Defining and Redefining Outreach to Special Populations

Abstract

Outreach is one of those inaccurate words that can vary in meaning in different contexts. This presentation will address the specific and tailored approach I have taken at the University of Maryland to define outreach in order to make it both a manageable goal and an impactful project. Specifically in this presentation I will outline and explain the methods I used to determine the “right-fit” for outreach efforts through assessment, research, and shot-in-the-dark guessing. While I will be focusing on a specific feature of the UMD campus, I believe the process is applicable to most academic librarians trying to find a good fit within diverse programs on campus. The bulk of my presentation will be on what we call “Living and Learning” programs, but I will also address work with other offices such as the student support office and the office for transfer students. I hope to share some methods for success as well as some areas for growth and how to learn from failures in order to find the right fit with other programs. I will be contrasting new and traditional forms of librarianship and discussing how “outreach” is and should continue to become a shared effort across all departments of the library.