Delivering Library Services to Distance Learners: A Grass Roots Effort at a Regional Campus

Purdue University Calumet (PUC), a regional campus in northwest Indiana, serves over 9,500 students. Though over 8,000 students currently use the University’s course management system for online education, the PUC Library faces many challenges in providing necessary resources and services to distance learners. In 2006, new Library Faculty began integrating online library services through a ‘grass roots’ effort at a course and faculty level which is described in this paper. PUC Librarians must overcome the challenge of limited budgets, experience, infrastructure, technology knowledge, time and campus culture in order to deliver library services equitably to both on-campus and online learners