SPEC Kit 317: Special Collections Engagement · 75
Curricular Engagement: Promotion and Evaluation
26. What methods has special collections used to promote curricular use of its collections to faculty?
Check all methods that have been used. Check up to three that have been most successful. N=75
Method Used
N=75
Most Successful
N=66
One-on-one contact 73 61
Promotion on library/university Web pages 59 16
Library newsletter (print or electronic) 37 6
Direct mail 26 8
Listserv/group e-mail 25 13
Posters, flyers, bookmarks, etc. 23 6
Campus newsletter 22 2
Press releases 18 4
Blogs 16 2
Social networking sites 7 —
Advertising in scholarly journals 1 —
Other method 14 7
Please describe other method(s).
Used and Most Successful
Add data to national databases of archival materials such as World Cat and local library OPAC.
Class demonstrations presentation to groups of faculty.
Direct contact with Faculty.
Phone contact, exhibits, lectures.
RBSC: Departmental visits. For Xwi7xwa, Longhouse News.
We find that building relationships with faculty are the most successful way to build class use of the collections. We are
particularly successful with graduate students teaching their first course. They are grateful for the help to fill the syllabus
and we believe we are training them to see the value of Special Collections sessions as they move on to their own
faculty positions.
We have had some success in having non-Special Collections staff (e.g., Research &Instruction Librarians, and
Bibliographers) make faculty aware of Special Collections services. We have had some success in promoting curricular
use by visiting and making presentations at department meetings, and by participating in new faculty orientations.
In-depth one-on-one engagement, especially offering a tour of relevant holdings in the closed stacks, followed by
lunch (“meals make deals”) is far and away the most effective method. We also scan each semester’s course offerings,
identify promising courses whose topics can be supported by our holdings, and whose faculty seem likely to be open,
Curricular Engagement: Promotion and Evaluation
26. What methods has special collections used to promote curricular use of its collections to faculty?
Check all methods that have been used. Check up to three that have been most successful. N=75
Method Used
N=75
Most Successful
N=66
One-on-one contact 73 61
Promotion on library/university Web pages 59 16
Library newsletter (print or electronic) 37 6
Direct mail 26 8
Listserv/group e-mail 25 13
Posters, flyers, bookmarks, etc. 23 6
Campus newsletter 22 2
Press releases 18 4
Blogs 16 2
Social networking sites 7 —
Advertising in scholarly journals 1 —
Other method 14 7
Please describe other method(s).
Used and Most Successful
Add data to national databases of archival materials such as World Cat and local library OPAC.
Class demonstrations presentation to groups of faculty.
Direct contact with Faculty.
Phone contact, exhibits, lectures.
RBSC: Departmental visits. For Xwi7xwa, Longhouse News.
We find that building relationships with faculty are the most successful way to build class use of the collections. We are
particularly successful with graduate students teaching their first course. They are grateful for the help to fill the syllabus
and we believe we are training them to see the value of Special Collections sessions as they move on to their own
faculty positions.
We have had some success in having non-Special Collections staff (e.g., Research &Instruction Librarians, and
Bibliographers) make faculty aware of Special Collections services. We have had some success in promoting curricular
use by visiting and making presentations at department meetings, and by participating in new faculty orientations.
In-depth one-on-one engagement, especially offering a tour of relevant holdings in the closed stacks, followed by
lunch (“meals make deals”) is far and away the most effective method. We also scan each semester’s course offerings,
identify promising courses whose topics can be supported by our holdings, and whose faculty seem likely to be open,
