Support your staff employees: they support the academy

Abstract

Purpose – The aim of this paper was to serve both as an informational tool identifying library services and resources and as a mechanism to gather input from campus staff to inform outreach services. Design/methodology/approach – Surveys were distributed to all non-faculty and non-administrative support staff. Questions included direct choice and open-ended responses in four categories: demographics; general library use; information needs; and student interactions. Findings – The results confirm that knowledge and awareness of the library can empower staff employees and that support staff are eager to learn about and use library resources and services. The results give guidance to liaison librarians to facilitate an effective outreach program to improve the ability of support staff to do their work and to share information with the students and faculty with whom they come into contact. Research limitations/implications – While these survey findings cannot be extrapolated to all academic settings, they build on similar research and authenticate the significance of library outreach to academic support staff. Practical implications – Enormous potential exists in adapting these survey findings to expand information literacy programs across the academy. Originality/value – Academic support staff are a frequently untapped user group whose information needs are essential to the academy. This case study highlights the value of staff outreach within the context of extending the Library Instruction Program by enhancing the information literacy skills of personnel who are in frequent contact with students and faculty across the campus.