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 Colleges- 61,000+ students Curriculum: 15,539, Basic skills:6,605 Headcount by Age: ◦ <21 years ….10,334 ◦ years….20,875* ◦ years….13,735 ◦ years…..9,938 ◦ >51 years…….6,85 ● 51% minority ● 6 Campuses/7 libraries ● 33 staff; 15 professional

What is Outreach? out·reach n. (out-r ē ch') 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:

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!

Innovation at work…. Implementation- venturing where no librarian has gone before… Bojangles’! Funding Benefits Challenges Evaluation CPCC’s “Librarians on the Go” Reference Outreach Project CPCC’s “Librarians on the Go” Reference 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….

Target Audience Nontraditional 1 st Generation Transient Low GPA/Remedial Continuing Education, Re-entry 26 years and older Works full time Parents Traditional 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 opportunity Dispel 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

“Librarians on the Go” Team

Questions & Answers Thank you for attending this presentation! Please feel free to contact me: