Marketing Libraries Journal (Apr 2020)
Reference with a Gimmick: A Pilot Program to Promote Library Services
Abstract
During the academic year 2018-2019, Yale University’s Bass Library piloted a reference program called Latte with a Librarian. The impetus for the pilot stemmed from a need for Yale librarians to engage more with students in-person and to market the remote research services that the library offered. A pilot project was developed to test a method for increasing in-person reference services. The pilot consisted of three librarians setting up a temporary reference desk at a popular student café. Students were offered a free library-branded mug as an incentive for posing a reference question. The success behind Latte with a Librarian can be attributed to the marketing and outreach efforts, as well as the location that was chosen for the pop-up reference outlet outside Bass library.
