Examining Our Roots
The Origins and Evolution of Outreach in Academic Libraries, 1958-2020
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21900/j.jloe.v3.1105Keywords:
academic libraries, outreach, neoliberalism, higher education, history of outreachAbstract
Analysis of historical milestones in the field of library studies reveals the changing values, purposes, and structures of outreach broadly construed within academic libraries. A timeline and narrative are presented that traces the effects of the national outlook on higher education from the mid-century to the current neoliberal reality on outreach milestones within the field, from 1958 to 2020. We contend that the present post-pandemic moment affords practitioners a chance to turn a critical eye toward the purpose and audience of outreach in order to re-orient our actions to reflect an original philosophy of outreach: inclusivity.
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