Outreach and Marketing and Access Services: Findings from the 2018 environmental scan for the Access Services Framework...and more.

Abstract

For the development of the Access Services Framework, the working group for Focus III- Outreach and Marketing conducted a 15-question environmental scan to learn more about the involvement of access services staff in outreach and marketing activities and their challenges. Over 90 respondents from different sized academic libraries provided input. The questions explored levels of responsibility assigned to access services in overall planning, designing materials, and conducting activities. Respondents shared over ten common challenges related to outreach and marketing activities and expressed related training needs. Several recommended tools and resources were named. Scan results highlighted the highly active yet often overlooked involvement of access services in outreach and marketing. This has implications for job descriptions, training needs, strategic planning, and advocacy. This session highlights findings and points out implications for further attention. Additionally, a brief scenario of how one academic library participates in outreaching and marketing is included.