Outreach at Central Michigan University Libraries: A Nine Month Reflection

Participants in the North American Indigenous Summer Enrichment Camp
after completing an activity in the University Libraries.

Hello everyone. My name is Lee Parker and September marks my ninth month serving as Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Central Michigan University Libraries. The instruction role has been around for many years, but the outreach part of my job is new. My outreach work includes collaborating with non-academic offices and departments and participating in collaborative opportunities with them. This collaboration helps CMU Libraries identify the needs of students affiliated with these offices and adapt accordingly.

Over the past few months, this outreach has taken multiple forms. These have included hosting the CMU Libraries table at events to inform students and community members about the library resources available to them, developing library instruction models and choosing readings for university courses in the Pathways to Academic Success and Multicultural Advancement and Cofer Scholars program, and developing fun and engaging library activities and sessions. This engagement represents an exciting new opportunity for CMU Libraries given that we have never worked with some of these offices before. For those that have worked with CMU Libraries in the past, I have identified opportunities to expand our collaboration in new, creative, and fun ways.

While the individuals and offices with which I have worked may vary, I have nevertheless noticed that most everyone seems thankful for the events and excited to get involved with CMU Libraries in the future. These types of activities have also allowed me to find meaning in my work. As stated in my own previous conversation with Office of Indigenous Affairs director Kasey Ann Perez following an activity held by CMU Libraries as part of the North American Indigenous Summer Enrichment Camp, events like these remind “... me why I like my job...” and help me feel that I am making a lasting impact on CMU Libraries as a whole and the broader community. I and others at CMU Libraries look forward to the possibilities presented by this future collaboration.