Ultimate Outreach: Exploring the Outreach Sea within the Engineering, Math and Physical Sciences Libraries at Cornell University

STEM Outreach Activities in Academic Libraries

“…It may be too early to say for certain how libraries will adjust their outreach in the post-pandemic world, but in the summer of 2022, they reported that previous outreach events had been canceled, adapted, or completely re-envisioned due to the changing needs of students, faculty/staff, and community audiences. The shift to virtual programming mentioned by Surbaugh (2021) and Wilson (2013) was still alive and well in the results. Also present was a dichotomy between the desire for in-person connection and the convenience of virtual programming that many libraries are trying to figure out.…”

“…Libraries hoped that these innovations would help them adapt to post-pandemic circumstances (124). Similar challenges and opportunities can be seen in the years before COVID, with Wilson (2013) discussing the experience of STEM libraries turning to virtual outreach as their physical spaces were closed due to budget cuts. "The loss of physical book stacks may have been disruptive at first, but this experiment opened doors to expand our library services and reputation as a high-end research library" (82).…”

“…Literature concerning outreach to STEM patrons in particular rarely touches on questions of systematic planning and has been largely limited to discussion of the specific marketing and outreach materials used by STEM libraries (Slebodnik 2006) and case studies of outreach at STEM libraries (Duong 2010;Flash et al 2017;Mack, Ruffin, and Barajas 2014). In discussing the overall goals of outreach, and once again emphasizing the importance of flexibility, Wilson (2013) uses the image of the octopus to illustrate what STEM library outreach should be. "Octopi are known as being very intelligent creatures with obvious mobility and flexibility in both physical and behavioral ways.…”

Amplify Your Impact: Attracting Users in a Special Library: A Personalized Approach to a Standard Library Initiative

“…Engineering researchers have "adapted quickly to the online environment and expect information to be on hand instantaneously." 1 As a result, some users may be unaware of the resources and services available in the library. A solution to these problems was to develop a personalized approach to a standard open house event which catered to the distinctive needs of Engineering Library users.…”