Make It Work: Using Service Design to Support Collaboration in Challenging Times

Student success units, like Writing Centers, are logical partners for academic libraries. It is not uncommon to find tutoring or academic support services located in library Learning Commons spaces. At Oregon State University, we recently launched a Research and Writing Studio that takes these partnerships to the next level. This column examines the relevance of a service design approach to collaborative space planning. It further examines the challenging process of applying idealized or general models and theories to the reality of our daily work and local contexts.     

Unifying academic research and writing services: Student perspectives on a combined service model

Research and Writing tutoring frequently occur as separate activities, even in academic libraries which provide shared spaces for these activities. The authors' library experimented with co-staffing these services and providing students with options for shared consultations covering both writing and research in the same session. This article presents findings from a year-long study which surveyed students to determine learning outcomes and overall satisfaction with this shared service model. The article presents an original approach to service analysis, as most studies to-date focus on service provider feedback, rather than student assessment of service quality. Results from the survey, while indicating high levels of satisfaction, suggest that an even tighter integration of services is needed, with more cross-training on the jargon and approaches of each discipline.     

A Survey of the Value of Library Employment to the Undergraduate Experience

When exploring the overall impact of the academic library on the undergraduate experience library student workers are a unique group to consider. As both direct users and providers of library services to their peers, student workers enable libraries to gain an understanding of the general undergraduate population. The objective of this article is to present the findings of a study of undergraduate students employed at a university research library. A questionnaire distributed to 350 student workers gathered information about who they are and how they engage with their communities. This article will look at the value working in an academic library brings to undergraduates' lives. It will consider whether working in the library promotes student success, builds community, and provides them with valuable opportunities to engage in peer networking.     

Experiences as an Embedded Librarian in Online Courses

Embedded librarianship gives librarians a prime opportunity to have a direct, positive impact in a clinical setting, classroom setting, or within a working group by providing integrated services that cater to the group's needs. Extending embedded librarian services beyond the various physical settings and into online classrooms is an exceptional way for librarians to engage online learners. This group of students is growing rapidly in numbers and could benefit greatly from having library services and resources incorporated into their classes. The author's services as an embedded librarian in fully online courses at a medium-sized university will be discussed, as will strategies, lessons learned, and opportunities for engaging in this realm. To develop a foundation of knowledge on embedded librarianship, an overview of this topic is provided.     

Graduate Student Space and Service Needs: A Recommendation for a Cross-campus Solution

Focus group methodology was used to investigate graduate students' cross-campus technology, space and service needs. Although the library provides valued services and spaces, graduate students need enhanced and more equitable support for their roles as teachers and scholars. Librarians can provide leadership and act as advocates for graduate student needs in partnership with other campus stakeholders.     

On the Edge: How to Provide Course- and Program-Integrated Library Support Without Being Embedded

Distance librarians working with an online doctoral program at Johns Hopkins University are asked by both students and faculty to provide a large amount of library support – without being embedded into the curriculum or the individual courses. Program administrators and faculty were resistant to allow librarians into the course management system (CMS), denying them access to discussion boards, assignment updates, and course content, but still expected a high level of student support. Over a three-year period, librarians respond by creating a “halo” of library services to support students at point of need that existed outside of the CMS, but was still highly integrated into the program. Librarians explore the importance of scaffolding and linking disparate services to complement each other, building a halo of support. Student need is at the center of the plan, focusing on collaborative teaching and reflection as well as student centered learning.     

Student veterans in the academic library

Enrollment increases in the number of veterans returning from service in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars offer an opportunity for academic librarians to craft outreach programs that address their unique needs as they transition from military to academic life. Library information and research services can be highlighted and integrated into the support services for student veterans already in place at most academic institutions. This article provides a case study of the design and development of services and facilities to support student veterans, and it describes the evolution of library outreach to student veterans through direct campus collaborations.     

Where the private meets the public: Results of a survey of library professionals’ observed student use of academic library spaces for prayer

Abstract

Reports of college students using the library for spiritual practices, including prayer and meditation, consist mainly of anecdotal observations, news stories, or press releases about the creation of such spaces within academic libraries. Driven by their own experiences with students using library spaces for prayer, the authors examined how prevalent this was across US academic institutions. Using a large-scale national survey, this study found library professionals observe a wide range of student prayer behavior in a variety of library spaces, regardless of institutional or campus demographics. The results provide academic libraries with evidence to support accommodating students’ spiritual needs in library spaces.     

What is a Library?: International College Students' Perceptions of Libraries

This study presents findings from an online survey and series of one-on-one interviews with students at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) regarding their perceptions of libraries. With an international student population, NYUAD represents a unique opportunity to gain insight into a wide variety of student opinions and experiences of libraries. The goal of the study was to develop a student-based perspective of libraries, which can be used to improve library services and outreach. The student responses ranged from intense engagement with libraries to little or no experience. In general, students had a limited view of the role of librarians in the library. Interestingly, many students have a lofty view of libraries and see them as repositories of knowledge for humanity.     

Where Students Start and What They Do When They Get Stuck: A Qualitative Inquiry into Academic Information-Seeking and Help-Seeking Practices

This study investigates two questions key to academic library resources and services: Which sources are students most likely to use to begin their academic work? Whom do students tend to consult for research assistance? In-depth interviews conducted with 15 undergraduate and graduate students were thematically analyzed through a three-step process. The findings indicate that students are most likely to consult faculty and peers for assistance and are largely unaware of librarians' roles, while they tend to begin research using library databases and do not necessarily start with Google. In addition, student use of small study groups as learning networks and reliance upon alternate sites to conduct research emerged as unanticipated themes.     

Secondary teachers and information literacy (IL): Teacher understanding and perceptions of IL in the classroom

Secondary teachers have the opportunity and the curriculum mandates to teach information literacy skills, yet students enter post-secondary studies with low information literacy proficiency. In many cases, teachers present the only opportunity for students to develop information literacy proficiency. With semi-structured interviews, this study explored eight secondary teachers' perceptions of information literacy and their experiences with IL as educational professionals. Confusion around the phrase information literacy was a dominant theme as participants were unfamiliar with the term and were inconsistent in defining the scope of what it might mean. Although there are references to information literacy skills in the core curriculum and support documents, participants varied in their instruction and understanding of this skill set. Participants unanimously agreed that information literacy skills, as explained using the Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education (ACRL, 2000), were important for their students. However, the extent of IL skills required varied by student. Pursuing post-secondary studies warranted advanced IL, and these students were more likely to be taught higher-level skills. IL skill development was also assumed to be the responsibility of the student, and passive acquisition was anticipated. Assumptions regarding student need and ability informed instruction. These results suggest that the current curricular mandates are insufficient to ensure IL is incorporated into instruction and that teachers are ill-prepared to instruct IL effectively.     

ILLiad,Document Delivery,and the Distance Student: How Document Delivery Can Enhance Support for Distance Library Users

ABSTRACT

Academic libraries serve great numbers of distance learners and must address the unique challenges faced by these students. Technology can bridge the gap in terms of access and use of library resources. Academic librarians working with distance students must examine their student population, determine the needs of their users, and be prepared to adapt technology available to meet those needs. Many academic libraries have adapted Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) ILLiad to allow better support of distance learners. Library models that have used OCLC ILLiad or similar software for distance services are discussed and can be used as a model for change in library distance services programs.     

Making the bridge: Testing a library workshop for a summer bridge learning community

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Library at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA), collaborated with the CSULA Student Support Program and the Educational Opportunity Program in an innovative attempt to increase visibility and use of library resources and services by at-risk students enrolled in the 2005 Summer Bridge Program. Workshops were held for tutors, study group leaders, and writing instructors associated with the Summer Bridge. Assessment of the program was conducted through a survey of workshop participants. Writing instructors and tutors were overwhelmingly positive in their response to the workshop, but study group leaders were more evenly divided in their assessment of the workshop's utility, which suggests that alumni of the Summer Bridge Program may benefit from additional instructional support services.     

Creating a HIP in the library: A high-impact practice case study

Abstract

High-impact practices (HIPs) have been adopted on college campuses to enhance student learning. The academic library provides services and space contributing to learning at its institution. Librarians conduct space research to learn how the library building can better serve its users. Library space assessment is one way for librarians to engage with faculty and students to create an HIP in the library. This article is a case study of a collaboration between a librarian and a sociology professor to design an observational study. It demonstrates how librarians can contribute to HIPs at their institution by involving students in meaningful research.     

Map Room to Data and GIS Services: Five University Libraries Evolving to Meet Campus Needs and Changing Technologies

Programs for geospatial support at academic libraries have evolved over the past decade in response to changing campus needs and developing technologies. Geospatial applications have matured tremendously in this time, emerging from specialty tools to become broadly used across numerous disciplines. At many universities, the library has served as a central resource allowing students and faculty across academic departments access to GIS resources. Today, as many academic libraries evaluate their spaces and services, GIS and data services are central in discussions on how to further engage with patrons and meet increasingly diverse researcher needs. As library programs evolve to support increasingly technical data and GIS needs, many universities are faced with similar challenges and opportunities. To explore these themes, data and GIS services librarians and GIS specialists from five universities—the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Texas A&M, New York University, North Carolina State University, and California Polytechnic State University—with different models of library geospatial and data support, describe their programs to help identify common services, as well as unique challenges, opportunities, and future plans.     

Library Study Behaviors in the Age of Ubiquitous Mobile Devices: An Observational Study in Four Academic Libraries

In this study, researchers observed student study behaviors in the libraries of four post-secondary institutions. In all, 2,773 observations were made. This research replicates and expands an earlier study and addresses its limitations. The results of a logistic regression test indicate whether students had a mobile device readily available and where students chose to study in the library best predicted whether they demonstrated a study, as opposed to a non-study, behavior. Specifically, if students were found in quiet study or computer areas, they were more likely to be performing study behaviors. This research has implications for library stakeholders making decisions about the use of library space. Most importantly, this research demonstrates that library spaces are widely used for diverse purposes.     

The Benefits and Challenges of Working in an Academic Library: A Study of Student Library Assistant Experience

Many college students choose or need to work, and academic libraries offer a potentially convenient on-campus location for employment. Students serving in these roles may benefit from the experience both academically and socially. By examining students' experience as workers in the library, academic libraries have the opportunity to understand the benefits that such work might provide and intentionally plan to enhance learning and demonstrate library value in a novel way. This basic qualitative study sought to explore the experiences of student assistants working in an academic library and identify the benefits and challenges they perceived as a result of enacting the role. Individual interviews were conducted with seven undergraduate student library assistants at a doctoral-granting institution to determine benefits and challenges they noted that resulted from their experiences in this student employment role, and findings reveal opportunities for academic librarians in training and supervising student employees.     

Library and learning experiences turned mobile: A comparative study between LIS and non-LIS students

The rapid developments of wireless telecommunication networks and the widespread increase of smartphone ownership around the world have created tremendous impacts on the services provided by institutions of higher education worldwide on several dimensions. Unarguably, mobile technologies have created new and unforeseen opportunities for educators, information services providers and students to experience the new horizon of teaching, learning, as well as knowledge transfer and creation. Taking into consideration that since Library and Information Science (LIS) students are training to become future LIS professionals, they are expected to be ready as well as active in integrating mobile technology into their daily learning practices.This study was set up to examine two groups of students (namely: LIS versus non-LIS students) at Peking University – their attitudes and level of activeness in adopting mobile technology in their daily life, as well as in their learning practices. Quantitative questionnaire survey was used for data collection, and a total number of 319 responses (i.e., LIS, 63 and non-LIS, 256) were collected from this study. Findings of this study reveal that no significant differences were found between the two student groups (LIS versus non-LIS) in many areas. In fact, both LIS and non-LIS student groups were using their smartphones to engage in different learning, research, social networking, pastimes, and recreational activities on similar level. However, it was concerning to note that the LIS student group was slightly less active in accessing the online services and resources provided by their university library. This was a particular finding that went against the researchers' original anticipation. However, such unexpected finding did not mean that these LIS students were necessarily less active or ‘open’ as mobile learners. For the reason that in comparison to their non-LIS counterparts, they were equally as active as in terms of using their mobile devices for other learning (particularly collaborative learning) and research purposes. Further studies are recommended to determine various factors that are hindering these LIS students from using the university library's online resources and services on a more active level.