Do a Little Dance: The Impact on Students when Librarians Get Involved in Extracurricular Activities

Shiela KaL

Katie Fotta,Fran

118 The Jou

Do a Little Dance: The Impact on Studentswhen Librarians Get Involved inExtracurricular Activities

by Sheila Kasperek, Amber Johnson, Katie Fotta, and Francis Craig

Available online 1 August 2006

One hundred fifty-two undergraduate studentsat Mansfield University of Pennsylvania weresurveyed to determine if the involvement of

their liaison librarian in theater productions andorchestra had an effect on their relationship

with the library. The study shows positive andstatistically significant results for students who

participated in theater extracurricular activities.

sperek is the Reference and Electronic Resourcesibrarian, Mansfield University, Pennsylvania, USA

[email protected];Amber Johnson is the Humanities Librarian,

Mansfield University, Pennsylvania, [email protected];

Mansfield University Alumna Pennsylvania, USA;cis Craig is an Associate Professor of Psychology,

Mansfield University, Pennsylvania, [email protected].

rnal of Academic Librarianship, Volume 33, Number 1, pages 118–12

LITERATURE REVIEW

The relationship between academic librarians and students hasbeen discussed in the library community for decades. Theliterature emphasizes the improvement of library service byeither gaining a deeper understanding of the patrons or bychanging students’ perceptions of librarians. A portion of theliterature in the area of library perception deals with theeducational background and job duties of librarians. Theseconcerns do not relate to the current study, but are necessaryreading for a complete picture of the relationship betweenlibrarians and patrons.

Library anxiety is the most frequently researched topicconcerning student perception of academic libraries. ConstanceMellon, who was one of the first to use the term dlibrary anxiety,Tnoticed a phobia among college students which would cause themtominimize their time spent in the library.1 Library anxiety not onlyhinders use of the library, but in some cases also causes feelings ofincompetence. Mellon found that student anxiety levels werelowered after attending a library instruction session.2

Qun Jiao and Anthony Onwuegbuzie explored variousfactors that influence five precursors to library anxiety. Theantecedents were ‘‘barriers with staff, affective barriers,comfort with the library, knowledge of the library, andmechanical barriers.’’3 Their study investigated the relationshipof these antecedents with seven different variables such asfrequency of library use, number of library instruction sessions,and the student’s year in school. Jiao and Onwuegbuzie foundthat comfort levels and barriers with staff were associated withthe student’s year in school.4 Comfort levels rose and barrierswith staff lessened from freshman to graduate students. Jiaoand Onwuegbuzie also found that frequency of library use wasrelated to four of the five precursors to library anxiety.‘‘Students for whom barriers with staff, affective barriers,comfort with the library, and knowledge of the library increasetheir level of anxiety tend to visit the library infrequently.’’5

Other studies explored the barriers that impede optimallibrary usability without much reference to library anxiety.Mary Jane Swope and Jeffrey Katzer researched the reluctanceof students to request librarian assistance. Most respondentsindicated one of the following reasons why they did not ask forhelp: dissatisfaction of previous experiences with a librarian, or

6

mailto:[email protected]



Table 1Liaison Comfort Index and Play Participation

(pb0.001)

n= Mean Score

Play participants 9 17.1

Non-participants 35 14.0

Note: Possible mean scores range from 8 (least comfortable) to 26 (most comfortable).

not wanting to bother a librarian with simple questions.6

Contrary to the results that Jiao and Onwuegbuzie reported,Swope and Katzer noted that more experience or frequency oflibrary use did not seem to lessen the barriers that hinderstudents from requesting a librarian’s assistance.7

In support of Swope and Katzer’s results, Peter Hernon andMaureen Pastine found that students did not ask for helpbecause the ‘‘librarians seemed too busy and did not like to bebothered.’’8 Other reasons for anxiety or discomfort included aprevious negative experience with a librarian, such as discour-teous or rude service.9 Desmond Hatchard and Phyllis Toynoted that feelings of discomfort in requesting assistanceappeared to be influenced by several factors. Their study foundthat fear of wasting the librarian’s time, not wanting to appearfoolish or stupid, or being unsure of how the librarian wouldinteract with the patron influenced student actions.10 Hatchardand Toy concluded that ‘‘the integration of these responsesseems to indicate that some sorts of psychological barriers maybe generated by the fact that the users fail to get to know thelibrary personnel well, or at all.’’11

Hernon and Pastine postulated that ‘‘librarians do notcompletely comprehend the nature and extent of the student’sperceptions about them and their role in the educationalprocess.’’12 Through their research, they found that studentsdid not perceive the role of the academic librarian as significantto their college education. ‘‘Many students felt that theeducational role of the library is minimal to non-existent.’’13

Jody Fagan’s research noted that students were evenly split onthe question ‘‘do you feel that academic librarians have helpedyou succeed in your college education?’’14

Quantitative research that explores librarian impact on studentsoutside the setting of the library was not found; however, there areseveral articles that discuss perceived benefits. Claudia Ruedigerand Sally Neal started a program at DePauw University in whichlibrarians trained students to serve as peer assistants in order to helpother students living on campus with research-based questions. Thelibrarians also set up study hours in the residence halls to assiststudents in amore informal atmosphere.15 Ruediger andNeal stated

Table 2Liaison Comfort Index and Major (pb0.035)

n= Mean Score

Theater 9 17.1

Music 24 14.1

Business 3 12.0

Other 8 14.1


that they ‘‘wanted to give [students] an opportunity to get to know[them].’’16 They presumed that once students knew them person-ally, ‘‘then [students] would be more likely feel comfortable callingon [them].’’17

‘‘Making a Case for the Tenure Banjo’’ detailed theextracurricular activities of humanities reference librarian,Jim Kinnie. He noted that ‘‘by rehearsing with the band, [heis] serving the library by creating a stronger bond with themusic department in [his] role as liaison with that depart-ment.’’18 His involvement strengthened community tiesbetween the library and music department and helped to fulfillthe mission of public service. While the article notes that thisstrengthens his connection as a liaison, it does not mention anyadditional or beneficial contact with students.

BACKGROUND

Mansfield University is a medium-sized state university in ruralPennsylvania. The university offers over seventy programs forits approximately 3100 FTE graduate and undergraduatestudents. Music is one of the largest majors on campus, with220 students in 2003, and the orchestra is comprised ofapproximately fifty members each semester. While most of thestudents are required to participate in a music ensemble as partof their music degree requirements, several members partic-ipate in orchestra voluntarily. Theater is one of the smallerprograms on campus, and in 2004 the university began theprocess of closing the program. In 2003, fourteen students weredeclared theater majors from the 182 Communication andTheater Department majors. Participation in theater produc-tions is not required of students, but those involved aregenerally students in communications and theater courses. Forthe purposes of this study, theater productions do not includeany of the campus musicals.

The North Hall Library at Mansfield University, a renovated1870s Victorian building reopened in 1996, is a prominentcampus building used to meet both educational and socialneeds of students. Mansfield University is the second smalleststate-owned university in Pennsylvania based on enrollment;however, use of library resources is comparatively high.Notably, Mansfield had the highest average circulation perFTE student (21.04 circulations per year in the 2001 academicyear, and 25.82 in the 2002 academic year), in the fourteen-institution Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.19

At the time of the study, the North Hall Library employedsix full-time librarians. Each librarian had a variety ofresponsibilities in the library, and four served as liaisonlibrarians. Each liaison works with between six and fifteendisciplines, and liaison responsibilities include collectiondevelopment, library instruction, and providing researchassistance to students and faculty in the department.

Two of the liaison librarians have been involved in theextracurricular activities of students in their liaison areas.

Table 3Overall Comfort Index (pb0.089)

n= Mean Score

Play participants 6 29.3

Non-participants 55 26.7


January 2007 119

Sheila Kasperek served as theater librarian from fall 2000 untilspring 2004. With a background in dance, she has choreo-graphed, rehearsed, and assisted with four university theaterproductions between fall 2002 and fall 2004. Amber Johnson,hired in fall 2003, serves as the music librarian. She has anundergraduate degree in music, and has been involved in theuniversity orchestra as well as other music performances sincecoming to Mansfield. As a result of their involvement, thelibrarians developed personal relationships with participatingstudents. This study attempts to quantify how these relation-ships effect student interaction with and perceptions of theMansfield University librarians. The researchers believed thatbecause personal relationships developed, these students wouldbe more comfortable in the library, with their liaison librarian,and would use the library more than other students.

METHODOLOGY

Participant and Selection Procedures

In an effort to determine what impact the librarians had onthe students with whom they were involved outside of class,the survey instrument was distributed to select on-campusclasses in the following departments: Business, Music,Philosophy, and Theater. Included in this group were studentswho participated in the theater’s fall 2003 production of theplay ‘‘Comedy of Errors’’ and the fall 2003 orchestra; theaterand music majors who did not participate in these extra-curricular activities; and students in other majors who weresurveyed to gather comparison data. Students who were notenrolled majors in the four disciplines identified for this studywere labeled in this survey as dotherT for the purpose ofidentifying students by major. Specific courses were chosenbased on the likelihood that the students had receivedapproximately equal amounts of bibliographic instructionfrom the liaison librarians in this study. Courses were alsochosen for either high or low numbers of students involved intheater or orchestra. One course each in Business and Music

TablePlay Participants vs.

Strongly agreed that the librarian for their major was willing and able

to help with their questions.

Said they were very comfortable talking/working with the librarian for

their major.

Felt very satisfied in their experience working with the librarian

for their major.

Agreed or strongly agreed that the librarian for their major was a key

component of their university experience.

Strongly agreed that they liked the librarian for their major.

Knew how to contact the librarian for their major.

Very comfortable asking for help in the library.

Strongly disagreed that librarians are not too busy to help students.

Developed a relationship with a librarian.

Very satisfied in their experience using the library.

Knew the location of the office of the librarian for their major.

120 The Journal of Academic Librarianship

was surveyed. Due to small enrollments, two courses each inTheater and Philosophy were surveyed. The survey sample isnot reflective of the student population as a whole; rather, itrepresents the students enrolled in the programs served by theliaison librarians involved in this study.

‘‘ In an effort to determine what impact thelibrarians had on the students with whomthey were involved outside of class, the

survey instrument was distributed to selecton-campus classes in the following

departments: Business, Music,Philosophy, and Theater.’’

Survey Development and Content

The survey (see Appendix A) was designed to look atseveral aspects of the student–library/librarian experience inthe previous academic semester. A survey was developed bythe researchers based on relevant issues and topics raised byother library anxiety research and included other questionswhich interested the researchers. Because of possible confusionwith the term dliaison librarian,T the researchers opted for thewording dlibrarian for my majorT to refer to the liaison. Thesurvey instrument covered three areas: use of the library,general attitudes about the librarians, and attitudes about theliaison librarians. The questions about ‘‘library use’’ werecategorical, allowing students to select from a pre-determinedlist of choices (e.g., ‘‘Approximately, how many times duringthe semester did you ask for help in the library: 0 1–2 3–5 5–1010+’’). The responses relating to ‘‘comfort with library’’ wereeither presented in a four-point Likert scale that varied from

4Non-participants

% Play Participants % Non-participants n= pb

89 34 50 0.001

89 36 53 0.001

89 28 48 0.001

100 54 48 0.005

78 27 50 0.005

73 20 148 0.001

70 30 123 0.023

64 25 117 0.016

64 12 148 0.008

55 19 144 0.011

55 16 146 0.025

Chart 1I Know Where the Office of the Librarian for

my Major is (pb0.086)

0%

100%

Percentage 50%

Orchestra participantsn=10 40% 60%

Non-participants n=142 16% 84%

Agree Disagree

question to question, or required the student to agree ordisagree with the statement. The survey instrument also askedparticipants to indicate their willingness to be contacted iffurther information was needed.

The survey was pilot tested on student employees in the libraryto determine clarity, and several questions were reworded. Beforebeing implemented, the instrument was approved by the MansfieldUniversity institutional human subjects review board.

Data Collection Procedure

The survey instrument was given during class time in thethird week of the spring semester 2004. All students presentin class who consented to participate were surveyed. Thesurvey was administered by Katie Fotta, a student employeeof the library, to avoid having the outcome affected by thepresence of a librarian during the surveying. A total of 157surveys were completed. It was felt that students who workedin the library would have vastly different perceptions of thelibrarians than the rest of the student population. Therefore,five surveys were withdrawn before analysis, leaving a totalof 152 participants. Of these, eleven participated in the play,and ten in orchestra.

After the surveys were completed and reviewed, selectstudents were contacted for interviews to gain a more in-depth perspective into their perceptions of the library andtheir liaison librarian. Three groups of students were selected:theater students who answered they had developed a relation-ship with a librarian, music students who answered they haddeveloped a relationship with a librarian, and students whoseoverall responses were negative about their experience withthe library or librarians. Of the eight students contacted, onemusic student and two theater students were willing to beinterviewed, despite all eight having indicated otherwise onthe survey. Unfortunately, none of the students who indicated

TableOn Average, How Many Times per a Week d

0–1

Received instruction during the academic year 24%

Did not receive instruction during the academic year 44%

Note: Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.

*n=1 for both instruction and non-instruction for the 20+ response.

a negative experience were willing to participate in theseinterviews. The students were interviewed individually by thelibrarian researcher not directly involved with their major. Theinterview questions varied depending on the answers of theparticipants, but were aimed at clarifying the student’srelationship with the librarians and determining the impactof that relationship.

Data Reduction and Analysis

Before calculating results for each question, all answers toquestions for which the response was dno experience,T dneverneededT the service, or ddon’t know the librarian formymajorTwereremoved. Only participants who had indicated they had experiencewere included in the results. As a result, the total participantpopulation (n) varied from 152 to 48, depending on the question.

Besides reviewing the responses to individual questions, theresearchers wanted to take a look at overall comfort levels, so theycreated two composite scores. The first score measures overallgeneral comfort with the library and is referred to as the OverallComfort Index. The second scoremeasures overall comfortwith theliaison librarian and is referred to as the Liaison Comfort Index.Select survey questionswere included in either theOverall ComfortIndex or the Liaison Comfort Index. Questions that ask students toreflect upon their general experience and comfort level in the libraryare included in the Overall Comfort Index. Questions that askstudents to reflect on their experience with their liaison librarian areincluded in the Liaison Comfort Index. The survey instrument inAppendix A indicates which questions were used in calculatingthe composite scores.

Several questions included in the Overall Comfort Indexscore required students to select ddisagree/strongly disagreeT ordslightly intimidated/not intimidated at allT to indicate higherlevels of comfort. To align these Likert values with the othersin the index, these values were transposed before calculatingthe Overall Comfort Index. The survey instrument in AppendixA indicates which questions had their values transposed for thepurpose of this calculation.

After the data reduction was completed and the composite scoreswere created, the data were analyzed. Differences between play/music groups and non-participants were determined using a two-tailed independent t test. To examine differences between the groupsof different majors, a one-way ANOVA procedure was used.

FINDINGS

Theater and Play Participation

The most significant results in this study involved thestudents who participated in the play. It was impossible tocompare theater majors to play participants in an analysis ofany statistical value, because there was only one theater majorwho did not participate in the play.

5id You Come to the Library? (pb0.015)

2–5 5–10 10–20 20+ Total n

52% 17% 5% 1%* 86

47% 5% 3% 2%* 66

January 2007 121

Table 6On Average, How Many Times during the Semester Did You Ask for Help in the Library? (pb0.001)

0 1–2 3–5 5–10 10+ Total n

Received instruction during the academic year 9% 56% 23% 10% 1% 86

Did not receive instruction during the academic year 47% 36% 15% 2% 0% 66


The composite scores provide indicators of overall comfortboth in the library andwith the liaison librarian. Play participantsreported higher comfort levels in the Liaison Comfort Index thannon-participants (see Table 1). When comparing majors usingthe Liaison Comfort Index, theater majors reported highercomfort levels than music majors, business majors, and othermajors (see Table 2). There were no significant differences (atthe level of pb0.05) between groups when using the OverallComfort Index; however, play participants, using this index,showed a trend in the direction of being more comfortable thannon-participants (see Table 3).

Beyond the overall composite scores, play participantsshowed significant differences on several individual questionsrelating to both general comfort level and comfort with theirliaison librarian. Many questions showed significant differ-ences between play participants and non-participants (see Table4). Play participants, as compared to non-participants, weremore likely to:

! Strongly agree that the librarian for their major was willingand able to help with their questions.

! Agree or strongly agree that the librarian for their major wasa key component of their university experience.

! Strongly agree that they liked the librarian for their major.

! Know how to contact the librarian for their major.

! Strongly disagree that librarians are not too busy to helpstudents.

! Have developed a relationship with a librarian.

! Indicate they were very satisfied in their experience usingthe library.

! Know the location of the office of the librarian for theirmajor.

They also indicated that they were:

! More comfortable talking/working with the librarian fortheir major.

TableThe Librarians at Mansfield Resp

Strongly Agre





! More satisfied in their experience working with the librarianfor their major.

! More comfortable asking for help in the library.

Also of note is that 100 percent (11/11) of theater majorsindicated they were willing to be contacted about theirresponses to the questionnaire. This is meaningful whencompared with the responses of students in other surveygroups. 65 percent (34/52) of music majors, 53 percent (19/36) of business majors, and 60 percent (32/53) of all dotherTparticipants indicated they could be contacted for furtherinformation. This difference becomes even more meaningfulwhen it is compared to the number of students who agreedto be interviewed when contacted individually by theresearchers. Both of the two theater students who werecontacted were willing to be interviewed; whereas, only oneof the six non-theater students contacted consented to beinterviewed.

Interviews with play participants further confirmed theseresult. The two students interviewed said that because of theirconversations and work with Ms. Kasperek in play produc-tions, they were more comfortable asking her questions in thelibrary. One student even said that he asks her questions that hewould not ask other employees in the library. If Ms. Kasperekwas not available, he said he would most likely wait longer andget more frustrated with his problem before asking for help.Since he developed a relationship with her while in the play, henever feels too dumb to ask her a question. Another studentsaid, ‘‘Though I’m comfortable knowing I can go to any of thelibrarians, having worked with and knowing Sheila, mylibrarian, I’m more comfortable with her.’’

By looking at the results and interviews from the playparticipants, we can confirm our expectation that the involvementof the liaison librarian in an extracurricular activity increases thestudents’ level of comfort with their liaison librarian and the libraryas a whole. The researchers believe that the significant differencesonly appeared with the play participants because of the extendedinvolvement ofMs.Kasperek.While it is probable that the length oftime the librarian is at the institution or is involved in extracurricularactivities affects this outcome, it is not possible to positivelyconclude this from the study.

7ect my Intelligence (pb0.011)

e Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total n

78% 1% 0% 74

89% 5% 0% 38

Table 8The Librarians at Mansfield Help me Learn (pb0.001)

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total n

Received instruction during the academic year 15% 83% 3% 0% 75

Did not receive instruction during the academic year 3% 78% 17% 3% 36


‘‘By looking at the results and interviewsfrom the play participants, we can confirmour expectation that the involvement of the

liaison librarian in an extracurricularactivity increases the students’ level of

comfort with their liaison librarian and thelibrary as a whole.’’

Music and Orchestra Participation

In comparison to the students who participated in the play,the impact of the music librarian’s participation in an extra-curricular activity was less marked in both music majors andorchestra participants. Because of a larger survey participationrate, it was possible to compare music majors who participatedin orchestra with those who did not, as well as with the rest ofthe survey respondents. Despite this, there was little differencein either comparison. While not significant, students whoparticipated in orchestra, as compared with non-participants,showed a trend toward being more likely to know the locationof the office of their liaison librarian (see Chart 1).

This is not to say that the music librarian is not making adifference in the experiences of individual students. In afollow-up interview, the views expressed by one orchestraparticipant were similar to those of the play participants. Thestudent said that after getting to know Ms. Johnson throughorchestra, she felt ‘‘much more comfortable,’’ is able to ‘‘talkwith her on a social level as well as a business level,’’ that sheis ‘‘not ashamed to ask for help,’’ and she ‘‘can also talk to heron a first name basis, which helps.’’

The researchers feel that the lack of significant data with relationto the orchestra students is due in large part to the length ofinvolvement. With only one semester’s participation by the musiclibrarian, she had not had the extended interaction, either on campusor in orchestra, to compare equallywith the involvement level of thetheater librarian. It was necessary to conduct this study during thespring 2004 semester due to the closing of the theater program atMansfield University. It would be interesting to conduct this survey

TableThe Librarians at Mansfield Like W

Strongly Agree




in the future to see if continued participation by the music librarianproduces significant results.

Knowing a Librarian

One of the most surprising findings of this study is the largenumber of students who do not know the librarian for their major ordid not know they had one. Only 23 of the 152 respondents wereable to correctly identify their liaison librarian by name. In responseto questions about their liaison librarian, 68 percent indicated thatthey either did not know the liaison librarian or had no experience toanswer the question. In future studies, the combined choice of dNoexperience/Don’t know the librarianT should be separated to get abetter understand of where the issue more clearly lies.

In the North Hall Library, the music librarian’s office islocated in the music library, a separate wing of the library. Theresearchers had hoped that students who did not know the musiclibrarian would, at a minimum, be able to identify the location ofthe office for the librarian for their major. Unfortunately, therewas no significant difference, only a trend in that direction,between the music students and non-music students on thisquestion (see Chart 1).

The Impact of Instruction

The only other factor that impacted the comfort level wasinstruction. While not the main focus of the study, the resultsare worth noting. Students who received library instruction inthe 2003–2004 academic year indicated that they came to thelibrary more frequently (see Table 5) and asked for more help(see Table 6). They also agreed more strongly that librariansrespect their intelligence (see Table 7), help them learn (seeTable 8), and like working with students (see Table 9). Theseresults could not be explained by any other factor in this studyother than library instruction.

‘‘ Students who received library instructionin the 2003–2004 academic year indicated

that they came to the library morefrequently.’’

9orking with Students (pb0.034)

Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Total n

77% 1% 0% 78

86% 2% 2% 44

January 2007 123

Table 10I was ___ in my Experience Using the Library (pb0.028)

Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied Total n

Received instruction during the academic year 28% 71% 1% 0% 86

Did not receive instruction during the academic year 15% 80% 3% 2% 60


Chart 2I Know How to Contact the Librarian for

my Major (pb0.001)

0%

100%

Percentage 50%

Received instructionn=86

34% 66%

Did not receive instruction n=65

11% 89%

Agree Disagree

Students who received instruction also indicated they were moresatisfied in their experience in the library (see Table 10), and are,not surprisingly, more likely to know how to contact the librarianfor their major (see Chart 2). These findings are also significantfor those who participated in the play, but because of the smallnumber of play participants, these should be considered positiveoutcomes of instruction as well. These results indicate thatlibrary instruction sessions are having a beneficial impact onstudent library use and comfort level in the library.

Use of the Library and Overall Comfort

Several expected outcomes could not be shown based on theresults of this survey. There were no identifiable factors thatimpacted the amount of time students spent in the library.Students who participated in the play, while indicatingincreased comfort, did not report higher use of the library thanother students. The researchers were hoping to find that morecomfort in the library would mean more library use, but thatcould not be shown for any number of unknown factors.Neither higher nor lower comfort levels impact the use of thelibrary. This is particularly important since previous researchon this particular issue is also split. This study appears tocontradict Jiao and Onwuegbuzie’s findings that those withincreased anxiety use the library less.20 Also, students did notshow increased comfort or use of the library as they progressedfrom freshmen to senior. Additionally, there were no significantdifferences (at the level of p b0.05) in the Overall ComfortIndex for either play or orchestra participants or any individualmajors, though play participants showed a trend in being morecomfortable overall (see Table 3).

‘‘ The researchers were hoping to find thatmore comfort in the library would meanmore library use, but that could not be

shown for any number of unknown factors.’’

CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS

Just as Jim Kinnie21 found that his involvement with facultyoutside the library increased his success with his liaisonactivities, it was found at Mansfield University that continuedinvolvement with play participants outside the libraryincreased student comfort level both with the library ingeneral and the librarian for their major. This study confirmsthat students are more comfortable with librarians once theyhave the opportunity to get to know them. More importantly, itdemonstrates that along with increased comfort there isincreased recognition of the librarian for their major and theability to contact that person. Additionally, students are more


likely to see the librarian as an important part of their univer-sity experience.

The researchers were unable to determine why differentresults were found for play and orchestra participants. Possibleexplanations for the differences include: the theater librarianworked with the play participants two semesters longer than themusic librarian participated in orchestra; the theater librarianheld an instructional/leadership role in the play whereas themusic librarian was a participant, organizationally lateral to thestudents; or the theater librarian spent more hours per week inrehearsal during the final weeks of preparation and perform-ance. Often before a play, participants spend upwards of fifteenhours per week preparing.

To help determine which of these factors had an effect onthe results, further research is required. Additionally, it wouldbe helpful to repeat this study for orchestra participants in twoyears. Further research may help resolve the issue of whetherincreasing the length of time that the librarian is involved in theactivity affects comfort levels. Since the theater program hasbeen placed in moratorium, it will be impossible to repeat thisexact study.

As faculty members, the librarians at Mansfield Universityare evaluated, in part, on their service to the library anduniversity. This study shows that librarian involvement withstudent activities outside the library improves student comfortin the library, and should therefore be considered a service tothe library and university. The results of this study shouldencourage librarians, administrators, and managers to valuelibrarian participation in student activities. The researchers alsohope to encourage librarians to share their talents and skillswith students. While it may seem unremarkable that beinginvolved with extra-curricular activities makes students morecomfortable with librarians, in academic communities wheremost students experience library anxiety, efforts to increasecomfort should be recognized and rewarded; it does make adifference.

APPENDIX A

Survey Instrument

OCI: Indicates questions used to calculate the Overall Comfort IndexLCI: Indicates questions used to calculate the Liaison Comfort IndexR: Indicates questions whose Likert values were transposed before calculating the Overall Comfort Index

Library Survey

Year in School: Freshman Sophomore Junior Senior

GPA Major

Did you participate in the Mansfield University Orchestra during fall semester 2003?

Did you participate in the Mansfield,s Comedy of Errors during fall semester 2003?

Did you come to the library for instruction by a librarian during fall semester 2003?

Have you come to the library for instruction by a librarian this semester (spring 2004)?

Are you now, or have you ever, been employed in the North Hall Library?

Have you ever asked for help at a library besides the North Hall Library?

If we have questions about your responses to this survey, may we contact you?

List the names of any librarians that work in the North Hall Library. Include as much of the first and last names as you remember. Do your best with spelling.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

What was the name of the librarian for your major?

On average, how many times a week did you come to the library? (Do not include times when you came with a class or times when you came as an employee

of library.) 0-1 2-5 5-10 10-20 20+

On average, how much time did you spend at the library during each visit? (Do not include times when you came with a class or times when you came as an employee of the library.) 0-1 hours 1-2 hours 2-4 hours 4+ hours

Approximately, how many times during the semester did you ask for help in the library: 0 1-2 3-5 5-10 10+

How comfortable were you asking a library employee for help in the library: Very comfortable Comfortable Uncomfortable Very uncomfortable I never needed to ask for help

How comfortable were you talking/working with the librarian for your major: Very comfortable Comfortable Uncomfortable Very uncomfortable I dont know who I never needed to the librarian for talk to the librarian my major is for my major

How intimidated, in general, were you by the library: Very intimidated Intimidated Slightly intimidated Not intimidated at all

I was in my experience using the library. Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied Didn

,t use the library

I was in my experience working with the librarian for my major. Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied No experience/Don

,t know the librarian

The librarian for my major was willing and able to help me with my questions. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree No experience/Don


The librarian for my major was a key component of my university experience. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree No experience/Don


OCI

LCI

OCI

R

OCI

LCI

LCI

LCI

For the remaining questions, please think about your experiences for last semester, Fall 2003.

January 2007 125

I like the librarian for my major. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree No experience/Don


The librarians at Mansfield respect my intelligence. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree No experience

The librarians at Mansfield make me feel stupid when I ask for help. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree No experience

The librarians at Mansfield help me learn. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree No experience

The librarians at Mansfield understand my time pressures. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree No experience

The librarians at Mansfield do their best to help me when I have work due the next day. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree No experience

The librarians at Mansfield like working with students. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree No experience

I know where the office of the librarian for my major is. Agree Disagree

There is at least one librarian at Mansfield that I have developed a relationship with. Agree Disagree

Helping students is the Mansfield librarians, #1 priority.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree No experience

I know how to contact the librarian for my major. Agree Disagree

The librarians at Mansfield are too busy to help students. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree No experience

OCI

OCI

OCI

LCI

OCI

LCI

LCI

Thank you for your participation in this study.

OCI

R

OCI

OCI

LCI

OCI

R

NOTES AND REFERENCES

1. Constance A. Mellon, ‘‘Attitudes: The Forgotten Dimension inLibrary Instruction,’’ Library Journal 113 no. 14 (1988): 138.

2. Ibid., 139.3. Qun G. Jiao, and Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie, ‘‘Antecedents ofLibrary Anxiety,’’ Library Quarterly 67 (1997): 372.

4. Ibid., pp. 379–381.5. Ibid., p. 382.6. Mary Jane Swope, and Jeffrey Katzer, ‘‘The Silent Majority: WhyDon’t They Ask Questions?’’ RQ 12 (1972): 163–164.

7. Ibid., p. 164.8. PeterHernon, andMaureen Pastine, ‘‘Student Perceptions ofAcademicLibrarians,’’ College & Research Libraries 38 (1977): 134.

9. Ibid., p. 137.10. Desmond B. Hatchard, and Phyllis Toy, ‘‘The Psychological

Barriers between Library Users and Library Staff—An Explor-atory Investigation,’’ Australian Academic and Research Libraries17 (1986): 66.


11. Ibid., p. 67.12. Hernon and Pastine, ‘‘Student Perceptions of Academic Librar-

ians,’’ p. 130.13. Ibid., p. 133.14. Jody Fagan, ‘‘Students’ Perceptions of Academic Librarians,’’ The

Reference Librarian 78 (2002): 136.15. Claudia Ruediger, and Sally Neal, ‘‘Tapping into Student Net-

works,’’ College & Research Libraries News 65 (2004): 79.16. Ibid.17. Ibid.18. Jim Kinnie, ‘‘Making a Case for the Tenure Banjo,’’ American

Libraries 33 (2002): 58.19. ‘‘State System of Higher Education Libraries Council SSHE

Library Data, Academic Year 2001–2002’’ (Edinboro, PA: 2003).Photocopied; ‘‘State System of Higher Education LibrariesCouncil SSHE Library Data, Academic Year 2002–2003’’ (Edin-boro, PA: 2004). Photocopied.

20. Jiao and Onwuegbuzie, ‘‘Antecedents of Library Anxiety,’’ p. 382.21. Kinnie, ‘‘Making a Case for the Tenure Banjo,’’ p. 58.

Documents

Do a Little Dance: The Impact on Students when Librarians Get Involved in Extracurricular Activities