Partnerships with non-academic departments can be instrumental in reaching college students who do not seek library assistance but need it. Find out how.

1. REACHING UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
VIA PARTNERSHIPS WITH
NON-ACADEMIC
DEPARTMENTS
Joan M. Serpico
Instruction and Outreach Librarian
Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ

2. RIDER UNIVERSITY – MOORE LIBRARY
• Enrollment - 4128 students
• Private, 4 year liberal arts institution
• Hired Sept 2015 to do outreach

3. ACADEMIC LIBRARY GOAL –
THE HEART OF THE CAMPUS
Patrons need to:
• Know what we do and offer
• Feel connected
• See the library as integral

4. WHAT DOES THAT SUCCESS LOOK LIKE?
• Increased use of library resources
• Increased number of students served

5. ACADEMIC LIBRARY GOAL –
STUDENT ACADEMIC SUCCESS
How do we do that?
• Instruction
• Collections, Displays
• Updated comfy space
• Liaisons with academic depts.
• Events and Programs

6. IT MATTERS –
HIGHER STUDENT RETENTION & GPAS
• Students who used academic library services and resources at least once during the academic
year had higher GPA and retention on average than their peers who did not use library
services. (Soria, 2014)
• The findings show retained students log-in to authenticated resources and borrow from the
library at higher rates than withdrawn students. (Haddrow, 2013)
• Analysis of the data suggests first-time, first-year undergraduate students who use the library
have a higher GPA for their first semester and higher retention from fall to spring than non-
library users. (Soria, 2013)
• Results of the statistical analyses indicate that library use is associated with retention, and,
importantly, that library use in the early weeks of a student's first semester is associated with
retention. (Haddrow, 2010)

7. PARTNERSHIPS TO ACHIEVE GOALS
Idea:
Partner with non-academic departments (student services offices) to achieve goals.

8. WHAT NON-ACADEMIC DEPTS?
• Student Success Center (Tutoring Center or Writing Lab)
• Career Services
• Counseling Services
• Student Affairs
• Athletic Depts
• Financial Aid
• Who else?

9. WHY PARTNER WITH NON-ACADEMIC DEPTS?
• Students are going there
• Cross promotional opportunities

10. CENGAGE LEARNING
SPRING 2015
ENGAGEMENT
INSIGHTS SURVEY
Data for this infographic was gathered from
nearly 3,000 students and nearly 700
instructors as part of the “Spring 2015 Student
Engagement Insights” survey.

11. WHY MIGHT STUDENTS BE GOING TO
NON-ACADEMIC DEPTS BUT NOT THE LIBRARY?
Students
• Understand their function on campus
• May be required to go
• Are not afraid of going

12. WORDLE:
ACADEMIC LIBRARY MISSION STATEMENTS

13. WORDLE:
TUTORING CENTER MISSION STATEMENTS

14. GETTING STARTED:
• Ask to meet
• Learn about their goals
• Brainstorm about ways to work together
• Send articles

15. WORST CASE SCENARIO
• They don’t return your call or email.
• They say they are too busy.
• “That pushy librarian is always trying to help me/meet with me.”

16. WHEN YOU MEET, ASK ABOUT THEIR
DEPARTMENT
• What do they do & How’s it going?
• Dept Goals? Personal Goals?
• Challenges?
• What keeps him/her up at night?
• Successes?
• How do students find you?
• Do you have more students than you can handle or are you looking for more?
• Note - Leading questions are OK.
• Like a sales call.

17. PARTNERSHIPS:
STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER/TUTORING
CENTER/WRITING CENTER
• Rider University – Moore Library and Student Success Center
• Tutor Training Session
• Cross promotion
• Write Now! event planned for Dec.
• Utah State University – Merrill-Cazier Library and Univ Writing Center
• Write Now! event
• Librarians and writing tutors provide help for large online English literature course
• Librarian and writing tutor co-teach lesson to link library resources and writing skills

18. PARTNERSHIPS:
STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER/TUTORING
CENTER/WRITING CENTER (CONT)
• Vanderbilt University – Library and Writing Center
• New Hampshire at Manchester
• Writing tutors trained to coach students in library research skills
• University of New Mexico Library partnered with Center for Academic Program Support
• Develop library instruction tutors
• Grand Valley State University
• Peer-learning service
• New York University-Abu Dhabi – NYUAD Library and Writing Center
• Long Night Against Procrastination
(Originated at European University Viadrina in Frankfurt/Oder Germany)

19. PARTNERSHIPS:
CAREER SERVICES
• Rider University
• LibGuide for interview prep & partnered with Career Counselors on Job Searching workshop
• U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign – Business Career Services Office (BCSO) and the
Business and Economics Library (BEL)
• Career Research Sessions & individual consulting sessions
• U of Buffalo Career Services Office and U of Buffalo Libraries
• Instruction, website dev & col dev
• Librarian reference hours in the career services office
• Collaborative collection development
• Library instruction in Career Planning course taught by counselors

20. PARTNERSHIPS:
CAREER SERVICES (CONT)
• U of Pittsburgh Business Library and MBA Career Services at Katz Graduate School of
Business
• Co-taught Research skills instruction via interview prep context
• DePaul University Library and Career Development Center (1996)
• Collection development and programming
• Job search instruction at Career Center increased attendance

21. PARTNERSHIPS:
COUNSELING SERVICES
• Rider – Moore Library and Counseling Services
• Therapy dog sessions for exam week & de-stress events in the library

22. PARTNERSHIPS:
ATHLETICS
• Rider – Moore Library and Women’s Basketball Team
• Members of Women’s Basketball Team posed for study bike promotion
• Hofstra University – Axinn Library and Univ Department of Inter-Collegiate Athletics and the
Center for Academic Advisement
• Library services to athletes via librarian presence (reference access point) and IL course for athletes

23. PARTNERSHIPS:
RESIDENCE HALLS
• University of Oklahoma Libraries
• Faculty-in-Residence – Research Rescue, banned book discussion, library tour

24. PARTNERSHIPS:
STUDENT AFFAIRS
• Rider University – library embedded in new student orientation
• Blurb in New Student Orientation brochure
• Flyer with library hours and services
• Awareness Fairs

25. PARTNERSHIPS:
UNIV COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING
• Rider University – to get your word out
• Slides on TV monitors
• Articles in campus or faculty news
• Email blasts to students, faculty and staff

26. PARTNERSHIPS:
STILL WORKING ON IT
Rider University –
• Financial Aid - wanted to partner during Money Smart Week
• Transportation Dept – want to establish a stop for public library

27. KNOW DEPT GOALS &
WHAT LIBRARY CAN OFFER
• Want higher grades? Student Success Center/Writing Center/Tutoring Center
• Include statistic about higher grades correlating with greater library use.
• Want a job? Career Services
• Provide interview prep resources
• Feeling sad or anxious or overwhelmed? Counseling Services
• Need some leisure reading or quiet space

28. REMEMBER WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER
ANY DEPARTMENT:
• Collection – books, electronic resources, dvds
• Instruction or training
• Apts – 1 on 1 help
• Space – rooms, instruction rooms, quiet, meeting space, presentation space
• What else?

29. CAUTIONS: BOUNDARIES
• Tutoring Center do tutoring in your study rooms?
• Hanging posters for other dept events?
• Know your process for purchase requests – databases, books, DVDs, etc.
• Room reservation policy?

30. PARTNERSHIPS ARE A WIN-WIN
Share your good ideas!
Joan M. Serpico
Rider University
jserpico@rider.edu

31. References
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