april08b.indd Daisy Benson and Selene Colburn Party photo phenomenon Students collaborate to promote reference services The University of Vermont (UVM) Libraries recently introduced a student-centered campaign to promote our Ask a Librarian ser- vices. Using a collaborative design and social networking tools, the resulting messages meet our student user population in the places they frequent. From almost famous to always famous In 1968, Andy Warhol predicted that, “everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.” Today, placing a time limit on the democratization of fame already seems an antiquated notion. Anyone who can sit in front of a computer can instantly publish writing, images, and sound and video files to a global audience. The result is a kind of constant low-level fame in which anyone can partake. In a recent article in New York Magazine, Emily Nussbaum observes that college- and high school-aged young adults who have grown up interacting with tools such as blogs, social networking sites, and streaming audio- visual files “think of themselves as having an audience.” Nussbaum describes her exchange with a student at Columbia, who has been blogging since she was 13: Lately she’s compelled by a new aspect of her public life, what she calls, with a certain hilarious spokeswoman-for- the-cause affect, the “party-photo phe- nomenon.” [she] clicks to her Facebook profile, which features 88 photos. Some are snapshots. Some are modeling poses she took for a friend’s portfolio. And then there are her MisShapes shots: images from a popular party in Tribeca, where photographers shoot attendees against a backdrop…“To me, or to a lot of people, it’s like, why go to a party if you’re not going to get your picture taken?”1 From advertisement to campaign In the spring of 2007, the UVM Libraries de- cided to place an advertisement in the student handbook. Previous library outreach efforts had often focused on wholesale promotion of collections and services, and had featured im- ages that depicted exactly the kinds of objects and activities associated with libraries: students and librarians gathered around computers, pointing with enthusiasm at something fl ash- ing on the screen; stacks of books demonstrat- ing a range of titles; computer terminals; even cups of coffee. The student handbook already contained good general information about the libraries, so we chose to experiment with promoting a specific service. From our 2005 LibQUAL survey results, we knew that users who interacted with reference librarians were extremely satisfied. At the same time, data indicated that patrons were confused about how to locate, access, and best use library resources. Reference transactions could bear increased demand in a way that other services could not. Finally, we were about to introduce a new iteration of chat refer- ence services targeted at our undergraduate population. All this made UVM’s package of Daisy Benson is reference and instruction librarian, e-mail: daisy.benson@uvm.edu, and Selene Colburn is assistant dean of libraries for external relations, e- mail: selene.colburn@uvm.edu, at the University of Vermont © 2008 Daisy Benson and Selene Colburn 208C&RL News April 2008 mailto:selene.colburn@uvm.edu mailto:daisy.benson@uvm.edu Ask a Librarian services an ideal subject for promotion. We wanted a student-centered approach that engaged our users as collaborators. In light of data asserting students’ independent natures, it was important to take the focus off the librarian at the end of the service and celebrate both the quest for knowledge and a loftier outcome of research: increased creativ- ity and originality. We also wanted to play on our undergraduate population’s desire to see and be seen, while echoing the look and feel of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Our message was distilled to a single word, ask, which both directed users to the appropri- ate services and celebrated the general spirit of inquiry that’s fundamental to the UVM Li- braries’ mission. Students were photographed holding a simple sign proclaiming “Ask.” To elicit their playfulness, we described our photo shoots as comparable to old self-service photo booths. Recruitment techniques played on (and hopefully subverted) reality television’s notion of star making by seeking students to serve as “UVM Libraries’ Top Models,” while emphasiz- ing our commitment to portraying a diverse group of individuals. Text from a recruitment poster read: The Libraries’ Top Models will be: expressive, diverse, creative, all shapes and sizes, funny, passionate (and a bunch of adjectives we haven’t thought of yet, because we are waiting for you to show us). Early on in our process, we realized that the life of resulting images need not be confi ned to a single advertisement, but could be used to construct a campaign of some duration across media. The photo shoots To date we’ve held three photo shoots, re- sulting in photographs of approximately 89 students: two in the spring of 2007 at the Bailey/Howe Library’s Cybercafé, and one at a student activities fair in the fall of 2007. Our first two photo shoots required very little prep- aration. We hung promotional posters outside the café in the library on the day of the events and posted a notice to the libraries’ Web site. Students waiting in line for coffee and snacks were recruited and photographed against a simple white backdrop pinned to a nearby bulletin board. It quickly became apparent that the event itself was an important form of outreach. As participants signed release forms, we described the services they were being asked to promote, sharing the address of the Ask a Librarian Web page. Daisy Ben- son, assistant library faculty in the Instruction and Information Department, photographed students while chatting briefly to put them at ease. In the following weeks, a number of our “models” approached Daisy at the reference desk with questions. At the student activities fair, we further optimized the event’s outreach potential. We staffed a booth for several hours prior to the photo shoot, highlighting past images in the form of posters and handouts promoting both the upcoming photo shoot and the service itself. Even students who had no interest in being photographed left with information about how to contact reference librarians. Many students responded to the images with admiration, exclaiming “Cool!” as they recog- nized friends and acquaintances. Surprising numbers returned at the appointed time to get their pictures taken. After models were photo- graphed, they were given sample promotional materials and a handout about how to view the resulting photos. Students’ genuine enthusiasm for being photographed has been widespread and impressive. When asked to participate, one Online extra Visit the April 2008 issue of C&RL News online at www.acrl.org/c&rlnews for a podcast interview with article authors Daisy Benson and Selene Colburn. April 2008 209 C&RL News www.acrl.org/c&rlnews young man asked with hesitation, “Will a lot of people see these?” “Well, yes,” we told him apologetically, preparing ourselves for his refusal. “Oh, sure then,” he said. Another student responded to our request by assuring us that he was “really good at this kind of thing.” Our evolving group of models are, indeed, really good at spending time in front of the camera. They have shown a capacity for self-expression and candor that continues to astonish and inspire us. “Ask” Campaign Vehicles The advertisement we created for the student handbook featured 12 stu- images will be incorporated into professional signage directing Bailey/Howe Library visi- tors to the reference desk. We’re preparing to place versions of the advertisement designed for the handbook in The Cynic, UVM’s student newspaper, and to engage the assistance of library student workers in hanging fl yers across campus at regular intervals. We’re preparing to create a similar set of images depicting users of our Dana Medical Library, so the campaign can be adapted to promote their parallel services. The “Ask” Campaign Goes 2.0 In addition to the more traditional communica- tion vehicles described above, social network- ing sites are an integral part dents and the simple text “Ask of this project. We knew from questions @ your library,” ac- the outset that we wanted to companied by the address for be able to share photographs the Ask a Librarian Web page. with our models and their It appeared in the fall of 2007. friends. The participants’ re- The advertisement was also quests to see the images and enlarged to a poster-sized im- obtain copies furthered our age, along with photographs commitment. We use both of individual models, and Flickr and Facebook as tools used at orientations for faculty to facilitate this process. and graduate students. Flickr is a photo sharing Multiple images of the utility that allows its users to same models were used to store and share photographs. create popular bookmarks Additional features, such as replicating photo booth strips, the ability to comment upon, with further information about Ask a Librarian services on the reverse. Postcard-sized advertisements were de- signed for tabletops in the popular dining areas of UVM’s new student center. These featured images from the student activities fair photo shoot and appeared only days later. We were able to tell models about this use of the im- ages both at the shoot itself and in a follow-up e-mail they received almost immediately, thus capitalizing on their interest. Images have also appeared on a fl at screen in the Bailey/Howe Library lobby, and we’re hoping to syndicate these to similar presenta- tions in other campus facilities, such as resi- dential and dining spaces, the student center, and administrative buildings. Some of the tag, and mark images as favorites, add a layer of social interactivity. We have posted the majority of the photos to Flickr2 (excluding a handful of unfl attering shots) and shared the site with models via e- mail notification. This allows students to easily download images in the size of their choice, which they have put to some surprising uses of their own. Flickr is not simply a place to store the images, it is another channel by which to promote the Ask services. With more than 16,000 members in its UVM network, Facebook cannot be ignored as a communication vehicle. Facebook is a social networking site that allows users to create pro- fi les; connect to friends; send messages; form groups around common interests; and share 210C&RL News April 2008 links, photographs, event We used the cost-effec- information, and notes. tive flyer feature to design Prior to the student activ- mini-advertisements that ities fair, we created a Face- display as UVM student us- book group called UVM ers are navigating through Libraries’ Top Models and Facebook. The fl yers ran used Facebook’s event fea- over a period of six days, ture to ensure that the up- across two weeks, were coming photo shoot would displayed 45,000 times to appear in the UVM network current UVM students, and calendar. When students featured a unique image were photographed at the each day, accompanied by fair, we invited them to text that read “Ask Ques- join the Facebook group to tions. Ask a librarian for see examples of how their help to save time and re- images were used and to duce frustration. Join the learn about future events. UVM Libraries’ Top Models From the group, we were group to learn more.” The able to upload examples of flyers linked to the Ask a print advertisements, further Librarian Web page. promote the Ask a Librarian Web page, and post links to Conclusion Flickr photo sets. We are currently logging the The link to the student appearance and duration of activities fair photos posted each new iteration of “Ask” on Flickr briefly became one images and messages, so we can cross-refer- of the most popular posted items in the UVM ence these with reference transaction statis- network, as student models shared it with tics for the fall 2007 semester as a means of their large collections of friends. Students who measuring success and are preparing a survey have joined the Facebook group to ascertain what directed users to have downloaded “Ask” campaign reference services. images into their Facebook albums, As the UVM Libraries move to- occasionally even using them as ward increasingly strategic commu- profile pictures. They have tagged nications, the “Ask” campaign is an themselves and one another in important pilot to help us discover images and commented on the what resonates with student users photos. One model commented and which communication vehicles on a photo of herself with some have the most impact. Without the friends, “Awww look how cute we participation and creativity of our are! We’re such good models.” And students, such a campaign could another commented on a photo not exist. of herself, “I’m a model! (For the library).” All of their Facebook Notes friends are notified of these actions 1. Emily Nussbaum, “Say Ev- via the newsfeed that serves as erything,” New York Magazine, each user’s customized homepage, February 12, 2007: 29. resulting in a second wave of user- 2. UVM Libraries Top Models generated marketing for the Librar- Flickr sets, www.fl ickr.com/photos ies and the “Ask” campaign. /uvmlibraries/sets. April 2008 211 C&RL News