Reach Out and Touch:
Innovation to Connect with Nontraditional
Library Users at Community Colleges
Retha Hall
Central Piedmont Community College
June 3, 2009
CPCC At a Glance…

Largest of 58 NC Community Colleges61,000+ 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?
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 Necessary
Gives library a visible presence & value
 Connect with users/supporters
 Showcase services/resources
 Funding/partnership opportunities
 Can help fulfill and identify unmet needs
 Survival! Staying relevant!

CPCC’s
“Librarians on the Go”
Reference Outreach Project
Innovation at work….
 Implementation- venturing where no librarian has
gone before… Bojangles’!
 Funding
 Benefits
 Challenges
 Evaluation

Innovation….

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
Target Audience
Nontraditional







1st Generation
Transient
Low GPA/Remedial
Continuing Education, Re-entry
26 years and older
Works full time
Parents
Traditional


18-25 yrs
Transfer students
Benefits…
 Reach
out and connect with students who
are uncomfortable coming to the library
or unaware.
 Nontraditional
and nonthreatening
location
 Convenience
 Marketing
 Dispel
opportunity
stereotypes
Funding…

Innovation Grant Proposal

The Process of Getting Approved

Good News!

Where’s the $$$

Expenditures
Expected Outcomes

Increased 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 Market?

Location

E-marketing

Publicity

Word-of- Mouth
Librarians at Central Campus
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 Go”
Challenges…

Staffing

Funding

Location

Multiple projects

Effectiveness
Evaluation…

Footprints: Stats

Comments/Feedback Received

Librarian Assessment
Other Initiatives…

Drop in workshops

Programming

Campus/Community Partnerships
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” Team
Questions & Answers
Thank you for attending
this presentation!
Please feel free to contact me:
704.330.6113
[email protected]