Into the Limelight: Staying Connected in Unprecedented Times

Alicia Melton, The Black Archives, History and Research Foundation of South Florida, Inc.
Luis Berthin, The Black Archives History and Research Foundation of South Florida, Inc.

Abstract

The poster will address how we reimagined access for our users, through digital programming & outreach. Creativity was required from our department so that we could continue operations while we were at home. There were restrictions on some tasks such as acquisition, processing and reference, but we were able to focus on outreach.

This poster presentation is to encourage information professionals to adopt Social Media and other online platforms as tools for outreach and programming. As a result, through this medium, constant online interactions and user engagement sparked interest in our organization. When we returned to the office, our online programming helped drive more research appointments, new patrons, and increased archival donations from the community.

Lastly, through these online platforms we were also able to collaborate successfully with various institutions, where the exchange of our knowledge led to a deeper understanding of American History for us and our users.

This paper has been withdrawn.
 

Into the Limelight: Staying Connected in Unprecedented Times

The poster will address how we reimagined access for our users, through digital programming & outreach. Creativity was required from our department so that we could continue operations while we were at home. There were restrictions on some tasks such as acquisition, processing and reference, but we were able to focus on outreach.

This poster presentation is to encourage information professionals to adopt Social Media and other online platforms as tools for outreach and programming. As a result, through this medium, constant online interactions and user engagement sparked interest in our organization. When we returned to the office, our online programming helped drive more research appointments, new patrons, and increased archival donations from the community.

Lastly, through these online platforms we were also able to collaborate successfully with various institutions, where the exchange of our knowledge led to a deeper understanding of American History for us and our users.