MWCC Library Outpost

MWCC LIBRARY OUTPOSTProject, Marketing, and Assessment

PROJECT PLAN

OVERVIEW

The American Library Association’s Standards for Distance Learning Library Services (2008) states:

“Every student, faculty member, administrator, staff member, or any other member of an institution of higher education, is entitled to the library services and resources of the institution, including direct communication with appropriate library personnel, regardless of where enrolled or where located in the affiliation with the institution. Academic libraries must, therefore, meet the information and research needs of all these constituents, wherever they may be,”(Association of Colleges and Research Libraries (ACRL), 2008).

THE PLAN

Expand the service hours to provide services to all students including part-time, evening, and weekend.

Establish a collaborative program with local public libraries to allow students to use resources and services, including reference, borrowing, and interlibrary loan.

Collaborate with faculty to provided library instruction services to classes at the satellite campuses.

Enact an aggressive marketing plan.

RELATIONSHIP TO THE LIBRARY’S STRATEGIC PLAN

Aligned with the strategic plan of the college “All campus sites can support interactive learning

and service delivery, afford students high speed computer access, and provide library and learning resource to support student success,” (Mount Wachusett Community College, 2010).

Aligned with the mission and values of the library Outstanding service and comprehensive access to a

broad range of authoritative, up-to-date learning resources in a variety of formats

Instruction in effective ways to seek and evaluate information; an environment in which learning can flourish

Activities and programs that enrich the quality of individual and community life

STAKEHOLDERS

Librarians Library Staff Library Dean College Administration MWCC IT Staff C/W MARS Database Vendors Leominster Public

Library Harvard Public Library

Students Faculty

Internal Stakeholders External Stakeholders

USER NEEDS ASSESSMENT

No formal assessment to-date

Students Nontraditional students Service hours Technology gap ESL

Faculty Educational background Information aptitude Curriculum

requirements

**Photo Retrieved From: http://www.braintrack.com/images/college-and-work-news/colleges-are-luring-non-traditional-students-11021401.jpg

SCALABILITY & LIMITATIONS

Lack of budget

Refusal by the public libraries to collaborate

Control Outpost Services

Committee

Distance

scalability Limitations

GOALS AND OUTCOMES OF SERVICE

Goal 1: Access: Provide access for distance students to face-to-face reference through the creation of a librarian outpost where students are free to ask questions and taught proper information literacy skills. Outcome 1.1: Improve student achievement through

learning proper information literacy skills such as finding, evaluating, and applying scholarly research.

Outcome 1.2: Increased awareness and usage of the library outpost and library resources including the catalog, database, LibGuides, and other print and non-print resources by satellite campus students.

Outcome 1.3: Increased user confidence in the ability to receive face-to-face assistance from a trained librarian.

GOALS AND OUTCOMES OF SERVICE

Goal 2: Collaboration: Establish collaboration and communication between both internal and external stakeholders to promote the usage of the library outpost. Outcome 2.1: Cultivate an environment of

collaboration, in which, Outpost librarians work closely with faculty to provide library assistance to students through library instruction courses and/or curriculum collaboration.

Outcome 2.2: Develop a strategic partnership between MWCC Librarians and local libraries to provide services to MWCC distance students during unstaffed hours.

RESPONSIBLE PARTIESStaff Responsibility Time Commitment Deliverable

Heidi McCannDean of Library and Academic Support Services

Overseeing project implementationOversee hiringContact public libraries to initiate collaboration

A few hours a week during implementation

Project planAssessment statistics

Maria MuellerOutpost/Evening Reference & Instructional Services Librarian

Staff outpost and provide reference servicesImplement marketing planCommunicate with facultyCollaborate with public libraries to provides servicesSchedule and teach library instruction coursesHost outpost events

14hrs/week Marketing planInstructional servicesReference servicesAssessment statistics

Outpost Reference/Instruction LibrarianTBD

Staff outpost and provide reference servicesImplement marketing planCommunicate with faculty about servicesCollaborate with public libraries to provides servicesSchedule and teach library instruction coursesHost outpost event

30hrs/week Marketing planInstructional servicesReference servicesAssessment statistics

Public Librarians Provide reference services to MWCC students as part of outpost collaboration

Provide borrowing services as members of C/W MARS

Varying Reference ServicesBorrowing Services

SWOT ANAYLSIS

TIMELINE

MARKETING PLAN

MARKETING TO-DATE

Little to no marketing has been done to date

MARKETING GOALS AND OUTCOMES

Goal 1: Increase awareness of the library services offered to students and faculty at the MWCC satellite campuses

Host library outpost open house events Create a library orientation packet to go to

new students and faculty Advertise library outposts throughout the

campuses using flyers and posters Advertise library outpost electronically, via

library website, emails, campus listserv, library blog, and social networking.


Goal 2: Increase overall usage of outpost and electronic library services and resources by distance students.

Connect with faculty to work library resources and information literacy skills into course curriculum

Connect with faculty to teach library instruction courses


Goal 3: Keep MWCC community informed of changes and improvements in services at the satellite campuses.

Create and distribute monthly outpost newsletter

Outpost librarian attend library and campus staff meetings and training sessions


Goal 4: Create a brand and identity for the library outpost

Connect with graphic design faculty members to develop plan to create library outpost graphic logo

Incorporate library outpost logo into each promotional technique.

TARGET AUDIENCES

Library Faculty, Staff, and Administration

Local Public Librarians

Students

Faculty

Internal AudiencesExternal Audiences

POSITIONING STATEMENT

With the growth of technology and the rapid expansion of online higher education many distance students who still require face-to-face library services are left without accessible resources. Students should be given the resources to succeed. The MWCC Library Outpost Program looks to solve this problem by providing distance students at each of the satellite campuses with face-to-face library services. These services will be provided by a MLS degreed librarian during peak hours to provide the campus population with much needed information literacy services. The librarian will also provide classroom instruction and curriculum collaboration for interested faculty. This outpost will provide face-to-face reference interaction, which will teach students proper research techniques and information literacy skills to succeed in a higher education setting. The skill set taught by the outpost librarian will benefit the MWCC students in both their education and professional careers.

KEY MESSAGE – STUDENTS

The MWCC Library Outposts strives to provide all off-campus students access to library services no matter what their information needs or delivery preferences.

KEY MESSAGE – FACULTY

The MWCC Library Outpost is your partner in providing world class education, offering innovative solutions to your class’s information needs.

BRANDING

Work with the graphic design department to develop a logo/brand for the Library Outpost

Possibly an assignment or competition

MARKETING TOOLS

Flyers

Posters

MARKETING TOOLS

Open House Events

New Student Orientation Packets

Faculty Orientations and Trainings

MARKETING TOOLS

Library Website & Blog

Social Networking

Campus Email

BlackBoard

Faculty Listserv

BUDGET

Library Marketing BudgetAdvertising Cost

Posters 16"x24" (12) 300.00$ 4 Reams of paper (flyers) 17.96$ Ink for printers 60$

Total advertising cost 377.96$

Event Cost

Food for Open House Events 1 eventCupcakes 10.00$ Cookies 7.98$ Apples 9.68$ Juice 8.00$ Napkins 3.27$ Plates 8.57$ Cups 6.00$

Total Per Event 53.50$

4 Events A Year (2 Student, 2 Faculty) 214.00$

Orientation Packets ~250Paper 23.95$ Ink for printers 60.00$ Postage 112.00$

Total for Packets 195.95$

Total marketing cost (annualy) 787.91$

RESPONSIBLE PARTIESStaff Required

CompetenciesTime Commitment Deliverable

Heidi McCannDean of Library and Academic Support Services

EmailListserv

A few hours a week during implementation

Email noticesListserv noticesNew Student Listing

Maria MuellerOutpost/Evening Reference & Instructional Services Librarian

EmailListservMicrosoft PublisherBlog postingSocial Networking

Proficiencies

2-3 hours a week FlyersPostersEmailsNewslettersOpen House EventsSocial Networking PagesLibrary BlogLibrary Orientation Packet

Outpost Reference/Instruction LibrarianTBD

EmailListservMicrosoft PublisherBlog postingSocial Networking

Proficiencies

2-3 hours a week FlyersPostersEmailsNewslettersOpen House EventsSocial Networking PagesLibrary BlogLibrary Orientation Packet

IT Staff Website Design TBD Creating an outpost area on the library webpage

TIMELINE

ASSESSMENT PLAN

METHODS

Performance Statistics

Reference Transaction Statistics

Usage Statistics

Surveys

Formal and Informal Interviews

Focus Groups

STUDENT SURVEY

Satellite campus students Sent out at the end of each semester Compiled and administered through

SurveyMonkey.com Sent via campus email Created and analyzed by Outpost Librarian(s)

& Dean of Library and Academic Support Services

FACULTY SURVEY

Satellite campus faculty Sent out at the end of each semester Compiled and administered through

SurveyMonkey.com Sent via campus email Created and analyzed by Outpost Librarian(s)

& Dean of Library and Academic Support Services

SURVEYMONKEY.COM

ASSESSMENT PLANS FOR OUTCOMES

Outcome 1.1: Improve student achievement through learning proper information literacy skills such as finding, evaluating, and applying scholarly research

Target Audiences Students Faculty


Methods Performance Statistics Faculty Survey Student Survey

Outcome Indicator Higher Student Achievement


Outcome 1.2: Increased awareness and usage of the library outpost and library resources including the catalog, database, LibGuides, and other print and non-print resources by satellite campus students.

Target Audiences Students Faculty


Methods Reference Transaction Log: Informal Interviews Student Survey Faculty Survey

Outcome Indicator Growth in Outpost usage


Outcome 1.3: Increased user confidence in the ability to receive face-to-face assistance from a trained librarian.

Target Audiences Nontraditional Students ESL Students


Methods Reference Transaction Log Student Survey Focus Group (optional)

Outcome Indicator Growth in Outpost usage Survey results


Outcome 2.1: Cultivate an environment of collaboration, in which, Outpost librarians work closely with faculty to provide library assistance to students through library instruction courses and/or curriculum collaboration.

Target Audiences Faculty


Outcome 2.2: Develop a strategic partnership between MWCC Librarians and local libraries to provide services to MWCC distance students during unstaffed hours.

Target Audiences Local Public Librarians Students


Methods MWCC student usage of public libraries statistics Student Survey

Outcome Indicator Positive growth in student using local public

libraries and library services

PILOT TESTING

Test the survey with a small population Faculty & Students

Analyze survey questions

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REPORTING

MWCC Library Outpost Assessment Report

Round table to discuss results at Outpost Services Committee Meeting

Published on MWCC library webpage

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

Continually assess the assessment

TIMELINE FOR CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT

Description Personnel TimelineWrite survey questions Outpost Librarians Summer

Approve survey questions Heidi McCann Summer Compile surveys using SurveyMonkey.com Outpost Librarians Summer

Collecting usage data of public libraries by MWCC students Public Library Staff Continually

Gather Library Instruction/Collaboration Statistics using Excel Spreadsheet Outpost Librarian Continually

Conduct informal faculty interviews Outpost Librarian Continually

Conduct informal student interviews Outpost Librarian Continually

Conduct Focus Groups Outpost Librarian As needed

Contact an library staff or faculty for a test pilot Outpost Librarians Fall

Run test pilot of surveys (faculty only) Outpost Librarian Fall

Analyze test pilot Heidi McCann, Outpost Librarians

November

Make necessary changes to survey questions Outpost Librarians November

Send out surveys to students Outpost Librarians Late December & Mid May

Analyze data including the data from the public libraries Heidi McCann, Outpost Librarians

January & June

Compile Library Outpost Assessment Report Heidi McCann, Outpost Librarians

June

Disseminate Library Outpost Assessment Report Heidi McCann July Reassess Survey and continue again

OVERALL

The Library Outposts are vital to satellite campuses, and with aggressive marketing and continuous assessment the project should be a great success.

Documents

MWCC Library Outpost