LIBRARY PRACTICUM

STUDENTS IN

GOVERNMENT LIBRARIES

CAROL OTTOLENGHI, Ph.D., M.L.I.S. ORALL OCT. 22, 2010

Provide for the continuation of

the Library profession by

actively training and mentoring

Library Science students.

AGO Library Mission Statement

Provide accurate and timely research,

relevant debate, and resources in multiple

formats to assist staff in representing the

State of Ohio and serving Ohio’s citizenry.

Practicum students:

• Introduce new skills, experience, knowledge and enthusiasm;

• Help with everyday Library tasks AND complete a short-term project that my staff doesn’t have time to do;

• Serve as part of the AG Library’s “Assertive Reference” approach.

Introduce new skills, experience, knowledge and enthusiasm

• Databases and tools that they are learning about in class;

• Experiences in other libraries;

• Chance for non-managers to practice management skills.

Set the stage for a successful practicum

• Consider whether you have time and space for a student;

• Consider what kind(s) of projects are possible and needed;

• Interview the students, checking for skills and flexibility.

Help with everyday Library tasks

AND

complete a short-term project

Identified Need at the AGO Library:

A one-stop website where AGO Law

Enforcement agents could get information.

Serve as part of the AGO Library’s

“Assertive Reference” approach.

S. Blair Kauffman. The 21st Century Law Library: A Conversation

(Students) may just come into the library and use it as a study hall unless we intervene and teach them otherwise. I call this intervention assertive reference, because fewer and fewer students come to the reference desk on their own. They think they know how to do research, because it seems so easy. It's like turning on the television set; it's an appliance. You turn on Google and you put in the question and the answer comes back. So we have to think strategically about where we can intervene and get those teachable moments to show students that in reality doing legal research is more complicated today than it's ever been before.

Use practicum students to help create “teachable moments”

• Introduce them to people;

• Choose a practicum project that has some sort of public component in it for the PR value;

• Submit a practicum report to your superiors.

Provide for the continuation of

the Library profession by

actively training and mentoring

Library Science students.