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Community & Junior CollegeLibrariesPublication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wjcl20

8 Things I Wished I Learned inGraduate SchoolLawrence Jenkins aa Reference Services, Broome Community College ,Binghamton, NY, USAPublished online: 12 Oct 2008.

To cite this article: Lawrence Jenkins (2001) 8 Things I Wished I Learned inGraduate School, Community & Junior College Libraries, 10:2, 79-82, DOI: 10.1300/J107v10n02_09

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8 Things I Wished I Learnedin Graduate School

Lawrence Jenkins

ABSTRACT. Library instruction need not be boring and tedious. Refer-ence librarians have evolved effective methods of spicing up their biblio-graphic instruction sessions which can result in better retention forinformation and better relations between the library and its users. [Arti-cle copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service:1-800-342-9678. E-mail address: <getinfo@haworthpressinc.com> Website:<http://www.HaworthPress.com> © 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rightsreserved.]

KEYWORDS. Library humor, bibliographic instruction, library in-struction

INTRODUCTION

1. KISMIF

Professor Joe Biegen of Broome Community College leaned over to me andsaid, “Larry, do you KISMIF when you instruct?”

“Say what?” was my intelligent reply.“KISMIF: keep it simple, make it fun.”

Lawrence Jenkins is Coordinator of Reference Services, Broome Community Col-lege, Binghamton, NY (E-mail: jenkins_l@sunnybroome.edu). His background in-cludes public as well as academic experience in audio-visual work, bibliographicinstruction and budget management.

Community & Junior College Libraries, Vol. 10(2) 2001 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 79

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That’s a good motto for basic library instruction. I can tell when a librarianis babbling about 20 new databases and indexes and research techniques in one50 minute session and students’ eyes glaze over, and soon their minds areasleep. Suzanne Sullivan, a BCC librarian, said in 1978, “If in one class, a stu-dent can learn to find one book and one magazine article, we’ve accomplishedsomething.”

Now we have to go a bit further by not only showing how to find a physicalbook and magazine but a virtual one also. Still, my teaching objectives are sim-ple and I do my best to make it nutsy and fun.

2. “Learning Travels Up the Fingertips”

Martin Raish, formerly of Binghamton University and moderator of theBI-L listserv announced that concept to me in a visit to his library. It makessense. You will forget most of what you hear; ask any husband. You will re-member the computer or paper research you actually do . . . in class. In my bestinstruction classes, I put the database or website on the board, state what I needthem to find on it, and walk around the computer lab until everybody has foundit. When I can teach in a computer lab with hands-on exercises, everybodylearns.

3. Attitude Matters More Than Content

After 20 years as a librarian, people will see me around town and say “I re-member you, you helped me when I was going to school.” Usually they haveno clue what the assignment was, but they remember that I was nice enough tohelp. A successful librarian has current students search them out the next timethey are lost. It’s perfectly okay if you can’t always find the answers; it’s soimportant that you cordially and cheerfully give it your all.

4. You May Need a Coffee Bar for Librarians

“The Time of Your Life” motivational film makes the point that “when thephone rings, it’s your job calling.” When the reference phone rings, it’s yourjob calling. When a patron walks up to the desk, it’s your job calling.

And it’s best if you do the calling on patrons in the Reference Room. Manyaren’t sure what they want or what you’ve got to help them. When I visitedCorning Community College, the then Director Spike Stein had removedchairs from the Reference desk. His librarians were too busy to sit down. A fel-low librarian here at BCC, Karen Pitcher, wears sneakers so she can be more

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active to patrons all over the Reference floor. Besides, she says, “that way myfeet don’t hurt so much at night.”

4. The Computer Isn’t the Whole World, But You Gotta Show ’Em

This generation has collectively decided that all knowledge is on a websitesomewhere and all we have to do is find it. I peddle the “treasure chest” con-cept. A student may find exactly what he or she needs in a book and find itfaster. Websites may not have historical information. A book or magazine arti-cle may fit the need better. Librarians must communicate as gently as possibleall the research possibilities that best fulfill the student’s needs. A student wasamazed that we had health statistics from 1920. We did in a reference book.

5. Rigidity Is Only Good for Dams

Flexibility is key. Databases and web sources change every day. Clearlycomputer applications change their spots almost every day. So, when do weget Microsoft 2004? Library management systems may last 5 years and thenyour whole world changes. Many of New York State’s college libraries wereusing DRA MultiLIS with terminals now everybody will be migrating to EXLibris ALEPH, a web based model. Oh, fun. And God help the librarian whodoesn’t know how to reboot a computer, or get rid of wallpaper or use con-trol-alt-delete to get out of trouble.

6. They Want It Convenient

Many folks truly want to do homework at home. Your library research toolsought to be as accessible from any computer anywhere as CNN.com is now.Librarians need to work with computer technicians to use an authorizationmethod (informal or formal) because your license to use all these databases isgenerally legal for only your students, faculty or staff.

Like most libraries, BCC has an “Ask the Librarian” button on our websiteso not only do we teach folks how to use our research tools, we give them theauthorization codes. We also will answer questions online.

7. Educate, Educate, Educate

Most Administrators know what a library is. They had to endure one to gettheir doctorates. They know what a computer center is. But they are unclearhow information technology and libraries go hand in hand. Community col-lege libraries are the living, one-on-one, learner-driven partner of the class-

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room teacher. We’re not just the place where folks crash after class, we’re thenext step in education. We help students on their path to lifelong learning byteaching, coaching and facilitating research in whatever direction their coursework takes them.

You must educate your college administrators. Get them reports on thevalue of information literacy to your college. Haul them in for a library instruc-tion class. Help them understand your value. My father-in-law once said to me,“Larry, you should be a librarian. You’re a quiet guy and you like books.”

The days that libraries are quiet places for bookworms are over and we needto educate every Administrator we find to get that across.

8. You Have to Stay Alive on Campus

The days are also over when librarians could sit in their offices and let theworld go around them. If we have that attitude, we’re dinosaurs, ignored andextinct. Be active. Write pathfinders and bibliographies and get them used oneby one, or in classes. Get on college committees and open your mouth. Buildan Advisory Committee and give it something to accomplish. Find somethingworthwhile to say and say it in the college newsletter. And build budget pro-posals in ways that meet College objectives or that can meld with an existingfunded College program. Librarians are no longer concrete museums withdusty shelves and dustier books. They are the center for learning for every col-lege and we’re proud of it and all we’re doing. If you feel a concept or idea iscritical for your students and for the college, don’t give up. Either the Collegewill fund it eventually with your good education and advertising or maybeother creative funding may be needed. But be flexible and keep fighting.

To paraphrase the L’Oreal commercial, “We’re worth it!”

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