Public access drive at P:/LIBRARY/Outreach/-includes meeting minutes, committee documents, K-12 documents, brochure copy, samples of coupons and inserts, outreach database. These documents are available to all library personnel ■ Outreach group e-mail account–
[email protected] ■ Outreach Database: Available for viewing to all library personnel. Input is limited to members of the LOPC 4. Outreach Database Demonstration ■ Track and archive all outreach activities, establish and maintain an outreach calendar, create reports. Appendix B July 2005 Workshop Assessment (Summary) You @ WWU Workshop Assessment Summary Transitions July 2005 WORKSHOP INFORMATION: The you@wwu workshops focus on technology resources. They are provided by Western Libraries Reference and Instruction in conjunction with Academic Technology User Services (ATUS). A representative from ATUS gives a 30-minute Power Point presentation; a librarian or specialist gives a 20-minute orientation to the library Web site and resources. Workshops are offered during Transitions, a summer orientation for incoming transfer students, during fall, winter, and spring quarterly orientations for incoming students. TRANSITIONS, July 2005: Sessions for July 2005 Transitions were held on July 8, 13 and 15, 2005, at 10:00–10:50 am and 11:00–11:50 am each day. The first session each day was attended mostly by students; the second session included many parents. Total attendance = 107
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
239
Attendance breakdown by date and time: • • •
Friday Wednesday Friday
7/8/05 7/13/05 7/15/05
10:00 = 20 10:00 = 12 10:00 = 18
11:00 = 30 11:00 = 11 11:00 = 16
QUESTIONS and ANSWERS from Assessment Forms: Assessment forms returned = 57 1. What was one thing you learned today about the library? Location, hours
Online—general
Location (where it is) (3) Library hours/days (3) Two buildings Music library
Floor plan
Online— databases
Help, services
Miscellaneous
How to access (3) Assignment Planner (8) Overdue Extent and Library workshops notification (2) variety (4) How/where to access (6) ProQuest info (2) Guided tours Online resources (9) Online articles Subject specialists Off-campus access (3) Summit (4) Students' U-Drive (2) Search tools Renew/access record (2) Librarian Web site Online research help
Interlibrary loan Laptops available (2) Support for students (3) Writing Center
Immense resources (4) Much to offer students Care about students Great resource Accessibility of library Wow! Impressed!
2. Was the orientation helpful? a. Yes = 56
b. No = 1
3. Would you be interested in coming to a Library Research Workshop this Fall? a. Yes = 31
b. Maybe = 13
c. No = 8
4. Major? Business and Economics
Fine and Performing Arts
Humanities and Social Science
Sciences and Technology
Woodring/Education
Accounting (3) Business (2) Economics
Art (3) Graphic Design (2) Music (4)
Anthropology Comm. Sciences (2) Communications
Biochemistry Biology Chemistry
Art Education Biology/Education Education (2) (continued on next page)
240
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
(continued) Business and Economics
Fine and Performing Arts
Humanities and Social Science
Sciences and Technology
Woodring/Education
Marketing
English (2)
Fairhaven (1)
Journalism
Elementary Education (2) English/Education
Undecided (5)
Linguistics Political Science Psychology (2) Sports psychology
Computer Science Electronics/Eng. Tech. Geology Industrial Design Mathematics
English/Secondary Education Secondary Education
5. Additional Comments, Questions Sounds like an awesome library Good library hours! I'm a 65-year-old dad to one of the students. I graduated in '68 and '72—big changes! The MyWestern appears very user friendly. I learned a lot about the library and its resources. It was very informative. Are the dissertations listed in a ProQuest results list in full text online? How do you get to full text articles? My daughter is planning to major in Library Science; would she be able to work or intern at the library?
Appendix C Library Outreach Program Committee Example Statistical Report January 24, 2005 2004–2005 (up to 1/21/05)* Total no. of Connectors distributed Total no. of souvenirs distributed Total attendance Percentage of events that reoccur each year Percentage of events that involved Bibliographic Instruction Percentage of events that involved Workshops Percentage of events that involved Guided Library Tour Percentage of events that involved Library Orientation Percentage of events that involved Research Visits Percentage of events that involved Group Passport Tour Percentage of events that involved Information Table Percentage of events that involved other *Please note that each event can involve more that one of the elements listed above.
913 822 1163 41 4 7 37 11 19 4 15 15
S.G. Tag et al. / Research Strategies 20 (2007) 226–241
241
References Brown, S. (2005, April). Student Technology Center: First year in review. Presented at the NW-MET—Northwest College and University Council for Management of Educational Technology Conference, Parksville, BC, Canada. Retrieved August 29, 2005, from http://www.wwu.edu/cms/WWU.TechCenter/About/ STC-FirstYearInReview.ppt Cawthorne, J. E. (2003). Integrating outreach and building partnerships. C&RL News, 64(10), 666−669. Coughlin, E.V. (2004). Student affairs and academic support services strategic realignment. Retrieved October 27, 2005, from Western Washington University Web site: www.wwu.edu/depts/vpsa/pdf/EVC_Realignment_memo. pdf Dodsworth, E. M. (1998). Marketing academic libraries: A necessary plan. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 24 (4), 320−322. Gratch-Lindauer, B. (2005). Information literacy student behaviors: Potential items for the National Survey of Student Engagement.C&RL News, 66(10). Retrieved November 21, 2005, from http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/ acrlpubs/crlnews/backissues2005/november05/infolitbehavior.htm Harringon, D. L., & Li, X. (2001). Spinning an academic Web community: Measuring market effectiveness. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 27(3), 199−207. Hollister, C. (2005). Bringing information literacy to career services. Reference Services Review, 33(1), 104−111. Kippenhan, H. (2004). Recommendations for the recruitment and retention of transfer students. College and University, 80(1), 13−17. Kellogg, K. (1999).Collaboration: Student affairs and academic affairs working together to promote student learning. (BBB32577). Washington, DC: George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No: ED432940). Kraemer, E. W., Keyse, D. J., & Lombardo, S. V. (2003). Beyond these walls: Building a library outreach program at Oakland University. In P. Kelsey, & S. Kelsey (Eds.), Outreach services in academic and special libraries (pp. 5−17). New York: Haworth. Kuchi, T., Mullen, L. B., & Tama-Bartels, S. (2004). Librarians without borders: Reaching out to students at a campus center. Reference and User Services Quarterly, 43(4), 310−317. Library Instruction Department. Washington State University Libraries. (2005). Partners Programs. Retrieved October 25, 2005 from Washington State University Web site: http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/ usered/partners.html Love, R., & Miller, M. (2002). Departmental and university orientation: A case study on competing programs and supportive systems. Journal of College Orientation and Transition, 9(2), 27−36. Marshall, N. J. (2001). Public relations in academic libraries: A descriptive analysis. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 27(2), 116−121. Moeckel, N., & Goode, J. (2000). Building a better mousetrap. C&RL News, 61(4), 273−275. National Association of Student Personnel Administration (NASPA). (1997). Principles of good practice for student affairs. Retrieved November 20, 2005 from NASPA Web site: http://www.naspa.org/resources/ principles.cfm Neuhaus, C., & Snowden, K. (2003). Public relations for a university library: A marketing programme is born. Library Management, 24(4/5), 193−203. Piette, M. I., & Dance, B. (1993). A statistical evaluation of a library orientation program for graduate students. Research Strategies, 11(3), 164−173. Rader, H. B. (2001, April). A new academic library model: Partnerships. C&RL News, 62(4), 393−396. Rockman, I. F. (2001). Strategic alliances. C&RL News, 62(6), 616−618. Tag, S. G. (2004). A library instruction survey for transfer students: Implications for library services. Journal of Academic Librarianship, 30(2), 102−108. University of Kansas' Information Services (2005). HVC2: High Velocity Change through High Volume Collaboration. Retrieved October 20, 2005 from University of Kansas Web site: http://www.ku.edu/~hvc2/