Meeting name

Conference of Inter-Mountain Archivists (CIMA) & Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA) Conference

Meeting location

Mesa, AZ

Document Type

Presentation

Publication Date

5-2012

Abstract

Promoting public outreach and awareness for UNLV Special Collections has evolved for me for the past six years as University Archivist. It started out as an idea that quickly grew into a wonderful partnership between UNLV and the local community. I originally promoted outreach as a librarian in Oro Valley, Arizona. It was a nice way for the organization to get the word out about the new library in the neighborhood. I started by reading novels to kids in Summer Camps at the nearby middle and high schools. It was a lot of fun and I was asked to come back again. This evolved into not only reading, but handing out literature about the new library. Over time, I would see the kids and their parents at other events at the library. We were developing relationships with the community. I was becoming one of the faces of the new library. It was rewarding because you felt like you were making a positive impact on your community. That’s when I realized the power of public outreach. You are indeed the face of the institution when you work at a library or archive. When the public sees you they see your organization. So, it is imperative that you maintain that relationship as much as possible. These are the same people that will not only use your materials, but even support you during tough economic times.

Keywords

Libraries – Special collections; Libraries and community; Library outreach programs; University of Nevada; Las Vegas

Disciplines

Archival Science | Library and Information Science

Comments

File: 37 PowerPoint slides

Attached file: lecture notes

Additional Files
TSommer_Notes-PromotingPublicOutreach.pdf (323 kB)
Lecture notes for the slides
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