TED Talks as a Student Engagement Opportunity for Academic Libraries

Abstract

Academic Libraries across the United States provide student engagement events for a diverse set of reasons. Like many academic libraries, the University Library of Columbus (ULC) strives to provide student engagement opportunities to increase the library's visibility and student involvement on campus. In the Fall of 2017, TED Talks on Tuesdays series was developed and implemented. The chosen format for the TED Talks series was to present a Talk each Tuesday followed by a brief discussion and a short survey of attendees. This paper shares an overview of the series implementation, promotion, evaluation, and progression during the 2017/2018 academic year, including attendees' feedback and author's recommendations. It suggests that a weekly series such as TED Talks, provide a unique venue for academic libraries to engage their academic community on an ongoing basis and build strong relationships with new and existing patrons. The series can enhance existing library programming or serve as a standalone engagement and outreach initiative.