Are staffers at your university aware of the library’s services? At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University–Prescott in Arizona, we discovered that many faculty members were hesitant to enter what they perceived as student-only library spaces. This made us realize: We weren’t marketing our resources and services to a core population, a group that is essential to helping us advocate for the library on campus and beyond. But first, staffers had to understand what we offered.
To help acquaint faculty members with the facility and build strong relationships with them, we designed an engaging in-person event called Summer Fest at our Hazy Library and Learning Center.
During Summer Fest, which took place June 2022, our 24 attendees received a passport directing them to explore seven stations placed throughout our two-floor library, including a welcome table, book displays highlighting resources and recommended reads, and demonstrations for using library resources. Unlike student orientations, the event did not include research-based services or course materials. Instead it focused on services that benefit staffers both personally and professionally, such as our Act One Culture Pass, which provides free admission to participating museums, zoos, and other cultural institutions.
Empowering academic staffers can encourage them to become library supporters and advocates.
Having library workers at each station to facilitate conversations made the experience more welcoming. They introduced themselves to new campus employees and reconnected with others. Interactive opportunities like the local trivia quiz gave attendees something to do at each station. Demonstrating unique items at the library, like the FitDesk Bike, was also an effective conversation starter.
Attendees included a mix of seasoned staffers, new staffers, and those unfamiliar with the library. Those who participated—many of whom visited in groups with their department colleagues—showed enthusiasm, lingering to chat with one another and library employees.
In their feedback, attendees expressed excitement about the opportunity to use the library as an alternative workspace. More important, through this exposure to previously unfamiliar library resources, they experienced firsthand the library’s mission to serve the entire campus community. Empowering academic staffers with events like these can encourage them to become library supporters and advocates, improving the reputation and value of the library campuswide.
- When planning your own staff-centered event, consider the following questions.
- Which of your staff outreach strategies are currently not working?
- What are the library behaviors of faculty members?
- What underused services do you want to highlight?
- How can your event attract and engage both new and seasoned employees?
To reach our academic colleagues, we used email marketing. We also asked library staffers to hand-deliver invitations to their campus connections.
While Summer Fest was a success, we would do several things differently next time: First, we would reconsider station placement, as not everyone went to our upstairs stations. Second, if budget allowed, we would include a snack and drink station—perhaps combined with a cookbook display—to help increase attendance. And finally, we would add additional activities to each station.
Through the event and marketing efforts, our team strengthened relationships with staffers, increased library visibility on campus, and helped academic faculty better understand library services. We found this event invaluable in advancing the library’s mission to support the campus community, and we look forward to continuing staff-focused outreach in the future.
Adapted from “It’s Your Library Too,” College & Research Libraries News vol. 84, no. 11 (Dec. 2023).
