Examining Our Roots

Abstract

Analysis of historical milestones in the field of library studies reveals the changing values, purposes, and structures of outreach broadly construed within academic libraries. A timeline and narrative are presented that traces the effects of the national outlook on higher education from the mid-century to the current neoliberal reality on outreach milestones within the field, from 1958 to 2020. We contend that the present post-pandemic moment affords practitioners a chance to turn a critical eye toward the purpose and audience of outreach in order to re-orient our actions to reflect an original philosophy of outreach: inclusivity.

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