Administrative Research Support Service |
| |
| Authors: | Linda Kott Vickie Mix Nancy Marshall |
| |
| Institution: | 1. H. M. Briggs Library, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SDlinda.kott@sdstate.edu;3. H. M. Briggs Library, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD |
| |
| Abstract: | Public services librarians at South Dakota State University (SDSU) piloted a project to provide personalized reference services to university administrators. The goals of the Administrative Research Support Service were to provide quality information results that inform institutional decision making, to assist SDSU administrators in focusing their research questions, to provide a convenient venue for SDSU administrators to request library research, and to highlight the library’s contribution to SDSU’s mission. During a rollout of the service in 2012, five librarians contributed to the service and ten projects were completed. This initial offering of the service fostered connections between librarians and administrators, allowed librarians to be visible to the campus in an unexpected and innovative manner, and garnered the informal appreciation of administrators. Suggestions for improvement included establishing more formal evidence of the service’s benefits, promoting direct communication between librarians and administrators who are end users of the information, and setting up clearer expectations for librarians’ time commitment to the service. |
| |
| Keywords: | academic libraries library services reference university administrators |
|
|
