










































Re-Envisioning Reference as Outreach


294  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

Re-Envisioning Reference as 
Outreach
Promoting Reference Services in the Wake of 
the Pandemic
Rebekah Bedard, Instruction and Theology Librarian, John W. Graham Li-
brary, University of Toronto

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has changed theological education 
and reference services. Today a growing number of students are studying 
and accessing the library remotely, and some libraries have found their 
reference numbers declining. Does reference still matter? If so, how best 
can we promote reference services to students who may never see us at 
the reference desk? Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 
excellent studies on theological libraries’ services for distance learners, but 
there have been few studies on reference services in particular. Studies on 
the promotion of reference services in academic librarianship predate the 
pandemic, and further research is needed on how theological libraries can 
promote reference services in the wake of the pandemic. This study address-
es that gap by exploring how we can re-envision reference as outreach to 
better reach students today. It looks at the vital nature of reference services 
in supporting academic success, equity, wellness, and connection and ex-
amines current challenges to reference services and to reaching students. 
Finally, it looks at innovative strategies for promoting reference services in 
the wake of the pandemic through partnerships, Personal Librarian pro-
grams, communications, instruction, events, and engaging services. I argue 
that reference is vital today and that we need to be proactive in promoting it.

INTRODUCTION

In my first position 10 years ago, I worked as a Reference Librarian 
at Pitts Theology Library, and I sat at a busy research desk near the 
library entrance. Students came to the desk to ask questions all the 
time and their peers followed suit. I loved reference. I loved working 
with students and faculty and answering all their questions, from in-



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  295

depth research questions to “how do I use the scanner?” I’ve worked 
in reference and outreach for 10 years – first at Pitts and then at the 
City of Toronto Archives, where I supervised Reference and Outreach. 
I have provided in-person and virtual reference, and at the City of 
Toronto Archives I led an initiative to transform reference services 
for the digital age. I also love outreach and thinking of new ways of 
doing things and like to think of myself as adaptable to change. I was 
thrilled when a theology librarian job came up at the University of 
Toronto’s John W. Graham Library during the COVID-19 pandemic 
re-openings in early 2022 and I was so excited to work with students 
again. Well, adaptable me was in for a surprise when I learned that 
many students would be continuing to study online and that UofT Li-
braries were generally no longer staffing in-person reference desks. 
I was filled with a sense of dread. Would students still ask reference 
questions? Would they even know that reference services existed?

I soon learned that UofT Libraries were not alone in no longer 
staffing reference desks and that they were not alone in serving a 
growing number of online students. I also learned that I was not 
alone in asking questions about how best to promote reference ser-
vices today, as more students learn online particularly in the wake 
of the pandemic. So, I turned to the literature. There is excellent re-
search from theological libraries on services for distance learners 
since the pandemic (Miller et al. 2022; McLean and Beard 2021; Aar-
onberg 2020; Elia 2020; Mitchell 2020; Schmidt 2020; Schulz 2020; 
Stutzman and Board 2021)the Burke Library at Columbia University 
(Deanna Roberts, but these studies do not tend to focus on reference. 
In the broader field of academic libraries, there are studies on the 
promotion of reference services (Alburo and Brant 2021; Aguilar et 
al. 2011), but these studies predate the pandemic and tend to focus 
on in-person services. I wondered: How can we, as theological li-
brarians, promote reference services in the wake of the pandemic? 
Today, we will explore that question and talk about how we should 
re-envision reference as outreach. We will look at the value of refer-
ence, the challenges we face in promoting reference services today, 
and strategies for promoting reference services.

THE VALUE OF REFERENCE

The first question is: does reference even have value? Not everyone 
thinks it does. When I was in library school, we had a panel of librar-



296  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

ians come in and the topic of reference came up. One librarian ar-
gued that reference was a waste of librarians’ time. She argued that 
reference work was below us and that we should be focusing on col-
lection development and on our own research. Another librarian ar-
gued that reference was vital to students’ success and to the library’s 
work. He talked about the joy of doing reference and its impact on 
students’ work. So, which one was it?

Shortly after graduating, I got a job at Pitts Theology Library and 
I had the chance to do reference work and think about the value of 
reference. I was on a team of three reference librarians, and we were 
busy. We took turns staffing the reference desk Monday through Fri-
day and we also offered reference services via email and by chat. And 
I found that reference had great value, particularly in four areas.

Academic Success
First, reference helped with academic and scholarly success. We had 
many experiences of students coming to us for research help and 
then coming back to tell us how helpful it had been for their research. 
On the annual survey, students commented on the librarians being 
knowledgeable and always available to help. 

It was great to answer questions from faculty as well. One faculty 
member was looking for an English translation of an essay by Albert 
Schweitzer that he had seen referenced in a book. The translation 
had not yet been published, but we found it in the translator’s un-
processed papers at Syracuse University and got a copy for the fac-
ulty member. He was thrilled and used it in a book he was writing. I 
am sure you have stories like this too.

Equity
Second, I found that reference helped with equity. We had students 
from a range of backgrounds and students who were in second ca-
reers, were learning English, or were single parents. It was great to 
get to know them, to answer their questions, and to help them in do-
ing excellent research. As Jade Alburo and Nicolette Brant argue in 
their 2021 study, reference has the radical potential “to serve as a ve-
hicle for equity and inclusion, a means for reaching out to marginal-
ized populations who face barriers in fully utilizing library services” 
(Alburo and Brant 2021, 148). Reference can “break down barriers 
to inclusion, which can be particularly overwhelming for marginal-
ized groups in academia” (Alburo and Brant 2021, 149).



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  297

Wellness
Third, I found that reference supports wellness in general. Refer-
ence librarians are there during a stressful time in students’ lives, 
particularly as students write major papers and finals. Through ref-
erence services, we provide support and are there to help students 
and listen to them. On the annual survey, students would comment 
on how we were friendly and always available. They commented on 
how we helped them get through stressful times and said that librar-
ians’ overall friendliness “brightened up the life of researchers.” I 
have always thought that there is a definite pastoral care or social 
work aspect to reference work.

Connection
Fourth, I found that reference services provided an opportunity for 
connection. We had students who came back again and again. My 
colleague Bo noted that he could look out over the reference room 
and know what each student was researching. It was great to have 
that research community.

Overall, I found that reference was vital to students’ success and 
to the library’s work in supporting and fostering research.

CHALLENGES TO REFERENCE

Although reference has value, there are some major challenges to 
students’ use of reference services.

Perennial
First, there are some perennial challenges. One is a lack of aware-
ness. Students often do not know that reference services are avail-
able, or they do not know what kinds of questions they can ask or 
who to ask. I certainly did not when I was in school.

Another is that students are often hesitant to ask for help. They 
may feel embarrassed or have what Constance Mellon termed “li-
brary anxiety” (Ferer 2021, 68). Perhaps they feel that they should 
already know the answer. They may worry that they are bothering 
the librarian or wasting the librarian’s time. There can be cultural 
barriers as well. At a recent library workshop on supporting inter-
national students, we talked about cultural differences in directness, 
assertiveness, and personal disclosure. Students may be hesitant to 
ask questions due to some of these cultural differences.



298  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

Recent and Post-Pandemic
In recent years, and especially in the wake of the pandemic, there 
are additional challenges that may prevent researchers from ask-
ing reference questions. First, there has been an increase in online 
reference and often a move away from the physical reference desk. 
This shift was happening before the pandemic. Paulita Aguilar notes 
that there has been a dramatic decline in face-to-face reference in 
the last 20 years (Aguilar et al. 2011, 343) along with an increase in 
online reference (Aguilar et al. 2011, 345). There are some advan-
tages to providing reference services online. Students can ask ques-
tions from anywhere and the questions are often more in-depth 
than that ever-popular question at the reference desk: “Where is 
the bathroom?” But there are also downsides to moving away from 
a physical reference desk. In-person, students see us and when they 
ask simple questions and see that we are friendly, they may be more 
likely to ask more complex questions. Online, students do not see us 
unless we put ourselves out there.

There has also been an increase in online education, particularly 
since the pandemic. Many of us are supporting online and hybrid 
courses or seeing whole programs move online. It can be a struggle 
to connect with students who we may never see in person and if 
our reference numbers go down, we may wonder if they are really 
needed anymore. But we have seen that reference has enormous 
value for academic success, equity, wellness, and connection. Stu-
dents still need reference, even if they do not know about it. So, how 
do we promote reference services to students today, many of whom 
are learning remotely?

RE-ENVISIONING REFERENCE AS OUTREACH

The key is to re-envision reference as outreach – to do what Aguilar 
calls “reverse reference” (Aguilar et al. 2011, 348). Instead of waiting 
for researchers to come to us, we go to them, proactively integrating 
ourselves into the communities we serve (Aguilar et al. 2011, 344). At 
the Graham Library, we have found six strategies that work in pro-
moting reference in the wake of the pandemic. I will give you some 
background on the Graham Library and then look at the six strate-
gies we have used in promoting reference — strategies that have had 
a great impact on our reference services.



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  299

The John W. Graham Library
The John W. Graham Library is one of 44 libraries at the University of 
Toronto. It is a small library with eight staff and a collection of about 
200,000 volumes. The library supports undergraduate students at 
Trinity College in programs like International Relations and Ethics. 
It also supports graduate theology students at the University’s two 
Anglican colleges: Trinity College and Wycliffe College. There is one 
librarian to support theology: currently me. In total I support about 
250 students, a third of whom now study online. I provide all theo-
logical reference services and instruction, do theological collection 
development and outreach, work with our rare books, and manage 
the Wycliffe College Archives. Trinity and Wycliffe College are two 
of the seven schools that make up UofT’s Toronto School of Theology. 
Each of the other schools has its own library as well.

At the Graham Library, we provide reference services via email, 
over the phone, in person, and over Zoom. Students can drop by and 
talk to us in person, or they can email us with questions or set up a 
time to meet in person or over Zoom, whatever works best for them. 
When I began as Theology Librarian, reference was quiet. We wanted 
to grow our reference services and find ways of reaching theology 
students in the wake of pandemic. To do so, we used six strategies 
that had a strong return on investment.

Partnerships
The first was partnerships. Aguilar describes partnerships as “two-
way streets defined by mutual respect for what each brings to the 
table” (Aguilar et al. 2011, 347). I started by scheduling one-on-one 
meetings with faculty, staff (including registrars and communica-
tions staff), administrators, and student leaders. At these meetings, I 
told them about the library’s work, including our reference services. 
I also asked about their work, and I asked about opportunities for 
us to collaborate and support and engage with students. Some great 
ideas came out of these meetings and the meetings led to invitations 
to teach in classes, attend events, and attend student group meetings, 
which were all great opportunities for meeting with faculty and stu-
dents and promoting reference services.

Personal Librarian Program
One of the results of these meetings was that I started a Personal 
Librarian program for theology students. The program was mod-



300  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

elled on a similar program for first-year undergraduate students at 
UofT, in which I am also involved. Essentially, first-year students are 
paired with a librarian and that librarian is their go-to person for 
research questions. The Personal Librarian sends students friendly 
emails throughout the term with research tips and an invitation to 
reach out with questions about their research. Personal Librarian 
programs can build greater engagement by providing a one to one 
line of communication between students and a designated librarian 
and by putting a face on library services (Ferer 2021, 70), which is 
key in the digital space. Personal Librarian programs can provide 
students with a connection to the library and make the library more 
welcoming and less intimidating, and they are fairly “simple to de-
vise and manage” (Henner 2023, 150).

The Graham Library has been participating in a Personal Librar-
ian program for undergraduate students for many years and our 
Director, Kate MacDonald, had the idea of extending the program 
to graduate theology students. To build the program, we connected 
with both colleges and got the email addresses of all incoming stu-
dents. Then, I created emails in MailChimp with a welcome message 
to students. I included images to make the emails warmer and more 
engaging and included my photo to put a face on reference services. I 
shared services available to students in a friendly and conversational 
tone and I put reference services up front, encouraging students to 
reach out to me, their Theology Librarian, with questions. I then sent 
emails throughout the year with tailored updates. For example, at 
the end of term I sent a message with tips for Finals.

When first-year students were on-site, we also hosted a Personal 
Librarian event. The event was catered to all Personal Librarian stu-
dents, including undergraduates and graduate theology students. It 
was a chance for students to meet each other and meet their Personal 
Librarian. We had coffee and treats and enjoyed getting to meet stu-
dents. We even answered reference questions at the event.

If you do not yet have a Personal Librarian program, I encourage 
you to explore this option. It is not a lot of work and is a great way 
to connect with students. If you are the only theological reference 
librarian at your library, you can send tailored updates to all first-
year students, as I did. If you have a larger reference team, you can 
divide theology students by last name and assign each set of students 
to a librarian.



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  301

Communications
In addition to the Personal Librarian program, I promoted reference 
through communications. I worked with student leaders and created 
a welcome letter for incoming students that went in all orientation 
packages, inviting them to reach out any time with research ques-
tions. I also shared emails with the entire student body throughout 
the year using the college listservs and Wycliffe College’s monthly 
newsletter, the Morning Star. In these emails, I tried to have a friend-
ly and welcoming tone. I encouraged students to come to me any 
time with questions. Since students do not always know what they 
can ask, I gave examples of the types of questions they could ask. I al-
ways saw a bump in reference questions after these emails went out.

I also worked with our Outreach Assistant to develop a poster and 
social media campaign. We thought about the types of questions that 
students could ask and developed posters and social media posts 
with these questions and the answer, “Ask Rebekah!” We developed 
graphics that read “How can I use citation software?” “Ask Rebekah!”; 
“How can I find the best materials for my research?” “Ask Rebekah!”; 
and so on. We put up posters around campus and shared the graph-
ics on social media. On the graphics, I included my email address for 
one simple, clear line of communication and included my name to 
personalize reference services.

Liaison & Instruction
Fourth, we put a bigger emphasis on liaison and instruction. I dou-
bled our orientation offerings and told students at each session to 
come to me anytime with questions. I gave them examples of the 
types of questions they could ask: how to get started in their research 
and find the best sources, how to track down hard-to-find sources, 
how to cite or use citation software, and so on. I also partnered with 
a faculty member to launch a brand-new series of hybrid Study Skills 
Workshops on topics like research, writing, editing, and citation. 
We had an average of 20 students, in person and online. At each ses-
sion, I told students about reference services and encouraged them 
to reach out to me any time and I tried to be integrated into all the 
classes that were being taught. 

In September, I sent an email to all faculty offering to come into 
their classes to teach. I got a few responses, but I wanted to reach 
more classes. In January, I took a different approach. I emailed each 
faculty member individually and by name. I asked if they could add 



302  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

me to their course page, offered to come into their class, and let them 
know about reference services. The individual attention really made 
a difference, and I got a lot of response — almost too much. I was 
invited to each course page in Canvas, where I created a module on 
research help. Here I shared research tips with students and shared 
my contact information, inviting them to contact me any time with 
questions. Many faculty shared a blurb about reference services in 
their syllabi and sent an email to students about reference services 
as well. 

I ended up being invited to teach 21 instructional sessions. These 
included virtual, hybrid, and in-person sessions. It was a great chance 
to promote reference. At each session, I talked about reference ser-
vices and encouraged students to reach out to me. I found that refer-
ence numbers went up after each instructional session.

Events
Fifth, I attended and presented at events. I attended in-person and 
virtual events at both colleges. These were great opportunities to con-
nect with students. I also worked closely with student organizations 
and faculty and they invited me to present at events. For example, 
the Wycliffe Graduate Society holds weekly lunchtime events for 
virtual and in-person students and has a guest speaker each week. I 
presented at multiple events. These were a great opportunity to get 
to know students and learn about their research. At each event, I 
emphasized reference and encouraged students to ask me research 
questions any time and many of them did.

Providing Engaging Service
Finally, a key strategy is to provide engaging reference services. 
When students have a positive experience, they often come back 
and spread the word with each other – a form of word-of-mouth 
marketing. I try to be available and flexible. Aguilar talks about the 
importance of meeting users where they are in a virtual environ-
ment (Aguilar et al. 2011, 343). I always offer to chat via email or to 
meet students in person or over Zoom, whatever is most convenient 
for them, and I try to schedule reference meetings at times that are 
convenient for students. For example, some of our students work 
full-time, so I schedule reference meetings at lunchtime. I also try to 
be dedicated and resourceful in finding answers to their questions, 
whether resources are at our library, online, or at another institution, 



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  303

and I try to answer questions quickly and follow-up to be sure I have 
found what they are looking for. I try to be empathetic and friendly. I 
love the advice in last year’s Atla Annual presentation on “Outreach 
and Promotion to Distance and Online Learners” (Miller et al. 2022). 
I aim to get to know students even if we are connecting over email 
or Zoom. I try to have a friendly, personable tone and try to really 
listen to them to hear the things they are stressed or excited about.

RESULTS

We have seen positive results from these strategies. In particular, 
we have seen stronger awareness and enthusiasm for reference ser-
vices, higher numbers of reference questions, and ongoing evidence 
of the value of reference services.

Awareness & Enthusiasm
It has been exciting to see students’ awareness of, and enthusiasm 
for, reference services grow. When I talk about reference services 
at events and instructional sessions, it is exciting to see the lightbulb 
turn on. I will often get a barrage of questions from students, saying: 
“I’ve always been hesitant to ask questions. I’m never sure what I 
can ask”; “Wait can I ask you about finding sources for my thesis?”; 
“Do you answer questions about citation?”; “If I’m having trouble 
finding a source, can I reach out to you?” To which I reply with an 
emphatic “Yes!”

It is exciting to see students’ enthusiasm grow. I had one student 
who reached out to me with a question about exegesis. She was 
skeptical at first and not at all excited about exegesis. But, as I took 
her through the exegetical research process, she became more and 
more enthusiastic. She was excited about the sources and said my 
enthusiasm for exegesis was contagious. Afterwards, she sent me a 
note to say thanks and that our meeting was life giving. She has con-
tinued to come back with questions since.

Number of Questions
I also saw our number of reference questions go up. In the summer, 
things were quiet (as expected). Numbers went up in the fall, and 
in the spring, numbers went up 1.5 times, to over 150 questions — 
many of which were quite in-depth. I had students reaching out for 
the first time, researchers who came back again and again, and re-



304  ATLA 2023 PROCEEDINGS

searchers who told their friends. Some days, I was answering six or 
seven in-depth questions, from finding an obscure archival source 
to developing a bibliography for a dissertation.

Value
Third, I saw ongoing evidence of the value of reference services. Stu-
dents frequently tell me that our research consultations have helped 
them to be successful in their projects. For example, I had the privi-
lege of helping a doctoral student find a primary source that started 
her major research project. I also continue to find that reference ser-
vices help with equity. We have students from various backgrounds 
and walks of life. I have been working with one student who recently 
came to Canada as a refugee. He and his family have been adjusting 
to life in Canada and learning English. It has been an honor to work 
with him and support his research.

Wellness
I also continue to find that reference helps with wellness. Students 
comment that research assistance has lightened their lives, has been 
life-giving, and has been a support in the midst of a stressful school 
year. They comment that they appreciate having someone to listen.

Connection
Fourth, whether virtual or in-person, I continue to find that refer-
ence provides a great opportunity for connection. Students come 
back time and again and it is great to get to know them and their re-
search. I have one doctoral student who comes to see me with each 
chapter of the dissertation.

CONCLUSION

While more students are studying online, reference still matters. 
Reference has great value not only for academic success, but also 
for equity, wellness, and connection. I hope that we will be empow-
ered to share the value of reference with our administrators, fac-
ulty, and students. But to bring that value to our communities today, 
we need to re-envision reference as outreach and take a proactive 
approach to promoting reference services. We have looked at six 
strategies for promoting reference services through partnerships, 
Personal Librarian programs, communications, instruction, events, 



LISTEN AND LEARN SESSIONS  305

and excellent services. I hope these will provide inspiration as you 
engage with your communities and promote reference services at 
your institutions.

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