Marketing WebJunction to LIS Students

1
Marketing WebJunction to LIS Students

• A Starting Point
• 2004 Survey Results

2
Survey Background

• Online survey conducted in April 2004.
• Respondents 288 LIS students representing nine
  ALA-accredited universities in the U.S. and
  Canada.
• Questions targeted to gauge awareness of WJ and
  interest in WJ resources.
• Additional questions to determine how students
  heard of WJ.

3
Awareness of WJ

• 17 percent of respondents (47 students) had
  heard of WJ. Of these
• 63 percent (30 students) had visited the site.
• 25 percent (12 students) had registered as
  members.
• 61 percent (29 students) were unaware that some
  WJ services were available only for registered
  members and 47 percent did not know registration
  was free.

4
Interest in WJ Topics

• Students expressed interest in many topics
  covered on WJ. The most popular three choices
  included
• Technology Resources for Libraries (58 percent)
• Library Technology Policies and Practices
  (52 percent)
• Online Computer and Technology Training
  (48 percent)

5
Interest in Participation

• 57 percent of all respondents indicated interest
  in participating in online message boards with
  other LIS students in the U.S. and Canada.
• 45 percent of all respondents indicated interest
  in providing feedback and content suggestions to
  WJ related to LIS student issues and topics.

6
How Students Heard of WJ

• Students learned of WJ from an array of sources.
  The most frequently cited, in order of
  prevalence, included
• Classes/classmates/professors
• Listservs (including school lists)
• Articles
• Web searches
• E-mail correspondence
• Professional experience

7
The X Factor

• 70 percent of the students who had heard of WJ
  came from just three schools (Drexel University,
  The University of Texas at Austin, The University
  of Washington) -- all of which have had high
  student and faculty participation in WJ projects.

8
Marketing Implications

• Student interest in listservs and school LIS
  websites supports these as viable avenues to
  promote WJ to this audience.
• Interest in message boards and providing feedback
  to WJ supports an LIS student and faculty message
  board on WJ.
• The impact of peer-to-peer contact and classroom
  exposure to WJ supports the value of developing a
  student liaison program to raise awareness,
  encourage involvement, and bring LIS students
  from across the continent together at WJ --
  Where Minds Meet.

9
Looking to the Future

• A National Student Liaison Network for WebJunction

10
Starting Points for Building the Student Liaison
Program

• Implications from marketing report
• How students heard of WebJunction
• Student Web use
• Impact of student/faculty participation in
  WebJunction
• Model program after WebJunction
• Ease of use
• Conclusion Build Web portal

11
Creation of Web portal

• Sections
• Background of WebJunction Student Liaison Program
• Resources
• Suggested Activities
• Liaison List
• Liaison Benefits

12
Background of Student Liaison Program

• Provides context through historical narrative
• Highlights ties to authoritative organizations
• launched at Library of Congress, OCLC, Bill and
  Melinda Gates Foundation
• Introduces users to different areas within
  WebJunction
• WebJunction link

13
Resources

• Included to increase ease of becoming a student
  liaison
• Brochure
• Powerpoint presentation
• Flyer/Announcement
• Article for Publications
• Acts as segue into Suggested Activities section

14
Suggested Activities

• Acts as a guide in creating well-informed and
  enthusiastic student liaisons
• Take a couple of online courses and participate
  in a forum on All Aboard
• Presentations
• Publications and Articles
• Listservs
• Meetings
• Curriculum
• Report back
• Webjunction link

15
Prototyping and Publishing

• Prototype on School of Information server
• Begin collaboration with Chrystie and Jeff
• Publish this content in the WebJunction domain,
  but formatted like a Focus page
• Learn Rhythmyx content management system
• WebJunction link to end product

16
Rollout Strategies

• Dovetail with Advocates Program
• Use contact list from survey
• Push students toward content where theory and
  practice are difficult to balance
• Regulars in the Faculty and Student Lounge
• Distance Learning Students
• Faculty/Curriculum connection
• WebJunction Days
• Expand pilot program