Library Visibility and Outreach Graduate Student Task Force

A key goal of the Smathers Libraries is increasing use of the libraries by our primary clientele. In order for use to increase, we must ensure that UF’s faculty, students and staff are aware of what the libraries offer and they must find using them a pleasant and rewarding experience. Many of our primary clientele don’t use or even think about the libraries unless they have a specific need that brings them to our doors. Even graduate students – the libraries’ heaviest users – are probably not using the libraries as much or as effectively as is optimal. With the closing of Library West, library visibility on the campus is less than before. Yet, we have a lot to offer and graduate students would particularly benefit by up-to-date information on what the libraries can provide. How can we reach them in a way that is meaningful and useful to them?

This task force is being asked to address library visibility and outreach as it relates to graduate students. Your charge includes gathering information and checking hypotheses, but the main thrust is to develop straightforward plans that can be implemented by fall semester. Dates when individual tasks should be completed are listed below.

1. Determine and describe how UF’s graduate students are using the libraries. What do they use? What do they not use? How satisfied are they? As the heaviest library users, do they use the libraries differently than faculty or undergraduates? June1

2. Identify non-library strategies UF’s graduate students are using to get the information they need? What do these strategies offer that the libraries apparently do not? June1

3. Identify key library resources and services that are new to or underutilized by UF’s graduate students. June 1

4. Define and develop methods and tools (web pages, handouts, a kit, scripts or talking points, etc.) that library staff can use when working with graduate students. July 15

5. Identify venues where this promotion could be done effectively. Is market segmentation an effective strategy? i.e. is it productive to relate specific products and tools to specific venues, to specific groups of graduate students? July 15

6. Develop an implementation plan with an evaluation component and a timeline. July 15

Progress will be shared with the Public Services Steering Committee and with the faculty and undergraduate task forces.

Task Force Members: Jan Swanbeck, Vernon Kisling, Iona Malanchuk, Paul Victor

Members

• Jan Swanbeck
• Vernon Kisling
• Iona Malanchuk
• Paul Victor

Minutes

2005 | 2004 |