Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2023
Publication Title
Journal Library Outreach and Engagement
Abstract
Outreach in academic libraries is an important aspect of their mission to support campus communities, but the nature of these activities, and the steps taken to plan them, is not fully understood at the profession-wide level. This study aimed to start the process of gathering data on outreach, especially among those who serve STEM-related constituents, and to begin recording the effects of COVID on library programming and events. In the summer of 2022, surveys were sent to representative librarians from Association of Academic Universities (AAU) members asking about their current outreach offerings and whether they utilized a formal outreach document to help plan and evaluate their efforts. Though all reported engaging in some sort of outreach, most shared that they had an informal approach to outreach planning. A majority reported that COVID required a shift in outreach, with staffing continuing to be a concern. Survey results are offered, along with a discussion of the findings and thoughts on the next steps towards a clearer understanding of the effects outreach has, as well as its role in academic libraries post COVID.
Keywords
academic libraries, STEM, outreach, outreach plans, campus engagement
Volume
3
First Page
69
Last Page
91
DOI
10.21900.j.jloe.v3.1188
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Rights
© 2023 Cori Biddle, Elise Gowen
Recommended Citation
Biddle, Cori and Gowen, Elise, "STEM Outreach Activities in Academic Libraries: Planning Strategies, COVID’s Impact, and Future Considerations" (2023). Article, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/scl_pubs/2
Comments
Archived as published.