University of Central Florida Librarians on Location

The Live-In Librarian

“…The University of Central Florida Librarians on Location project encapsulates the impetus for establishing outposts that many librarians express: "By having librarians go out into the campus and meet students on their own turf, we are seeking to proactively meet the information needs of the campus, increase our visibility to faculty, address the different informationseeking styles of the digital generation as well as decrease student anxiety about the library." 5 In 2004, an Association of Research Libraries SPEC Kit reported that forty-one member libraries (of the seventy-five that responded to the survey) "have offered or are offering scheduled, in-person services in academic departments or other institutional spaces outside of the library," generally including reference and consultation services as a major focus. 6 Rudin' s 2008 article provides a thorough overview of the current literature on "the embedded librarian, liaison librarian, blended librarian, outreach librarian, diffuse librarian, disembodied librarian, librarians without walls, and librarians on location," all the incarnations that she charmingly dubs "the troubadour approach to reference."…”

No Fixed Address: The Evolution of Outreach Library Services on University Campuses

“…While not a clue is offered in this regard, the authors do specify that they settled into these particular buildings because they were capable of offering the sine qua non of a successful outpost program, wireless capability. 22 While wireless area networks may seem ubiquitous, with access to the internet seemingly available in every corner coffee shop and on every park bench, in fact blanket wireless coverage of university campuses is still not a given. The 2006 report of the Campus Computing Project, an annual survey which collates responses from IT officials at 540 universities and colleges across the United States indicates that wireless networks only reach half of university classrooms (51.2 percent), up from 42.7 percent in 2005.…”