Kathy Campbell

Developing a writing group for librarians: the benefits of successful collaboration

Purpose – Research productivity is often counted as a major factor in evaluations and promotion. Librarians have had to find a way to pursue research along with performing job duties and professional service. Collaborative research can provide an effective solution for busy librarians who need to show a record of research. Additionally, it can be a cost‐effective means for library administrators to promote library faculty output in the face of reduced travel and research budgets. This paper seeks to address these issues.Design/methodology/approach – In developing their research group, the authors began with a small, informal collaboration on an article describing new staffing models for library outreach. As the writing of the article proceeded, the group developed a more formal structure. As that article reached completion, the purpose of the group expanded to that of fostering creativity and following creative leads to a publishable (or presentable) conclusion.Findings – In the two years during which the...

Redirecting library instruction based on socioeconomic data

Purpose – This paper aims to utilize data collected at the national, state, and local level to analyze our library instruction (LI) program with the goal of designing a program to best suit student needs.Design/methodology/approach – The collection and analysis of national, state, and local economic and computer access and usage statistics was carried out.Findings – Although most incoming freshmen at East Tennessee State University have access to computers and can perform basic computer functions, they do not have the skill set necessary to do college‐level research.Practical implications – Sherrod Library needs to continue providing traditional LI classes. Furthermore, new ways to train incoming freshmen in research methods need to be developed.Originality/value – The use of national, state, and local economic and computer access and usage statistics to create a profile of our students in order to assess LI and outreach programs.

Libguides to the Rescue: The Cure for the Same Old Boring Papers

ABSTRACT Devising new ways to collaborate with faculty can be a challenge. In offering professors the opportunity to replace a written paper with a LibGuide assignment, the librarians hoped that the close working relationship necessary to ensure the success of this pilot would allow us to become actively engaged in the classroom. From the perspectives of faculty, a LibGuides assignment can represent an interesting alternative to a research paper that offers flexibility in design and content. For students, a LibGuide assignment can not only be fun but also challenging, since they will have to assess everything they put in the guide.

Library Outreach Positions: From Planning to Practice

East Tennessee State University has a diverse student population of approximately 12,500 students. Recent statistics have indicated that the student body is bypassing the physical library building, including reference services, and connecting to online sources from off campus. With only six public service librarians whose duties include interlibrary loan, instruction, and other key library functions, librarians are limited in their ability to provide outreach to those students who might never enter the library. In this article, the authors describe the decision process in developing outreach librarian positions for the graduate programs librarian and the undergraduate student services librarian and discuss the specific services that these librarians provide to students.