Abstract
This paper reflects on a research project undertaken in 2013 to evaluate a series of events titled ‘Fridays at the Library’ run by Flinders University Library. The project was undertaken by a team of library staff, and sought to explore (1) whether other similar community engagement activities are undertaken in university libraries around Australia, and (2) the benefits of running such a program for ‘engaged outreach’. A survey of our audience confirms our belief that Fridays at the Library (a) encourages informed discussion in the community of topical and often controversial subjects, (b) fosters exchange and networking between researchers and the community, (c) provides an accessible and welcoming interface between the university and the surrounding community.However, there were several challenges and limitations faced by the research team, including participant bias owing to the existing relationship between many of the respondents and the researcher, limited time available to conduct research in a service-oriented institution, and limited participation by those in the broader university and community population who might be aware of the series but do not attend.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-18 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Australasian Journal of University-Community Engagement |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 2 |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Event | 2015 Social Theory, Politics and the Arts Conference - University of South Australia, City West Campus, Adelaide, Australia Duration: 10 Dec 2015 → 12 Dec 2015 |