Outreach Services For a New Generation of

Learners

Recreate and Revitalize the First Floor 2006

Why Assessment & Outreach?

•Outreach is a balance between the present and new opportunities•Emphasize University Engagement and Student Engagement•Assess Strengths, Weaknesses, Resources & Opportunities•In order to actively involve students in a learning environment, we must provide the millennial generation with several channels for communication.

Observe Human Behavior

•Meet with library users•Ask your children/their friends and other family relatives•Be aware and interested in learning new approaches•Read, read and read•Ask if we are doing things because it is convenient for us or the user•Observe staff and user interactions

Lessons Learned•You can’t stereotype users •Generally we work with a small subset of our population.•Many librarians have limited experience working with users outside the library building Compare the number of people coming into the library versus the total university. •We must work with our users in their environment to understand find ways to address their information needs•People want to share experiences across age and ethnic groups•User behavior is constantly changing

Current TrendsWhere are we seeing increase demand?

What is happening with referenceAsk hard questions: for example:

What is the role of the reference librarian?Where is reference located in physical & virtual/mobile

worlds? Staffing versus Resources?What is a reference question?Do these questions require a librarian or a computer

support staff member?What are the skills we now require of our library faculty and staff?

University Libraries as an

Academic Partner

Outreach often takes on an educational component ...two-way street … framed as engagement rather than solely dissemination or education.

Outreach strategies are linked to the organization's mission, and define targets, goals, and milestones.

Outreach

WIU Strategic Plan

Academic Excellence Educational Opportunity

Social ResponsibilityPersonal Growth

Academic Excellence

Commitment to teachingActive liaison involvement Engage millennial generation •Traditional reference services,•Social networking•Targeted Programming

Educational Opportunity•Commitment to student enrollment and retention•Created two new faculty positions•Targeted international, transfer and graduate students•Creating and reserving new learning spaces•Bringing in tutors

New Learning Spaces

Revitalized Learning Spaces

Social Responsibility

Celebrates events such as: • “Banned Books” readings, •Exhibits on a race riot in Springfield,•Outreach activities with libraries in rural communities. •Faculty publications “We Married Koreans” during International Week

Personal Growth•Partner with Beu Health Center to promote “Health and Wellness” •Host Town & Gown programs• Actively participate in all university events for first year students•Provide Learning opportunities for our faculty, staff and students.

Outreach Activities

Engage millennial generation•Social networking•Digital Commons & Studio•Information Literacy Contest

Engage University and Region•LSTA Grant-11Public Libraries•NLM Subcontract-Community Health

NLM Community Health Grant

Engage millennial generation•Social networking•Digital Commons & Studio•Information Literacy Contest

Engage University and Region•LSTA Grant-Public Libraries•NLM Subcontract-Community Health

Community Partners

Bushnell Public LibraryCounty Health Departments Eagle View Community Health SystemHenderson County Public LibraryIllinois Institute for Rural AffairsMcDonough County Housing AuthorityMcDonough County Public Library DistrictMcDonough District HospitalSalvation Army, MacombWIU Beu Health Center

New Faculty Titles

•Chief Cataloger & Assessment Librarian

•Roving Librarian to Virtual Services Librarian

•Student Outreach Services Librarian (SOS)

•Marketing & Outreach Services Librarian

Phyllis C. Self, DeanP-self@wiu.edu

http://www.wiu.edu/library/dean/blogSe

Outreach Activities