Cite Right: How a Pop-Up Help Desk Addresses Service Gaps

During the middle of the 2025 spring semester, we noticed two intertwined problems that required addressing: students were unaware of the full range of our services, and our lack of a reference desk reduced organic interactions with students. This lack of understanding and excess of physical distance, combined with other issues such as an individual's hesitation in approaching a librarian for help, presented us with obstacles to providing high-touch service. To overcome these obstacles, we launched a citation help desk the week before final exams. This alternative reference model created an approachable format where students could receive citation assistance and feedback in the high-traffic library common area. Students not only felt more comfortable approaching us in this setting, but the connections we made continued even after the program ended. In this session, we’ll share what our approach taught us about student needs, outreach gaps, and reducing library anxiety. We’ll discuss how we plan to continue the program, expand student outreach to freshmen through different channels, and build potential partnerships with the Writing Center, Student Success Center, and First-Year Seminar courses. This demonstrates how a small, informal program can influence student success through their interactions with library services and personnel.