In Fall 2022, Auburn University Libraries faculty and staff hosted an orientation event for newly arrived international graduate students. Highlights of the event included tours of major library service points, a shared meal, and a meet and greet for graduate students and subject librarians. A key takeaway for both groups was an increased awareness of the differences that exist between U.S. academic libraries and those in other countries. The authors discuss elements of the library orientation that worked well, and address lessons learned that will be used to improve future events.

In the past, little has been written about the practical aspects of outreach. This thesis investigates the value of outreach and how it is put into practice in British Columbia's community archives. Interviews with managers of four community archives were conducted. The findings reveal that three of the interviewees regard outreach as a high priority and a fundamental part of regular activity. For these respondents, outreach activities have been positive and beneficial. They have successfully used outreach to augment and assist with acquisition, preservation and use of archival records. Only one interviewee presented a passive and cautious approach towards outreach. Results of this study indicate that outreach activities are not influenced by the administrative setting or the budget of the archives. This study identified the essential components necessary for the implementation and delivery of successful outreach initiatives as: a regular source of funding, incorporation into an annual work plan, district goals and objectives that are relevant to the mandate of the institution, attention to the target audience, community co-operation and support, and evaluation of results. This study reaffirms the value of archivists practising outreach, and provides encouragement to those who are looking for concrete methods of approaching outreach.

In the past, little has been written about the practical aspects of outreach. This thesis investigates the value of outreach and how it is put into practice in British Columbia's community archives. Interviews with managers of four community archives were conducted. The findings reveal that three of the interviewees regard outreach as a high priority and a fundamental part of regular activity. For these respondents, outreach activities have been positive and beneficial. They have successfully used outreach to augment and assist with acquisition, preservation and use of archival records. Only one interviewee presented a passive and cautious approach towards outreach. Results of this study indicate that outreach activities are not influenced by the administrative setting or the budget of the archives. This study identified the essential components necessary for the implementation and delivery of successful outreach initiatives as: a regular source of funding, incorporation into an annual work plan, district goals and objectives that are relevant to the mandate of the institution, attention to the target audience, community co-operation and support, and evaluation of results. This study reaffirms the value of archivists practising outreach, and provides encouragement to those who are looking for concrete methods of approaching outreach. / Arts, Faculty of / Library, Archival and Information Studies (SLAIS), School of / Graduate

Modern day society is characterised by the availability of technology and the abundance of information in all formats that require all individuals using it to poses information literacy skills (ILS).ILS enable people the ability to locate, analyse, evaluate access and retrieve the desired information to satisfy a need. Research on IL in academic and school libraries has gained momentum in the field of Information Science where as little has been documented concerning public libraries and IL. This therefore calls for more research on IL in public libraries. Public libraries serve a wide and diverse community of which students are a part. In instances where school libraries are either non-existent or not developed, students seek assistance from the public library within their community. This study sought to investigate the role of public libraries in enhancing the ILS of senior secondary school students in the Central District in Botswana. The fact that school libraries in Botswana are underdeveloped to produce competent and confident students equipped with ILS that could be used in the work environment and continuous lifelong learning, motivated the study. A concern that there exists a gap in research concerning public libraries and IL within the Botswana context necessitated this study. The study used a survey research design where both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were adopted. This involved the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The purpose of a mixed methods approach was based on the idea that qualitative results could assist in explaining and interpreting the findings of a quantitative study. Data collection involved three sets of closed ended questionnaires and observations in all schools and public libraries. The population of the study consisted of public librarians, teacher librarians and students. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) to generate statistics. The findings of the study revealed that the public libraries in the Central District in Botswana are above average in terms of materials and use. It brought to light that senior secondary school students use the public libraries for school purposes and get assistance when they seek for it. Public librarians do not have special classes aimed at enhancing the ILS of students. The public libraries offer IL in the form of computer training, they do this as, and when students register, just like the other members of the community. The library’s contribution to enhancement of the students’ ILS, (study skills, reading skills and use of reference works) is somewhat limited. Limited resources, lack of reading culture, low budgets, and lack of support from government negatively challenge the full potential impact of IL enhancement. / Information Science / M. Inf. Sc.