Reference, Instruction, and Outreach (RIO)

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend our first Reference, Instruction and Outreach (RIO) interest group meeting on Thursday, February 16th .

Attendees brainstormed about potential topics they were interested in and what the overall objectives of the group should be. The overwhelming consensus was that the group be a forum to share ideas and also host workshops and speakers in the future.

After introductions, we had a lively discussion on making the decision to eliminate the traditional reference desk in an academic library. Other topics briefly discussed included, using college or community events to promote your library, the challenges of doing extra with limited staff and using screencast software to create “how-to” videos for the technology FAQs that are often asked at the reference desk. By the end of the meeting, it was clear that whether you are an academic, school or public librarian we can learn from each other.

Our next meeting is on Thursday, March 9th at 11am-12pm at the CDLC offices. Kate Moss, Head of Reference, Instruction and Outreach at the College of Saint Rose will be discussing the use of social media in academic, school and public libraries.