Librarians on the Loose!

Watch out, reference librarians Judy Bastin and Teresa Mayginnes are on the loose at Butler Community College! They are providing innovative reference library services at the Andover Campus, the services provided are beyond the normal library services that are usually given. Through this experience both the librarians along with the student, faculty and staff have had to move from a modernist perspective of library services to a post-modernist perspective. Modernists represent the objects associated with the library setting whereas the post-modernist seeks the “ever-changing relationships between concepts.” (Hatch, 2006, p. 17) The “concept” in this situation is the unique library services that are being provided.


Beginning: the Need for a Library

In the fall of 2007 there were a total of 8,510 students enrolled in courses at Butler Community College. Over half of the students enrolled in courses were attending the two Andover campuses. In the Andover 5ooo building (AN5000) building a total of 3,177 students accounted for 5,488 enrollments at the both of the Andover campuses. (George, 2008) In the Butler AN6000 building location there is a shared library with the Andover High School, but there is not a library presence in the AN5000 building.

Hey, Let’s Conduct a Survey
According to Hatch, the need for analyzing conditions and trends in the general environment along with the inter-organizational network will help to better understand the “links between the organization and its environment.” (Hatch, 2006, p. 68) Surveying the students, faculty and staff was used as a tool to find out if there was a need/desire for library services for the AN5000 building stakeholders. The survey was conducted in the lobby of the AN5000 building. A table was set up with a sign that said “Survey for Snacks.” The questionnaire included questions about the access, awareness, and use of libraries in general.

Survey Results
The survey results were conclusive and communicated that there was a need for a library in the AN5000 building. The largest group of the target audience was first semester students and library research skills are critical for the beginning college student. According to “the mission of Butler Community College exists to develop responsible, involved lifelong learners and to contribute to the vitality of the communities it serves.” When asked “why you would use the library?” twenty-six percent said “to find information.” Forty-six out of the fifty-seven participants said they would use the library if there was one in the AN5000 building. In one instance the participant said at the end of the survey “That if there was a library here (AN5000), it would be heaven on earth.”

Serving the Students, Faculty and Staff
The institutional design for the facility expansion plans for the immediate future ended up not including plans for a library facility in the AN5000 building. With the need before them the reference librarians explored the possibility of setting up times and places to be available for the students, faculty and staff in the campus facility. After much discussion it was decided that the reference librarians would take turns in the lobby and the tutor lab to serve the Butler students, faculty and staff in the AN5000 building on Monday and Wednesday from 2:00 to 6:00 each week during the fall semester. The plan for implementing a “Librarians on the Loose!” was becoming a reality for the Butler community in the fall of 2008.

Getting the Word Out
For many non-business organizations the terms “target market” and “target public” are difficult to distinguish unlike the academic community. For instance, the target market of an academic library is current students and members of academic and non-academic staff of the university.” (Adeyoyin, 2005) The tools used to market the librarians included an article in the college newspaper, along with signage that included a stand alone sign and a sign for the table top. Posters were designed and distributed around the campus and placed on the bulletin boards in the hallways and classrooms.

What is in the Future?
In November of 2008 Butler is opening a Student Commons area in the AN5000 building. The Librarians on the Loose will be able to serve the students in this area. One option is an information desk that will be a “customer-focused design” that places the information desk and librarian among the students. The design is a minimalist desk that focuses on ease of customer interaction. (see image below) The portable information desk can be placed in the commons area and since it is movable it could be placed in the lobby also as the need arises.

Image retrieved November 12, 2008, from Demco Library Furniture Web site: http://www.demco.com

Even though the Librarians on the Loose initiative for providing innovative reference library services at the Andover Campus are beyond the normal library services that are usually given, the reception of the students, faculty and staff has been encouraging to the reference librarians. Through this experience both the librarians along with the Butler community are beginning the move from the modernist perspective of library services to a post-modernist perspective.
Finally here is an excerpt from the college newspaper "Look for “Librarians on the Loose” sign near you to track their location. There ladies are known to be armed with knowledge on a variety of subjects so watch out for them outside a classroom near you!” (Drake, 2008, A6)


References

Adeyoyin, S.O. (2005). Strategic planning for marketing library services. Library Management, 26, Retrieved November 1, 2008, from http://www.emeraldinsight.com.www.whitelib.emporia.edu_insight_viewcontentservlet_filename=_published_emeraldfulltextarticle_pdf_0150260807.pdf/

Drake, G. (2008, October 28). Librarians on the Loose!. Lantern, p. A6.

George, G. (2008). Butler Students End of Term Demographics. Retrieved February 18, 2008, from Butler Community College Institutional Research Department Web site: http://www.butlercc.edu/inst_research/parts/Demographics/End%20of%20Term/2007/07FallEOT.pdf

Hatch, M. (2006). Organization Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.