The Application of Library Outreach Strategies in Archival Settings

Abstract

Librarians and archivists in the Halifax Regional Municipality were surveyed using a series of online questionnaires in order to identify library outreach strategies that could potentially be used by archives. Participants were asked for their opinions about the planning, implementation, and evaluation of outreach programmes in which they had been involved. The responses indicated that many aspects of library outreach are applicable to archival settings. In particular, the authors recommend that existing outreach programmes be expanded through a more broadly-based approach, one that promotes information literacy, connects with youth and children, partners with the community, and engages with the public in a variety of settings outside the confines of the physical archive.