History
The Off-Campus Library Services Conference is a biennial event that has been in existence since 1982. This international conference brings together librarians, administrators, and educators to discuss, demonstrate, and champion the techniques and theories of providing library services to students and faculty participating in instruction either away from a main campus or in the online environment. Through formal proceedings and the publication of Conference papers in the Journal of Library Administration, this information is made available to all who have an interest in this field.
Previous conferences have been held in Salt Lake City, UT (2008); Savannah, GA (2006); Scottsdale, AZ (2004); Cincinnati, OH (2002); Portland, OR (2000); Providence, RI (1998); San Diego, CA (1995); Kansas City, MO (1993); Albuquerque, NM (1991); Charleston, SC (1988); Reno, NV (1986); Knoxville, TN (1985); and St. Louis, MO (1982).
Past conferences have been International in both scope and participation. They have attracted academic, corporate, medical, and military librarians from the United States, Canada, England, Australia, India, South Africa, Indonesia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and the West Indies.
The conference is sponsored by Central Michigan University Libraries and CMU's Off-Campus Programs. It is planned and hosted by the Off-Campus Library Services department.
Purpose
The purpose of the Off-Campus Library Services Conference is to provide a forum where practitioners and administrators involved with providing library resources and services to off-campus and online students and faculty can exchange ideas, concerns, perspectives, and pertinent research.
The schedule reflects the geographic, philosophic, and programmatic diversity in distance services.
The program offers a keynote speaker, concurrent paper sessions, poster sessions, workshops, and discussion groups. An Off-Campus Library Services Conference Award is given to a professional new to the field of distance librarianship, and this individual is invited to give a presentation at the Conference.
The conference is organized around the following five topic tracks that reflect the interests and concerns of those of us working in the area of distance librarianship:
- Research -- surveys, assessment, statistics, theories, overviews
- Teaching and learning -- methods, strategies, models, one-on-one,
classroom - Electronic information and delivery -- collection development, ebooks, databases, web technology, virtual reference
- Administration and support services -- program development, ILL, document delivery, reference management systems, collection development, budgets, staffing
- Collaboration -- librarian, faculty, consortia or other
In addition to the formal program, there are ample opportunities, including dine-outs and excursions, for informal networking and discussions among participants. Meals are included to encourage networking.
