“you’re my new best friend!”
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“You’re My New Best Friend!”. Judi DeLisle Valencia Community College June 28, 2004 ALA/LIRT. Methodology. Literature search Interviewed 8 adult female students Attended a Student Success class designed for adult returning students - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
“You’re My New Best Friend!”
Judi DeLisleValencia Community College
June 28, 2004ALA/LIRT
Methodology
• Literature search• Interviewed 8 adult female
students• Attended a Student Success
class designed for adult returning students
• Review of library’s policies, procedures, resources and services
Does the LRC Facilitate Adult Learning?
• “Sanctimonious” View• Reality
What We Thought:
•Margie: came in with her SLS class and the first thing she did was connect with the librarians. •Vanessa: “You ladies, the librarians are the greatest!”
What We Found Out: Real First Impressions
• “Anxiety” “Overwhelmed” “Confused” “Diarrhea” “Lost”
• Problems with student assistants
• Many procedures and processes
• Unclear or insufficient directions/signage
Real First Impressions
• Vanessa: Didn’t know it exists
• Problems with copy machines/printing: Margie
What Happened?
• How did these eight students overcome their initial negative impressions?
• Common traits• Love of libraries
Specific Issues
• Library Instruction• Librarians• Handouts• Online Resources
Library Instruction Was Great; But
• Too much, too fast• Hands-on either helpful or
frustrating• Multiple sessions with hands
on help from professor and librarian helpful; most are one-shot
Librarians Were Wonderful; But
• Librarians’ have limited time with each student
• Feeling of bothering librarians (Margie: “Its her again…must have been thinking that….”)
• Felt they should be more independent
• Problems with other staff, especially student assistants
Handouts Were Helpful; But
• Too brief; need to be more detailed
• Weren’t helpful if they didn’t know they existed
• Need to be on very basic things
Online Resources Were Great Time Savers; But
• Computer anxiety• Not enough on-campus
instruction before “going it alone”
• Problems with borrower IDs/PINS
What Are We Doing/Changes Implemented?
• First Impressions• Library Instruction• Librarians• Handouts• Staff• Online Resources & Services
First Impressions
• ‘Road Map’ for orientation• Redesigned Web page• Customer training for student
assistants• Better signage especially up-
front• Inviting furniture and
atmosphere• Enforcing a Learning Center
Acceptable Code of Behavior
Library Instruction
• Promote multi-class instruction• If one-shot, then one database well• Video follow up for databases• Sign up for individual consultations • Proactive & Library Survival sessions • Classroom Assessment Techniques• Our responsibility to get with faculty
to get students in (Vanessa: “..not a good thing….”)
Librarians
• Make no assumptions about students (Margie: “…visual processing handicap”)
• Remain open, informal, inviting• Redesign reference counter• Proactive with faculty
Handouts
• Publicize handouts through Atlas portal system & faculty pages
• Better signage• Made more visible on library
home page• Handouts on non instructional
topics• Interactive handouts/Self
assessment handouts
Staff
• Customer training• FISH Philosophy for Student
Assistants
Online Resources & Services
• Marketing• Computer training sessions• Video follow ups available• Ask a Librarian email and chat
High Maintenance??
Our Best Students
• Ana Amaya• Vanessa Clyborn-Thomas • Teresa Durrant• Mary Little• Lana McMurray• Denise Sullivan• Margie Tinis • Chandra Ward
Why We Love Our Female Adult Students?
• They have a clue!• They listen and do what they
are told • They make us feel good about
what we do (Vanessa)• They sometimes do become our
“New Best Friends!”
Thanks to:
• Angelique Smith, Manager Teaching and Learning Center
• Dan Kimble, Librarian• Amy Eger, Instructional Design Specialist• Paulette Smith, Librarian• Suzanne Johnson, Librarian• Nuria Curas, Librarian• Diane Orsini, Communications Professor• Dr. Karen Blondeau, Director West Campus
LRC
References
• Separate handout