COMBINING EMBEDDED LIBRARIANSHIP WITH DIRECT OUTREACH TO UNDER- SERVED GROUPS Lorelei Rutledge Research and User Services Librarian The University of Utah.

COMBINING EMBEDDED LIBRARIANSHIP WITH DIRECT OUTREACH TO UNDER-SERVED GROUPS Lorelei Rutledge

Research and User Services LibrarianThe University of Utah

[email protected] 

Sarah LeMireFirst Year Experience and Outreach

LibrarianTexas A&M University

[email protected] 

EMBEDDEDNESS-PLUS:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ALA15ACRLeval

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Identify which underrepresented groups need additional outreach

• Create customized outreach campaigns for multiple underrepresented groups

• Build upon current marketing and outreach efforts to reach out to students from underrepresented groups

WHAT IS OUTREACH?

Marketing

Lets the community know what the library is doing and often focuses on events inside the library

Outreach

Asks what stakeholders need and engages them in conversation, focusing on events both in and outside the library

WHY IS OUTREACH IMPORTANT ON YOUR CAMPUS?

Members of underserved communities may not:

• Be familiar with the resources that the library offers.

• Know how to access what they need (language-learning resources, specific tools).

• Feel comfortable asking for help.

Love, E., & Edwards, M. B. (2009). Forging inroads between libraries and academic, multicultural and student services. Reference Services Review, 37, 20-29.

ALA OFFICE FOR LITERACY AND OUTREACH SERVICES

The ALA OLOC has identified the following communities as underserved:

• Adult New and Non-Readers

• Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People

• Incarcerated People and Ex-Offenders

• Older Adults

• People of Color

• People with Disabilities

• Poor and Homeless People

• Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds

• Bookmobile Communities

American Library Association (2014). Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/offices/olos

COMMON LIBRARY OUTREACH MODELS

• Outpost Librarianship

• Roaming Librarianship

• Liaison Librarianship

• Embedded Librarianship

• Online Outreach

EMBEDDEDNESS AND DIRECT MARKETING

• Liaison models Tend not to reach people unaffiliated with a department Limited by departmental/office engagement May be limited by space

• Embeddedness-plus model Maintaining liaison relationships Encouraging engagement with students who are missed by

traditional outreach Expanding possible outreach activities

DEVELOPING AN OUTREACH PLAN

OUTREACH FLOW CHART

TAKING STOCK

• What are your campus demographics?

• Who needs outreach on your campus?

• Which underrepresented groups are present?

• What groups do you/other library employees identify with?

LEARNING ABOUT YOUR CAMPUS/CONSTITUENTSLibrary Level

• Library Surveys

• Direct Outreach

Campus Level

• Office of Budget and Institutional Analysis

• Senior Exit Surveys

LEARNING ABOUT YOUR CAMPUS/CONSTITUENTSNational and State Level

• American Community Survey

• Pew Surveys

• Public government information

FINDING THE GAPS

• What are the gaps in library services for these groups?

• What services are already established on your campus?

• Who could you collaborate with?

UNDERSERVED GROUPS AT U OF UTAH

• Students who are parents

• Student veterans

• Students with disabilities

• LGBTQ students

HOW TO LEARN MORE

• Informational interviews

• Focus groups

• Campus groups

• Partner organizations

• LibQual, ClimateQual, or other survey data

• Student newspapers

STUDENTS WITH CHILDREN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

NASPA Consortium: Profile of the College Student Experience, Spring 2013

85%

6%

9%

University of Utah Students with Children

No children1 child2 or more children

STUDENT VETERANS

STUDENT VETERANS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH

Total Undergrad Grad PhD0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1000

University of Utah Fall 2014Veteran Enrollment

TotalMaleFemaleOther

DEVELOP OUTCOMES

• I will host one event in November in support of Veterans Day in order to draw attention to the library as a campus partner in supporting student veterans.

• The library will host a series of child-friendly science activities throughout the Fall 2015 semester in order to increase awareness and use of the Family Reading Room.

DETERMINE YOUR RESOURCES

• Money

• Space

• Time

• Energy

DETERMINING OUR RESOURCES

S T U D E N T P A R E N T S

• Budgeted funds

• Administrative support

• Multiple interested staff people

• Dedicated staff time

• Available space

• Partnerships with campus organizations

S T U D E N T V E T E RA N S

• Campus support

• One interested staff person

• No dedicated staff time

• Ability to request some funds

• Partnerships with Veteran Support Center

PROGRAMMATIC VS. AD HOC APPROACHES

P R O G R A M M AT I C

• Sustained

• May be integrated into larger library or campus goals

• Growth over time

A D H O C

• Short-term or event-based

• Limited capacity for growth

• Occasional activities

EXAMPLE PROGRAMMATIC OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

F O R M A L

• Ad in student planner

• Collection development

• Dedicated staff/faculty

• Informational interviews

• Marketing campaigns

• New library spaces

• New technology

• Office hours

• Presentation series

I N F O R M A L• Blogs

• Brown-bag lunches

• Drop-by visits

• Information on website

• LibGuides

• Training series

PROGRAMMATIC OUTREACH: FAMILY READING ROOM

DIRECT MARKETING TO STUDENTS WITH CHILDREN

EXAMPLE AD HOC OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

F O R M A L

• Events

• Exhibits

• One-time advertising

• One-time media spot

• Online tutorials

• Open houses

• Short-term exhibits

I N F O R M A L

• Book displays

• Exhibits

• Flyers on bulletin boards

• Informal training

• One-on-one conversations

• Promotional items

• Social media posts

• Tours

AD HOC OUTREACH: STUDENT VETERANS

PROGRAMMATIC ASSESSMENT: FAMILY READING ROOM

AD HOC ASSESSMENT: STUDENT VETERANS

EXAMPLE OUTREACH PLAN FROM START TO FINISH

TAKING STOCK OF LGBT PEOPLE IN UTAH

Williams Institute. (2013). Infographic: % Couples raising children in top metro areas. MSA. Retrieved from http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/research/census-lgbt-demographics-studies/infographic-msas-may-2013/

FINDING THE GAP: LGBT STUDENTS

• LGBTQ patrons may fear that they will be judged for their gender expression or identity.

• They may also struggle to find adequate LGBT content in collections

• LGBTQ people might feel like the library is not interested in supporting them.

DETERMINE YOUR RESOURCES

• A few interested library staff members

• Small collection budget for gender studies

• Good relationship with the campus LGBT Resource Center, but no strong interest from them

SELECT YOUR APPROACH: AD HOC

DEVELOP OUTCOMES AND ASSESSMENT

Outcome: We will cohost at least one event with the LGBT Resource Center

Assessment: Having at least five attendees at the event

Activities: LGBT movie showing

Advertising about movie showing

Outcome: We will showcase LGBT history to let LGBT people know they are welcome and visible

Assessment: Hosting an event with high attendance

Activities: Creating an exhibit about LGBT history

Promoting the exhibit via media coverage

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Return on Investment is “the total value returned by a product or service as compared with the total cost to produce that product or provide the service.” (Kelly, Hamasu, and Jones, 2012, 658)

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

We created a worksheet for you to use as you think about outreach opportunities in your library.

Take a look at the worksheet and talk with the person next to you about how you might apply these ideas.

For an electronic copy: https://goo.gl/mflDDn

QUESTIONS?

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ALA15ACRLeval

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American Library Association (2014). Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/offices/olos

American Library Association. Library Services for People with Disabilities Policy. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaissues/libraryservices (Accessed September 23, 2014)

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ESEMES. (2012, December 26). US one dollar bill, reverse, series 2009.jpg [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:US_one_dollar_bill,_reverse,_series_2009.jpg

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Kelly, B., Hamasu, C., & Jones, B. (2012). Applying return on investment (ROI) in libraries. Journal of Library Administration, 52(8), 656–671.

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Kelly, B., Hamasu, C., & Jones, B. (2012). Applying return on investment (ROI) in libraries. Journal of Library Administration, 52(8), 656–671.

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