35
Providing Research Help Where Students Live: Peer Reference in the Residence Halls Holly Flynn, Outreach Librarian Ben Oberdick, Info. Literacy Librarian Michigan State University

Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Providing Research Help

Where Students Live:

Peer Reference in the Residence Halls

Holly Flynn, Outreach Librarian

Ben Oberdick, Info. Literacy Librarian

Michigan State University

Page 2: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Michigan State University Libraries

• ~6 million volumes

• 76 librarians

Michigan State University

• 37,988 undergraduate students

• Largest single-campus residence hall system in the US

• 27 residence halls grouped into 5 “neighborhoods”

Page 3: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

University Initiative – Bolder By Design

Framework of 6 imperatives that commit us to delivering distinctive,

high-value impact and experiences in everything we do:

ENHANCE THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE by expanding

opportunities for where, when, and how students learn and

increasing the value of an MSU degree.

ENRICH COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC, AND FAMILY LIFE through

research, outreach, engagement, entrepreneurship, innovation,

diversity, and inclusiveness.

Page 4: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

MSU “Neighborhoods”

A neighborhood is a cluster of adjacent residence

halls where:

Students from different backgrounds and different

academic interests live

There are on-site resources to promote healthy living

There is an “engagement center” to support

academic success

There are peers, grad students, and professional staff

to answer students’ questions

There are expanded opportunities for student

leadership

Page 5: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

MSU “Neighborhoods”

Page 6: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Neighborhood Engagement Centers

Page 7: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Library Services: Fall 2011-Spring 2012

Drop-in Reference services offered in 3

Engagement Centers

18 librarians used iPad and large sign

Sat in Writing Center or other high traffic area

Results: 32 questions in 16 weeks

Page 8: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Fall 2012-Spring 2013: Appointment System

Librarians only visit Engagement Centers when

student makes an appointment

Very few appointments and reference questions

Page 9: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Fall 2013-present: Peer Research Program

Students provide basic reference and research

assistance in 4 Engagement Centers

Soft rollout during last 5 weeks of Fall semester

Provided service Sun. to Wed. from 6:00-9:00pm

No advertising/promotion

So, why students?

Page 10: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

What does WITP mean?

A. What’s the problem?

B. Walk in the park.

C. What’s the point?

D. War in the Pacific.

Page 11: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Peer (assisted) Learning

“There is no aspect of the collegiate experience...that cannot benefit

from the involvement of a peer who explains, in language often more

accessible, a difficult concept. A peer can talk with students about

relationship violence, parking tickets, study skills, self-advocacy,

library resources, and motivating a resistant student organization,

in ways even the most knowledgeable professionals cannot.”

--Lee Williams, as quoted in:

Bodemer, B. B. (2014). They can and they should: Undergraduates providing

peer reference and instruction. College & Research Libraries, 75(2), 162-178.

Page 12: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Benefits

Differential between helper and helped is small

Understand each other

Can serve as role model, teacher, encourager,

and counselor in a way adult may not

Approachability

Speak the same language

Library anxiety

Page 13: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

How It Began

Idea proposed by Head of Reference

Asked to manage project as part of Secondary

Assignment in Reference

Began designing training program

Met with Outreach Librarian

Met with Engagement Center Directors

Page 14: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Hiring

Began identifying potential student employees

right away

Targeted students currently working for Libraries

Asked student supervisors for student worker

recommendations

Diplomacy rules

Page 15: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Expectations

Provide basic reference and research assistance

to students on drop-in basis through:

Library Catalog

ProQuest

Pointing to other resources (specialized databases)

Making referrals to:

• Subject Specialist Librarians

• Other Reference Services (Reference Desk, 24/7 Chat…)

Page 16: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Peer Research Assistant (PRA) Training

Held meeting before program began

Focused on Reference Interview, using the Library

Catalog and ProQuest, and making referrals

Reviewed/shared common FYW assignments

Policies and procedure (statistics, shift report, etc.)

Created program guide and LibGuide

(http://libguides.lib.msu.edu/pra) student workers

Continued training by drop-in and periodic

meetings

Page 17: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Statistics

PRAs used Desk Tracker to log all questions

they received

Categorize each question as directional or reference

Provide text of question asked and answer given

Daily Shift Report (in form of email at end of shift)

Time worked

Number of questions asked

Any observations

Page 18: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

So, how did the soft rollout go in

the Fall (with zero advertising)?

Page 19: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

26 questions in 5 weeks!

Page 20: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Fall Schedule (10 of 16 shifts covered)

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

Brody Katie Katie Courtney

South Adalise

East Maggie Yadira Josh Maggie

River Trail Josh Morgan

Page 21: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Fall Questions by TypeReference Questions Directional Questions Total Questions

Week 1

(11/3-6)

4 3 7

Week 2

(11/10-13)

2 1 3

Week 3

(11/17-20)

4 1 5

Week 4

(11/24-27)

4 2 6

Week 5

(12/1-4)

3 2 5

Totals: 17 9 26

Page 22: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Fall Questions by Location

Brody South East River Trail

Week 1

(11/3-6)

3 0 4 0

Week 2

(11/10-13)

1 0 2 0

Week 3

(11/17-20)

3 0 1 1

Week 4

(11/24-27)

1 0 3 2

Week 5

(12/1-4)

2 0 3 0

Totals: 10 0 13 3

Page 23: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Peer Research Program: Spring 2014

Lost 1 student to graduation and hired 4 new

students to fill out schedule

Provided training for new students

Started second week of classes

Provided service at four Engagement Centers,

four nights a week (Sun. to Wed.), from

6:00-9:00pm

Page 24: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Spring Schedule (all 16 shifts covered)

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday

Brody Hajr Morgan Hajr Morgan

South Adalis Christine Ashley Athena

East Maggie Athena Yadira Josh

River Trail Christine Josh Josh Courtney

Page 25: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Advertising and Promotion for Program

Info/flyers for email lists

Bulletin board info. for RAs

Electronic signs in E.C’s

New signs for PRAs

Ask a Librarian page

Page 26: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

How many questions do you think

we’ve received so far this semester?

A. 30

B. 40

C. 50

D. 75

Page 27: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Spring Questions by Type (so far)Reference Questions Directional Questions Total Questions

Week 1

(1/12-15) 2 1 3

Week 2

(1/19-22) 0 1 1

Week 3

(1/26-29) 0 3 3

Week 4

(2/2-5) 4 6 10

Week 5

(2/9-12) 4 2 6

Week 6

(2/16-19) 6 1 7

Week 7

(2/23-26) 8 1 9

Week 8

(3/9-12) 2 1 3

Week 9

(3/16-19) 4 1 5

Week 10

(3/23-26) 1 2 3

Totals: 31 19 50

Page 28: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Spring Questions by Location (so far)Brody Hall Holden Hall Hubbard Hall McDonel Hall

Week 1

(1/12-15) 0 0 1 2

Week 2

(1/19-22) 0 0 0 1

Week 3

(1/26-29) 0 0 3 0

Week 4

(2/2-5) 0 3 3 4

Week 5

(2/9-12) 0 0 3 3

Week 6

(2/16-19) 1 0 4 2

Week 7

(2/23-26) 1 1 4 3

Week 8

(3/9-12) 0 0 2 1

Week 9

(3/16-19) 1 0 1 3

Week 10

(3/23-26) 0 0 0 3

Totals: 3 4 21 22

Page 29: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

So, what questions are we

getting?

Page 30: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Question Example #1

Page 31: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Question Example #2

Page 32: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Question Example #3

Page 33: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Challenges

Quantity of people to work with

Each Engagement Center is different

Student workers are key

Advertising and promotion for program

Language/branding

Maintaining consistency

Page 34: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Future

Will continue program during Fall 2014

Will participate in ongoing assessment project

being done in Engagement Centers

Possible Assessment in Action (AiA) project

through ACRL (with User Experiences Librarian)

Additional advertising/promotion

Hiring and training additional student employees

Page 35: Providing Research Help Where Students Live (2014)

Thank you!

Any Questions?

Contact Information:

Holly Flynn – [email protected]

Ben Oberdick – [email protected]