A panel presentation given at the 2017 ACRL Conference in Baltimore, MD by Julie Arensdorf and Valerie Kukla.

1. STUDENTS AT
THE HELM
A MODEL FOR MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL,
COLLABORATIVE OUTREACH
Julie Arensdorf + Valerie Kukla
University of Wisconsin - Madison
julie.arensdorf@wisc.edu

2. WHERE ARE WE GOING?
• Theoretical Framework
• Student Partners
• What We Did
• What We Learned

3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
• Appreciative Inquiry
• Marketing
• In-reach vs. Outreach

4. APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY
The study of
what works well.
Cooperrider, Whitney & Stavros (2008) Appreciative Inquiry Handbook

5. MARKETING
Determining what people want,
creating and delivering it,
asking for feedback,
and then making changes.
Dempsey (2009) The Accidental Library Marketer

6. CYCLE OF TRUE MARKETING
In-depth
market
research
Segment into
target markets
Set goals
Ask targets
what they want
ID or create
resources /
services
ID competition
Plan evaluation
Promote
resources /
services
Deliver
resources /
services
Get feedback
Analyze
feedback
Review
process / make
changes
Marketing
Plan
Dempsey (2009) The Accidental Library Marketer

7. TARGET AUDIENCES
• Administrators
• Community
• Faculty
• Graduate Students
• Staff
• Undergraduates

8. MARKETING PLAN

9. ALL HANDS ON DECK
• Where did your idea originate?
• At what step in the marketing cycle did
you start?
• How could you improve your
process next time?
Think of an outreach project you
lead or contributed to…

10. CYCLE OF TRUE MARKETING
In-depth
market
research
Segment into
target markets
Set goals
Ask targets
what they want
ID or create
resources /
services
ID competition
Plan evaluation
Promote
resources /
services
Deliver
resources /
services
Get feedback
Analyze
feedback
Review
process / make
changes
Marketing
Plan
Dempsey (2009) The Accidental Library Marketer

11. OUTREACH TO UNDERGRADS
• Who are Memorial Library’s
undergraduate users?
• Data to inform outreach & other
decisions
• Identified potential campus partner:
Mu Kappa Tau

12. MU KAPPA TAU CONSULTING
Valerie Kukla
UW-Madison Class of 2017
•What do students think of Memorial
Library?
•Why do they (or why don't they)
use the library as a study space?

13. FALL SEMESTER
Valerie Kukla
UW-Madison Class of 2017
•Data gathering techniques
• Survey design
• Survey distribution
•Process for moving to
recommendations

14. FALL SEMESTER
Valerie Kukla
UW-Madison Class of 2017
•Data gathering techniques
• Survey design
• Survey distribution
•Process for moving to
recommendations

15. SPRING SEMESTER
Valerie Kukla
UW-Madison Class of 2017
•Focus groups
•Refined recommendations
•Report and presentation
to library staff

16. ALL HANDS ON DECK
• What’s missing in the picture
of your users?
• What groups could you partner
with to obtain this data?
• How will you let them lead?
What types of data do you already gather for your library
that could be used to inform outreach?

17. CHALLENGES & CONSIDERATIONS
• Clear expectations for deliverables
• Frequent check-ins
• Communication leads

18. VALUE OF PARTNERING WITH STUDENTS
• Critical outsider perspectives
• Letting the experts lead
• Developing relationships

19. VALUE OF PARTNERING WITH LIBRARY
Valerie Kukla
UW-Madison Class of 2017
•Hands-on experience
•Resume building project
work
•Convenience of being on
campus

20. SET SAIL!
• Start with students, faculty, staff
• Do your research
• Allow users to lead
• Plan for implementation

21. SUGGESTED READINGS
Cooperrider, D. L., Whitney, D. & Stavros, J. M. (2008).
Appreciative inquiry handbook: For leaders of change.
(2nd ed.). Brunswick, OH: Crown Custom Publishing.
Cottrell, J. R. & Godwin, L. “A practical approach to
appreciative inquiry in action: Be the change you want to
see in your library.” Presented at ACRL 2015.
Dempsey, K. (2009). The accidental library marketer.
Medford, NJ: Information Today.

22. CONTACT
Julie Arensdorf
Outreach & Instruction Librarian
University of Wisconsin - Madison
julie.arensdorf@wisc.edu