In 2023, the work of User Services staff had a measurable impact on our university community. Here are some highlights of our engaging services, information literacy expertise, and student-focused advocacy efforts.
Engagement and Outreach
Our dynamic spaces, novel programming, and meaningful community partnerships help make UWM a radically welcoming place.
1,760 donut holes & 8 gallons coffee shared with students during the Chancellor’s study break events
Services by the Numbers
User Services staff provide flexible and convenient services that support UWM community members near and far.
We reached 5,844 students with library workshops
User services librarians taught 286 information literacy instruction sessions to students of all levels. Use the Library Instruction Request Form to book a workshop for your class!
“The librarians are great at working with students. Having the students meet with a librarian puts a human face on what can feel like an imposing structure. The librarians are experts in their field, so it’s great to be able to utilize this valuable resource.”
“Most instructors do not realize how difficult it is for students to conduct research. Every class which has a research paper needs this instruction.”
Advocacy and Expertise
In 2023, the User Services Division increased support for key UWM degree programs, and librarians continued to lead campus with expertise in open and affordable educational resources and pedagogy.
New Hires
Two full-time librarians joined the User Services team in 2023 in roles that support students, instructors, and researchers affiliated with the College of Health Professionals and Sciences and the Lubar College of Business.
Open Access Advocates
User Services librarians organized discussions to highlight open access publishing options, taught workshops, and created resources to support open and affordable education at UWM. Here are some ways User Services librarians rose to the challenge of a changing academic landscape:
- Organized an educational event to promote how the library is reducing the burden of open access publishing costs through a transformative agreement with Cambridge University Press.
- Advocated for open course texts to make education more affordable for students. Read about our efforts in the True Librarian interview with Kristin Woodward and our Textbook Affordability Resources page.
- Demonstrated collection knowledge and pedagogical expertise with the Slovenian Music Wikipedia Editing Workshop.
- Created and documented best practices for citing generative Ai
