Future-Proofing Library Experience for the First College Year Beth McMahon and Cyndi Boertje ILA/ACRL Spring Conference April 17, 2009 The “Perpetual Question”

Future-Proofing Library Experience for the First College Year

Beth McMahon and Cyndi BoertjeILA/ACRL Spring Conference April 17, 2009

The “Perpetual Question”

What is the ‘perpetual question’?

“What people don’t understand, more and more, are librarians. If I can Google, why do I need you? I’m coming to see this as a perpetual question, one that we can’t stop answering.”—Cindy Chadwick LJ Mover and Shaker, ‘04


“Perpetual Question” or Elephant in the Room?

“Why do I need you?”

is the unspoken question of the First Year Experience course.

And it deserves an answer

Beth McMahon and Cyndi Boertje ILA/ACRL Spring Conference April 17, 2009

What do we mean by “future-proofing”?

• Correcting false or limited impressions

• Emphasizing intentional, sequential learning

• Starting a process in the first year that would resonate throughout students’ academic careers

Beth McMahon and Cyndi Boertje ILA/ACRL Spring Conference April 17, 2009

Intersections:An Introduction to the Liberal Arts

• An exploration of the “intersections” where disciplines, ideas and events converge, connect and collide.

• Students are introduced to college-level skills of reading, writing, speaking, listening, critical thinking and information literacy.


Intersections:An Introduction to the Liberal Arts

The course will specifically focus on these areas of student development:

1. Joining the academic community 2. Curiosity and personal responsibility dispositions 3. Inquiry and study habits 4. Communication and information literacy skills


Information Literacy Outcomes for Intersections

1. Readily confer with faculty and librarians about information needs

2. Effectively access information collections and services available on site in Geisler Library facilities as well as on the library’s website

3. Evaluate information and sources critically4. Incorporate new information into their knowledge base5. Formulate insightful search questions and devise

effective information search strategies6. Use information ethically and legally by citing sources

correctly and avoiding plagiarism


Why Peer Teachers?

• Establish closer links between information literacy and writing

• Have an embedded advocate and role model for students

• Continue successful Writing Tutor model• Opportunity for talented advanced

students to expand tutoring and presentation skills


The IL Modules for Intersections

• Getting to Know Geisler Library• Become a Citation Pro• Online Library Resources• All About Academic Journals• Search Strategies• Evaluating Information Sources• Ethical Use of Information


The Modules

Two primary teaching/learning strategies:

• “Nintendo logic”:– Self-directed trial and error

• Competition– Presented as a “reality TV”-style game


What we hoped the Peer Teachers would do

• Model scholarly inquiry and possibilities for academic achievement

• Personalize library experience

• Re-assert the importance of information literacy in their own academic success


What the Peer Teachers actually did

• Became key informants and truth-tellers

• Established very positive relationships with faculty

• Improved classroom dynamics

• Made powerful personal insights about themselves as teachers and leaders


Were the Peer Teachers successful?

• Citation outcomes– Professor feedback indicates Yes!– Increased attention to citation in tutoring session

and reference consultations

• Information Ethics– Preliminary post-test data shows slight improvement

• Course evaluations– Yes!


What did the Peer Teachers say about their experiences?

• Communication is essential!• Need to feel supported and desire for

autonomy sometimes conflict• Challenges of working with freshmen • Managing the workload• Building a working relationship with

your professors


What we learned

• We need more Peer Teachers!• We need even more extensive

collaboration between librarians and Peer Teachers.

• Everything takes longer than you think.• Less talking, more listening• “Barometers” for the class


What comes next?

Beth McMahon and Cyndi Boertje LA/ACRL Spring Conference April 17, 2009

References

Miller, R. (2008, August 15). Future-Proof Your Library. Library Journal, 133(13), 30-33. Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6585850.html


http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6585850.html

Documents

Future-Proofing Library Experience for the First College Year Beth McMahon and Cyndi Boertje ILA/ACRL Spring Conference April 17, 2009 The “Perpetual Question”