With increasing emphasis placed on the possession of effective information literacy skills, it is essential that the Library be dedicated to providing outreach services beyond bibliographic instruction sessions to its community. By promoting current awareness of its essential resources and services, students and faculty can make the connection that the Library provides the tools necessary for enabling research and attaining academic success. Various staff members at the Library have handled various outreach initiatives over the years. The Library Outreach Group was formed as an opportunity to bring these efforts together.
Established as an unofficial ad-hoc group in April 2004, the Library Outreach Group provides a variety of services and publications with the purpose of promoting the Library to new and current users. Members of the Library Outreach Group coordinate and participate in a variety of annual university-wide outreach events, in addition to creating a number of multimedia documents used for internal and external university publications. The services provided by the Outreach Group help to increase:
Members of the Library Outreach Group help to create and coordinate a number of activities and publications that promote the Library’s services and resources to the University’s community. This includes:
The Outreach Group handles the creation, publication, and distribution of the library posters and bookmarks. Previous posters and bookmarks created include the Building Knowledge @ your library cheerleaders and Climb to the Top @ your library wall climber. Chris Hughes of UW Graphics was hired to take the photos of the models used in both campaigns, while Linda Hastings created the overall design of the posters/bookmarks. Photo sessions, publication, and distribution of the posters/bookmarks were handled by various members of the Outreach Group. The photos featured on the posters are also featured on the pamphlets advertising the Library Workshops’ fall schedule (LINC document).
The 2004/05 Climb to the Top @ your library campaign slogan was also used on royal blue t-shirts created by the Outreach Group. T-shirts were provided to members of Outreach, as well as to library staff who participated in the Student Life 101 event (July 2005). Other interested library staff could purchase t-shirts for $10 each.
Work for the 2006 library poster/bookmark campaign is currently underway. The new slogan selected is Exercise Your Mind @ your library. This is the third instalment in a series of the three posters containing a sports/activity theme. UW students modelled for the posters featured in this series.
Coordinated by Laurie Strome, the Library has participated in Campus Day for many years. This day-long event (approx. 8 am to 4 pm) is held on the Wednesday of the third week in March when secondary school students interested in attending UW have March Break. A variety of locations are used on campus for this event: the Library books a table/display unit in the Great Hall at the Student Life Centre, while some visitors come to the Library to receive additional information. The Outreach Group helps prepare the displays and handouts, while Laurie Strome and staff represent the Library at Campus Day.
Over 4,000 registered guests visited Campus Day on March 15, 2005.
Similar to Campus Day, the Library has participated in Student Life 101 since its inception. This day-long event (approx. 8 am to 4 pm) is held on a Saturday near the end of July in the Great Hall of the Student Life Centre, and is meant to help new students become familiar with the many services and facilities provided by UW. Coordinated by Laurie Strome, one to two members from Outreach (and several student/casual employees) represent the Library at this event. Again, the Outreach Group helps prepare the display and handouts.
Over 5,000 first year students and guests attended Student Life 101 on Saturday, July 22, 2005. This particular Student Life 101 event marked the first year for participating staff members to wear the Climb to the Top @ your library t-shirts. These shirts helped the staff representing the Library to stand out from university staff at other information booths. Additionally, Mark Haslett, University Librarian, participated at the Library’s booth for several hours.
Coordinated by Laurie Strome, the Outreach Group participates with the Student Services Tour held during fall orientation. In previous years, library presentations to new students were made at both the Dana Porter and Davis Centre Libraries. However, due to the number of prescheduled events these students must attend in a week, the Student Services Tour now only visits the Dana Porter Library.
The 2005 Student Services Tour had approximately 4,500 participants visiting the Library. It marked the first year for participating staff members to wear the Climb to the Top @ your library t-shirts.
Newsletters
Handbooks
- Student Life 101 (http://www.studentservices.uwaterloo.ca/studentlife/ publications/studentlife101_2005.pdf) – This guidebook for first year students is published and distributed in print annually, in addition to its availability online. General information pertaining to library services, locations, and resources is featured in this document.
- Real Life 101 (http://www.studentservices.uwaterloo.ca/studentlife/ publications/reallife101_2005.pdf) – This guidebook for graduating students/alumni is published and distributed in print annually, in addition to its availability online. General information pertaining to library services available to alumni is featured in this document.
- Very Important Parent’s Program (http://www.studentservices.uwaterloo.ca/ parents/parents.pdf) – This guidebook for parents of first year university students is published and distributed in print annually, in addition to its availability online. General information pertaining to library workshops and tours is included in this document.
- Contributions to Other Publications
Outreach members also directly and indirectly contribute to other publications relevant to the Library, such as brochures, pamphlets, and newsletters. Several examples of these publications include:
The Library Outreach Group is comprised of seven library staff members from the Dana Porter and Davis Centre Libraries. Current membership includes:
The Library Outreach Group meets tri-annually (once per academic term). Additional meetings are scheduled as needed.
Expenses for the group are covered under several library budgets (e.g., Publications Budget).
Due to the ongoing need for the Library to participate with outreach services and communications, the Library Outreach Group anticipates the need to formalize its representation as an official, internal committee. The following recommendations represent the next steps that the Library Outreach Group would like to accomplish over the 2005/06 academic year:
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