Reference with a Gimmick: A Pilot Program to Promote Library Services
Kelly Blanchat, Yale University
Laura Sider, Yale University
Marketing Libraries Journal, volume 4, issue 1, pages 33-47
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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.
Citation to article:
Blanchat, K., & Sider, L. (2020). Reference with a Gimmick: A Pilot Program to Promote Library Services. Marketing Libraries Journal, 4(1), 33-47. Retrieved from https://journal.marketinglibraries.org/april2020/04_MLJv4i1_Column_Trenches_Blanchat_Sider.pdf
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