reach out and touch

Reach Out and Touch:Reach Out and Touch:Innovation to Connect with

Nontraditional Library Users at Community Colleges

Retha HallCentral Piedmont Community College

June 3, 2009

CPCC At a CPCC At a Glance…Glance…

Largest of 58 NC Community Colleges- 61,000+ students

Curriculum: 15,539, Basic skills:6,605

Headcount by Age:◦ <21 years ….10,334◦ 21-30 years….20,875*◦ 31-40 years….13,735◦ 41-50 years…..9,938◦ >51 years…….6,85

●51% minority●6 Campuses/7 libraries●33 staff; 15 professional

What is Outreach?What is Outreach?out·reach  n. (out-rēch') The act or process of reaching out. Extent or length of reach: the vast outreach of technology;

the outreach of a forest fire from mountains to suburbs. A systematic attempt to provide services beyond

conventional limits, as to particular segments of a community: an educational outreach to illiterate adults.

outreach. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved May 26, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.classic.reference.com/browse/outreach

Why Outreach is Why Outreach is NecessaryNecessary

Gives library a visible presence & value

Connect with users/supporters Showcase services/resourcesFunding/partnership opportunitiesCan help fulfill and identify unmet

needsSurvival! Staying relevant!

Innovation at work….Implementation- venturing where no librarian has

gone before… Bojangles’!FundingBenefitsChallengesEvaluation

CPCC’sCPCC’s“Librarians on the Go” “Librarians on the Go”

Reference Outreach ProjectReference Outreach Project

Venturing where no librarian has gone before”… Bojangles’!

We’ll come to you: reaching out to meet needs of students in non-traditional (& traditional programs)

Taking advantage of wireless technology

Extension of reference

Innovation….Innovation….

Target AudienceTarget AudienceNontraditional1st GenerationTransientLow GPA/RemedialContinuing Education, Re-entry26 years and olderWorks full timeParents

Traditional18-25 yrsTransfer students

Benefits…Benefits…

Reach out and connect with students who

are uncomfortable coming to the library or unaware.

Nontraditional and nonthreatening location

Convenience

Marketing opportunity Dispel stereotypes

Funding…Funding…Innovation Grant Proposal

The Process of Getting Approved

Good News!

Where’s the $$$

Expenditures

Expected OutcomesExpected OutcomesIncreased visibility & value of

library services and resources.

Increased traffic to actual library.

Immediate information needs are met

Heighten awareness of wireless access

Perceptions of library and librarians changed.

How Did We How Did We Market?Market?

Location

E-marketing

Publicity

Word-of- Mouth

Librarians at Central Librarians at Central CampusCampus

are reaching out! are reaching out! Have you heard? Something different is happening at Bojangles’ on Central Campus! On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays of each week from 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., librarians armed with their laptops can be found at Bojangles’ answering questions and assisting students with research.

This outreach initiative is aimed toward connecting with students, staff and faculty who are not typical library users. In addition, this expansion in service will help increase awareness of library services and to encourage library use.

Take a break and check us out! Please let your students know about this additional service aswell. More outreach activities are underway, so stay tuned.

The Communicator November 8, 2007 (weekly employee e-publication)

““Librarians on the Librarians on the Go”Go”

Challenges…Challenges…Staffing

Funding

Location

Multiple projects

Effectiveness

Evaluation…Evaluation…Footprints: Stats

Comments/Feedback Received

Librarian Assessment

Other Initiatives…Other Initiatives…Drop in workshops

Programming

Campus/Community Partnerships

Your Charge…Your Charge…“Whatever your situation, it's important to remember to reach out. It's one thing to just sit in your information center and wait for people to come and ask questions. But it's quite another to go out and offer information to those who have not asked for it. That's the heart of being proactive. That's the trick of serving people who didn't even know how much they needed you. And it can be the key to staying in business in this everything's-on-the-Internet-and-I-can-find-it-myself world.”

So what are you waiting for? Don't just sit there—reach out and educate someone.”

Miller, Kathy. At Arm’s Length. Retrieved May 26, 2009 from http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/olos/moreoutreach/additionallibrary.cfm

““Librarians on the Go” Librarians on the Go” TeamTeam

Questions & AnswersQuestions & Answers

Thank you for attendingThank you for attending thisthis presentation! presentation!

Please feel free to contact me:704.330.6113

Retha.Hall@cpcc.edu