Peer-to-peer Library Marketing Library Database Outreach using Elsevier’s Student Ambassador Program (SAm) Stephanie Willen Brown February 12, 2009 [email_address] Originally presented at NASIG, 2008 by: Brie Betz, Stephanie Willen Brown, Deb Barberi on: Friday, June 6, 3:15-4:15 pm

Agenda Publisher Perspective What’s a SAm? Usage analysis Librarian Perspective How will I ever convince my colleagues? Administering the SAm SAm Perspective Wow! I’m hired! Now what? How to be successful Ideas for the future

Publisher Perspective

What’s a SAm?

Usage analysis

Librarian Perspective

How will I ever convince my colleagues?

Administering the SAm

SAm Perspective

Wow! I’m hired! Now what?

How to be successful

Ideas for the future

Publisher Perspective Brie Betz Account Development Manager Elsevier

About SAm (Student Ambassador)

Successful SAm Programs University of Connecticut University of Ottawa University of Toronto New Jersey Institute of Technology University of S Alabama University of Windsor University of W Ontario University of Pittsburgh University of North Dakota Stevens Institute of Technology James Madison University

University of Connecticut

University of Ottawa

University of Toronto

New Jersey Institute of Technology

University of S Alabama

University of Windsor

University of W Ontario

University of Pittsburgh

University of North Dakota

Stevens Institute of Technology

James Madison University

Impact of SAm Program

UConn Scopus Usage 2006-08 Scopus searches increased 250%!

Feedback about SAm Programs “ The University of Toronto Library entered into the Scopus Ambassador Programme (SAm) with trepidation - how could we allow a publisher to promote the use of their product on our campus? However, we were very aware of the fact that we spend literally millions of dollars on providing access to e-resources for our users and we know that many of them are oblivious to what is available to them. Our library does not market to our users. That is not our tradition.” “ It's the synergy and the team spirit and the leg work that the SAms [Student Ambassadors] provide to get us into the classroom or the office or places that we have no time to venture out to. They help open little doors for us so to speak because they have the time…” Haymwantee Singh Reference Librarian New Jersey Institute of Technology Warren Holder Electronic Resources Co-ordinator University of Toronto Libraries

Librarian Perspective Stephanie Willen Brown Electronic resource librarian, UConn Adjunct professor, Simmons GSLIS

Stephanie Willen Brown

Electronic resource librarian, UConn

Adjunct professor, Simmons GSLIS

Administering the SAm Deciding to participate Long discussion with UConn colleagues Controversial … Modified program focus Citation searching through

Deciding to participate

Long discussion with UConn colleagues

Controversial …

Modified program focus

Citation searching through

What Did We Do? Two sets of 2 SAms Spring & Summer 2007 Academic year 2008 Scheduled Afternoon & evening sessions, back to back Alternated Tuesday & Wednesday 6-7 weeks, mid-semester Taught 44 sessions 390 students

Two sets of 2 SAms

Spring & Summer 2007

Academic year 2008

Scheduled

Afternoon & evening sessions, back to back

Alternated Tuesday & Wednesday

6-7 weeks, mid-semester

Taught

44 sessions

390 students

How Much Time Did it Take? Like supervising students, it varied, but Averaged 2-3 hours per week for: Initially: hiring & training Ongoing: marketing Ongoing: class prep

Like supervising students, it varied, but

Averaged 2-3 hours per week for:

Initially: hiring & training

Ongoing: marketing

Ongoing: class prep

Working with SAms Job duties Hiring Training SAms Stephanie’s time paid by UConn SAms’ time paid by Elsevier Test run presentation for library staff before formal sessions began Promoting the program SAms’ work: Training: 4-5 weeks Promotion: 12 weeks Teaching: 2 sessions per week for 6-7 weeks

Job duties

Hiring

Training SAms

Stephanie’s time paid by UConn

SAms’ time paid by Elsevier

Test run presentation for library staff before formal sessions began

Promoting the program

SAms’ work:

Training: 4-5 weeks

Promotion: 12 weeks

Teaching: 2 sessions per week for 6-7 weeks

Advance Preparation Promotion Scheduled sessions in advance Emailed reminder day before class Stocked training kit Signs PowerPoint handouts Evaluation forms Goodies Reserved hands-on classroom

Promotion

Scheduled sessions in advance

Emailed reminder day before class

Stocked training kit

Signs

PowerPoint handouts

Evaluation forms

Goodies

Reserved hands-on classroom

Would I Do it Again? Restructure to relieve repetitive tasks Hire a GSLIS student to do administrative work Hire an enthusiastic, marketing-minded science grad student (again) Modify schedule & promotion Set training dates earlier Promote to international students at start of semester Offer sessions over the summer & during break Continue email promotion!!

Restructure to relieve repetitive tasks

Hire a GSLIS student to do administrative work

Hire an enthusiastic, marketing-minded science grad student (again)

Modify schedule & promotion

Set training dates earlier

Promote to international students at start of semester

Offer sessions over the summer & during break

Continue email promotion!!

SAm Perspective Deb Barberi Student Ambassador 2007-08 GSLIS West alum, 2008 Head of Technology Services, Russell Library, Middletown, CT

Deb Barberi

Student Ambassador 2007-08

GSLIS West alum, 2008

Head of Technology Services, Russell Library, Middletown, CT

SAm Positions Available! Job Posting Applications Interview Congratulations: you’re a SAm!

Job Posting

Applications

Interview

Congratulations: you’re a SAm!

SAm Getting Started Planning, meetings, presentations… Meet with UCONN librarians SAm training and orientation Marketing plan & training schedule Scopus and Web of Science training Draft PowerPoint presentation Presentation to Library Staff Incorporated feedback & revised

Planning, meetings, presentations…

Meet with UCONN librarians

SAm training and orientation

Marketing plan & training schedule

Scopus and Web of Science training

Draft PowerPoint presentation

Presentation to Library Staff

Incorporated feedback & revised

Role of the SAm Design and present training sessions Market & promote sessions to peers Teach citation searching resources Communicate feedback

Design and present training sessions

Market & promote sessions to peers

Teach citation searching resources

Communicate feedback

Advertisements

Most Effective?

Citation Searching - Agenda Introductions Citation searching Online Demonstration Scopus and Web of Science Hands-On Session Wrap Up Evaluations, Gift Certificates and Raffle!

Introductions

Citation searching

Online Demonstration

Scopus and Web of Science

Hands-On Session

Wrap Up

Evaluations, Gift Certificates and Raffle!

Why Do a Citation Search? Follow the path of information, theory, or concept through time Comprehensive literature review Identify highly-cited articles Find author publications

Follow the path of information, theory, or concept through time

Comprehensive literature review

Identify highly-cited articles

Find author publications

“ Genealogy” of citations FUTURE PAST Ref 3 1998 Ref 6 2006 Ref 4 1999 Ref 1 1997 Ref 2 1998 Ref 5 2001 Ref 1 1995 Ref 3 1976 Ref 2 1991 Original Article: “Enhanced zooplankton abundance in the lee of an isolated reef in the south Coral Sea” J Plankton Research, 1997.

How to Access Scopus or Web of Science Access On Campus: direct URL Off Campus: sign in to library using VPN From Library web site http:// www.lib.uconn.edu Select “All Databases” Select General (top left) Choose “Citation Searching” from Subtopics list on right

Access

On Campus: direct URL

Off Campus: sign in to library using VPN

From Library web site

http:// www.lib.uconn.edu

Select “All Databases”

Select General (top left)

Choose “Citation Searching” from Subtopics list on right

About the Attendees Mostly international graduate students Broad range of searching experience Little to no library experience Attended to improve searching skills Some didn’t realize extent of library resources Few understood “citation searching” before attending class

Mostly international graduate students

Broad range of searching experience

Little to no library experience

Attended to improve searching skills

Some didn’t realize extent of library resources

Few understood “citation searching” before attending class

Peers Teaching Peers Shared concerns Doing research Pressures of performing Trainers were not bunheads No library jargon Made mistakes while searching Didn’t know all the answers More likely to attend

Shared concerns

Doing research

Pressures of performing

Trainers were not bunheads

No library jargon

Made mistakes while searching

Didn’t know all the answers

More likely to attend

Chelsea to Audience “ I’ve been there, searching for hours for information on an obscure or unfamiliar topic, questioning if there really isn’t anything on the topic or if I’m just missing it because I haven’t found the right terminology yet. For example, once I spent at least 6 hours searching for articles related to “spokes-character” (it’s an advertising term for a “cartoon character that sells products,” in case you’re wondering) in my typical subject databases. I kept coming up with very few results based on the limited terminology I knew to search with. Had I known about citation searching then, I could have saved myself some time and effort: A recent search in Web of Science for the same topic yielded eight hits , but those eight articles also included more than 450 citations .” Computers in Libraries , May 2008

“ I’ve been there, searching for hours for information on an obscure or unfamiliar topic, questioning if there really isn’t anything on the topic or if I’m just missing it because I haven’t found the right terminology yet. For example, once I spent at least 6 hours searching for articles related to “spokes-character” (it’s an advertising term for a “cartoon character that sells products,” in case you’re wondering) in my typical subject databases. I kept coming up with very few results based on the limited terminology I knew to search with. Had I known about citation searching then, I could have saved myself some time and effort: A recent search in Web of Science for the same topic yielded eight hits , but those eight articles also included more than 450 citations .”

How Did We Do? Comments: “Looks good. Previously I only used Google Scholar” Informative Excellent Helpful Wonderful “I recommend for all incoming grad. students”

“Looks good. Previously I only used Google Scholar”

Informative

Excellent

Helpful

Wonderful

“I recommend for all incoming grad. students”

Why Were We Successful? Support of library & Elsevier Time Effective marketing Prizes and gift certificates SAms team teaching Welcomed questions Real-life exercises Hands-on searching Flexible agenda Had fun!

Support of library & Elsevier

Time

Effective marketing

Prizes and gift certificates

SAms team teaching

Welcomed questions

Real-life exercises

Hands-on searching

Flexible agenda

Had fun!

For Other Libraries? Public libraries Teens training teens about OneFile Seniors teaching peers about finding health information School libraries Teach classmates how to search Demonstrate cool features of databases Work with vendors to establish similar program: everyone wins!

Public libraries

Teens training teens about OneFile

Seniors teaching peers about finding health information

School libraries

Teach classmates how to search

Demonstrate cool features of databases

Work with vendors to establish similar program: everyone wins!

For More Information Brown, Stephanie Willen and Chelsea C. Hammond. “ Peer to Peer : UConn's Experiment with Student 'Ambassadors' for Vendor-funded Training on Specialized Searching.” Library Journal , September 15, (2008). Hammond, Chelsea C. and Stephanie Willen Brown. “ Citation Searching: Search Smarter & Find More .” Computers in Libraries , v28, n5 (2008).

Brown, Stephanie Willen and Chelsea C. Hammond. “ Peer to Peer : UConn's Experiment with Student 'Ambassadors' for Vendor-funded Training on Specialized Searching.” Library Journal , September 15, (2008).

Hammond, Chelsea C. and Stephanie Willen Brown. “ Citation Searching: Search Smarter & Find More .” Computers in Libraries , v28, n5 (2008).

2007-2008 SAms Thanks! Questions?