Moving Back into a Dorm: Tales of a Traveling Librarian
Type of Presentation
Poster Session (45 minutes)
Target Audience
Higher Education
Abstract
While academic libraries are still a cornerstone of the social and scholastic life of universities and colleges, there is an increasing awareness of the need to expand our reach beyond our pre-defined physical spaces to wherever students might need our services. At The University of Alabama, reference & instruction librarians in Gorgas Information Services (GIS) have addressed this need by instituting the Traveling Librarian program. Traveling Librarian is a reference and outreach program that attempts to meet the research needs of our students by moving beyond the stacks and the information desk to help students at a point of need. While the program has had several iterations over the past few years, GIS librarians have now established a permanent presence at the Ridgecrest Residential Complex on the campus of The University of Alabama. At Ridgecrest, GIS librarians have instituted a program which includes monthly topical workshops and drop-in research help every Sunday night from 6-8 PM. The development of this program has emphasized the need for outreach with campus officials, and the importance of (and opportunity for) developing information literacy skills in non-traditional venues.
Presentation Description
This poster presentation details the Traveling Librarian initiative created by reference & instruction librarians at The University of Alabama. Librarians from Gorgas Information Services have established a program at the Ridgecrest Residential Complex that includes three workshops per semester as well as drop-in research help every Sunday night from 6-8. The poster will highlight the opportunity for developing information literacy skills in non-traditional venues.
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Boucher, Alex; Johnson, Karlie; and Johnson, Kayla, "Moving Back into a Dorm: Tales of a Traveling Librarian" (2015). Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy. 82.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gaintlit/2015/2015/82
Moving Back into a Dorm: Tales of a Traveling Librarian
While academic libraries are still a cornerstone of the social and scholastic life of universities and colleges, there is an increasing awareness of the need to expand our reach beyond our pre-defined physical spaces to wherever students might need our services. At The University of Alabama, reference & instruction librarians in Gorgas Information Services (GIS) have addressed this need by instituting the Traveling Librarian program. Traveling Librarian is a reference and outreach program that attempts to meet the research needs of our students by moving beyond the stacks and the information desk to help students at a point of need. While the program has had several iterations over the past few years, GIS librarians have now established a permanent presence at the Ridgecrest Residential Complex on the campus of The University of Alabama. At Ridgecrest, GIS librarians have instituted a program which includes monthly topical workshops and drop-in research help every Sunday night from 6-8 PM. The development of this program has emphasized the need for outreach with campus officials, and the importance of (and opportunity for) developing information literacy skills in non-traditional venues.
