Campus Engagement: Faculty Recognition and the Library's Role

As faculty librarians on a regional campus of a research university, attending meetings is one way we stay connected to our faculty colleagues. On several occasions at these events, faculty commented about a need for their work outside the classroom to be recognized in a more public forum. As we are always looking for ways to serve and engage with our campus, we considered if the library could somehow meet this need. Providing a showcase for faculty accomplishments could potentially help faculty connect with each other, show students examples of research and scholarship by their instructors, and give us another opportunity to talk with faculty about how we can support them and their students. From there, a Faculty Recognition Event hosted by our library took shape. Early in this process, we reached out to Academic Affairs, as this office is among the most engaged with the teaching and scholarship of faculty. Through this partnership, we built a framework for organizing the event: types of work to feature, ways to get the information, when and where the event should take place, and more. Although the process was not always smooth, the first event met our expectations of highlighting faculty scholarship, service, presentations, and grants or other awards. Hosting a casual lunchtime event featuring this work presented outreach opportunities we may not have otherwise had. The lessons learned from the first attempt informed the approach we took to plan a second, more well-attended event.