Librarians Without Borders: Reaching Out to Students at a Campus Center

Abstract

At Rutgers University Libraries, the Outpost Services Team was created by the New Brunswick Libraries’ Information Services Steering Group to study the demand for services at locations outside of the physical library buildings. Upon the recommendation of the group, the team planned an exploratory pilot study to investigate the need for library services at campus centers - places where students and faculty members regularly gather for eating, socializing and using other available services. A part of the main information desk of Rutgers University’s Busch Campus Center was used to set up the outpost. Traditional reference desk type of service was offered using networked digital resources. Reference statistics and feedback surveys were collected that provided data for evaluation. The pilot study was a unique endeavor to reach out to less frequent users of libraries, learn about the expectations of students and faculty, and communicate to them about how they can benefit from using library resources and services. This article presents the details of planning the pilot study, a summary of findings and conclusions.

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