Creating a sustainable graduate student workshop series

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on librarians’ experience creating and sustaining a workshop and webinar series for graduate students over the course of four years.

Design/methodology/approach

Difficulties hosting and promoting stand-alone graduate workshops and a collaborative method for planning workshop days and webinars are described in this case study. Attendance data were collected and recorded for each event, and additional quantitative data were collected via registration forms and post-event surveys.

Findings

Working collaboratively as a department eased planning and promotional responsibilities, allowing for a sustainable workshop series. Focusing on a limited number of events per semester and developing a brand identity for the series streamlined promotion and increased attendance, relative to discipline-based, stand-alone workshops.

Originality/value

While many libraries host workshops, the originality of the program lies in the collaborative planning and promotion process that efficiently uses librarian time and expertise to continuously offer well-attended graduate workshops and webinars. This case study could be used as an example for institutions considering to start a workshop series or those experiencing difficulties with stand-alone workshops.

Citation

Peacemaker, B. and Roseberry, M. (2017), "Creating a sustainable graduate student workshop series", Reference Services Review, Vol. 45 No. 4, pp. 562-574. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-04-2017-0010