Exciting project

Research Strategies

I am currently collaborating with the Dean of Education to develop a “Research Strategies” series geared towards first year students. Using the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) standards and guidelines, my fellow librarians and I are crafting library research vignettes to illustrate a “routine” interaction between Librarian and student. Our hope is to ease some of the “library anxiety” that many students feel, and some faculty for that matter. The first installment, “Defining your topic,” has already opened the eyes of the Dean of the Education Department, to both the challenge of the Library staff at the Reference Desk, and more importantly, that of the student as they grasp the concepts and the requirements of their first college-level research paper. Their course assignment prompts often offer little more than a standard warning about plagiarism and the assignment “rules.” There is surprisingly little guidance regarding recommended or suggested resources to use, where to seek research assistance, or an offer of consultation for help or clarification. From the outset, I knew that this project would bloom into something more complex than the initial proposal; and am ready for the challenge ahead. I especially look forward to the collaboration with my peers as we work towards creating an educational experience that our students deserve as they pursue their academic and professional goals.