This article was downloaded by: [Université de Moncton]On: 16 October 2014, At: 05:01Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH,UK

The Reference LibrarianPublication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wref20

Reference Services andCollection DevelopmentFaculty Outreach Through theCampus NetworkElizabeth A. Simmons a & Randall M. Macdonald aa Florida Southern College , 111 Lake Holling-sworthDr., Lakeland, FL, 33801-5698, USAPublished online: 20 Oct 2008.

To cite this article: Elizabeth A. Simmons & Randall M. Macdonald (1997) ReferenceServices and Collection Development Faculty Outreach Through the Campus Network,The Reference Librarian, 27:58, 101-106, DOI: 10.1300/J120v27n58_10

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J120v27n58_10

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all theinformation (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform.However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make norepresentations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness,or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and viewsexpressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, andare not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of theContent should not be relied upon and should be independently verified withprimary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for anylosses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages,and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly orindirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of theContent.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes.Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan,sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone isexpressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found athttp://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ité d

e M

onct

on]

at 0

5:01

16

Oct

ober

201

4

Reference Services and Collection Development

Faculty Outreach Through the Campus Network

Elizabeth A. Simmons Randall M. MacDonald

SUMMARY. Effective reference services and collection develop- ment in a small academic library depend upon collaborative plan- ning and performance by the entire library staff. Coordination of li- brary activities and understanding of the library and college mission are the foundations of a program responsive to the needs of the college community. Partnerships between the library and class- room faculty ensure that curricular needs are satisfied through acti- vities as diverse as bibliographic instruction and materials acquisi- tion. Traditional interactions have been greatly enhanced through rapid advances in telecommunications, offering librarians additional tools for faculty outreach. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: getinfo@haworth.com]

Elizabeth A. Simmons is Reference Librarian, and Randall M. MacDonald is Collection Development Librarian, Florida Southern College, 11 1 Lake Holling- sworth Dr., Lakeland, FL 33801-5698.

The authors wish to thank Ellen Cannon for her assistance in preparation of this manuscript.

[Hawonh w-indexing entry nole]: "Reference Services and Collection Development Faculry Out- reach Thmugh the Campus Neovork." Simmons Elizabeth A,. and Randall M. MaeDonald Co-pub- lished simulIanmusly in The Refimnce Libmrian (The Hawonh Res. Inc.) No. 58. 1997, pp. 101-106; and: Business Refewnce Sem'ces and Soumes: How End Users and Librarians Work Together (ed: Kalherirr M. Shelfer) The Hawolth Pns. Inc.. 1997. pp. 101-106. S i d e a multiple @a of his anicle an available for a k e hwn The Hawcmh Dcmnm Delivuy Service [1-8W-Y2-%78. %l?l am - 5m p.m (EST). Email &ES. g&fo@haworthmm].

O 1997 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights resewed. 101

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ité d

e M

onct

on]

at 0

5:01

16

Oct

ober

201

4

102 BUSINESS REFERENCE SERVICES AND SOURCES

BACKGROUND

Roux Library serves a population of 1,625 full-time undergraduate stu- dents at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, a four-year institution with a strong liberal arts tradition. A &le master's degree program is offered in business administmtion with an enrollment of sixty students. Undergraduate programs with the largest student enrollments include business, education, and natural sciences. The library's general collection includes over 130,000 book volumes and seven hundred fifty periodical subscriptions, and a bur- geoning multimedia collection numbering several hundred items.

Historically the library has enjoyed strong support from the administra- tion and faculty. An important component of this relationship has been active participation in the development of the collections on the part of numerous faculty members. Through the summer of 1996 library acquisi- tions were handled by the same librarian for several decades, and the precise nature of materials selection was managed effectively by this per- son. She had an uncommon cross-disciplinary familiarity with the school's programs and collections, and enjoyed a good rapport with the faculty.

A NEW FOCUS

The last several years have witnessed a renewal for the college in emollrnent-up over fifteen percent since 1994-1995-and in capital expen- ditures for technologies. The Fall 1996 semester brought a campus-wide information network to the college for the first time, supplemented by full graphical Internet access. ~oncuken t with these evolving campus services has been a re-emphasis and improved funding from top administrators to enhance the library's book collections, especially in business and econom- ics to support the MBA program.

Establishment of the library's place on campus in the rapidly changing atmosphere of the administration's new focus for library development and the advent of the campus network became a central focus for our library and its staff. Reference and collection development librarians have worked to develop several processes which improve interaction with the faculty and increase library visibility on campus.

Faced with the prospect of new technologies, decisions had to be made regarding how we could best utilize network resources to enhance the services and image of the library. Drawing upon our own experience with the Internet and the World Wide Web-which averages four years among the several principal librarians involved4e group established a series of

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ité d

e M

onct

on]

at 0

5:01

16

Oct

ober

201

4

Networking 1 03

goals which slowly eased faculty inexperienced with online resources into library involvement.

PROGRAM GOALS

Taking advantage of the opportunities a campus network affords a small college community became a vital element in the library's pursuit of its mission. The library has actively incorporated the improved campus telecommunications into its public and technical services programs, and has seen enhanced interactions with the campus community. This has been accomplished through three distinct goals, each utilizing campus network resources:

1. To demonstrate leadership on campus by displaying the tangible benefits of network communication.

2. To f i e r solicit faculty involvement in campus library services, es- pecially important as we undergo reaccreditation studies during the next two years.

3. To coordinate interdepartmental library outreach activities.

Establishing the Library as the Pacesetter of Campus Network Use

As many smaller colleges make the transition to campus networks and Internet access, the role of the library must change to encourage and embrace the available technolopies. Librarians have.traditionallv been among the first on campus to p i n practical experience with new tefhnolo- gies-audio-visual equipment, automated systems, and the Internet in- cluded. This exposure-places a certain amount of responsibility on the library staff-faculty and students now regularly consult the librarians for assistance in using Internet and network resources.

Interactions such as these have provided additional opportunities for technology-supported library instruction. These have taken the form of evening workshops dedicated to locating online resources for research and introducing strategies for evaluating the quality of material retrieved. Preparation for these sessions included purchase of a thirty-five inch mon- itor, linked to a network-connected personal computer through a PC-to- TV converter. Open to faculty and students, these well-attended sessions have served as a relaxed first look for new network users at the wealth of material now accessible to our campus.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ité d

e M

onct

on]

at 0

5:01

16

Oct

ober

201

4

104 BUSINESS REFERENCE SERVICES AND SOURCES

General library information is available through the Roux Library home page, which was established during the summer of 1995 (http://snoopy. tblc.lib.fl.us/fsc/rowr.hhl). This page is publicized during registration and throughout the year in an effort to provide the most current information about library programs and services. Availability of the campus network and Internet services has corresponded with an increased number of hits to the page, which while difficult to qualify may indicate a heightened aware- ness of the library.

Our page has served as a local model for academic department home page development, and we have provided HTML and design assistance across campus. A combination of original content and links to remote sites demonstrates the essential utility of a page as an information source and public relations tool, and serves as one component of our outreach to faculty. Present plans include development of an online library newsletter, comprehensive lists of titles recently acquired, and online book request f o m for Interlibrary Loan and materials acquisitions.

Faculty Outreach

Promoting Faculty Involvemenl in Library Services

The Florida Southern College Library has relied heavily upon faculty involvement to assist in developing and maintaining collections matching curricular needs. Established liaison assignments are handled by library staff in an effort to maintain consistent contact with departments. Librari- ans are assigned departments, divisions, or subject areas consistent with their expertise, and maintain an awareness of areas for library improve- ment. The use of new techniques and telecommunications is built upon this proven method of cooperation and dialogue between the library and faculty-new methods of outreach do not stand alone or replace but supple- ment and broaden the existing systems.

Campus networks provide many opportunities for faculty outreach be- yond individual contact and departmental liaison duties. Librarians can use enhanced communication technologies to reach a broader range of the campus community. Electronic communication in the form of e-mail and Internet access have allowed us at Florida Southern College to improve our methods of outreach and cooperation with faculty.

Campus e-mail capabilities, including distribution lists, allow librarians to disseminate information regarding availability of new acquisitions and library programs to individuals and groups of faculty. Faculty members are notified of purchases made at their request and of materials matching faculty-supplied lists of personal and professional interests. Information

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ité d

e M

onct

on]

at 0

5:01

16

Oct

ober

201

4

Networking 105

sharing is not limited to news of print resources-librarians working from current awareness lists or from personal knowledge of faculty interests send URLs of applicable Web sites for faculty review or incorporation into class assignments. Reliance on the campus mail delivery system has di- minished, and faculty response to the immediacy of our services has been positive.

Mailing lists allow for the rapid and reliable distribution of information to groups of faculty members with common interests. Beyond the ex- pected groups consisting of all instructors in a given department, the mailing lists include subsets of departments and groups that cross depart- mental lines. For example, those faculty members teaching courses to MBA-program students compose a subset of the business department mailing list and selected additional faculty From the social sciences divi- sion.

An undergraduate cross-disciplinary women's studies course is taught each semester at Florida Southern College. Faculty members from depart- ments as diverse as economics, art, history, English, and mass communica- tions are represented in this group. A mailing list of all faculty members participating in the course is maintained. Information regarding the ac- quisition of materials related to women's studies is distributed to all of these individuals via one mailing list. Mailing lists allow the library staff to maintain records of interest profiles in a format that also eases the distribution of the information.

Interdepartmental Coordination

Library Departments Working Together for Outreach

The chemistry among small library staffs affects the number and quality of services provided. Interdevartmental coowration is a necessary. useful part of presenting the lib& as a unified, kficient, and integrai depart- ment on campus. Close working relationships between public services and technical services eliminates duplication of effort, makes the information provided to faculty more comprehensive and presents information in a usable, compact format. The library is presented as one body working together to support the teaching faculty.

What began as a unique program goal has subsequently enabled other goals to be achieved more readily, and has provided benetits to librarians individually. An imvroved amreciation for the relationships between vari- ous library-functions has resdted, permitting a more cohkrent approach to planning and delivery of library services. This appreciation has also fos-

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ité d

e M

onct

on]

at 0

5:01

16

Oct

ober

201

4

106 BUSINESS REFERENCE SERVICES AND SOURCES

tered collegial, mutually supportive staff relationships where professional successes of the group and group members are celebrated.

PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

Following a semester of application, enthusiasm among the librarians for network-supported communications and faculty outreach has in- creased. There k n o t yet enough quantifiable data to draw specific conclu- sions about the effectiveness of our efforts beyond the relqive impressions we have formed. The online training sessions are unlike any services previously offered-students and faculty have shown A g h their atten- dance an interest in library and network services, and learn fmt-hand what the librarians have to offer professionally. An early estimate indicates that faculty participation in acquisitions has increased nearly two-fold compared to the 1995- 1996 academic year.

We now have the potential to reach "virtually" every person on cam- puseveryone who checks e-mail receives regular communication from the library. Positive patron feedback has encouraged us to develop addi- tional technology-supported projects, and we look forward to building on the strong foundation we have established.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ité d

e M

onct

on]

at 0

5:01

16

Oct

ober

201

4