Effective & Exciting Information Literacy outreach efforts for international & ESL students John Hickok, MLIS, MA Coordinator of Library Instruction ESL

Effective & ExcitingEffective & ExcitingInformation LiteracyInformation Literacy outreach effortsoutreach efforts

for international & ESL studentsfor international & ESL students

John Hickok, MLIS, MAJohn Hickok, MLIS, MACoordinator of Library InstructionCoordinator of Library Instruction

ESL LibrarianESL LibrarianCalifornia State University, FullertonCalifornia State University, Fullerton

First session (1 ½ hours):First session (1 ½ hours):

A 3-fold plan for outreaching to A 3-fold plan for outreaching to international & ESL studentsinternational & ESL students

Introduction: DemographicsIntroduction: Demographics

2007-8: International students in the 2007-8: International students in the U.S.-- over HALF A MILLION!U.S.-- over HALF A MILLION!

http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/?p=131590http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/?p=131590

2006: 10.8 MILLION K-12 school 2006: 10.8 MILLION K-12 school children (20%) coming from a non-children (20%) coming from a non-English speaking homeEnglish speaking home

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2008/section1/indicator07.asphttp://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2008/section1/indicator07.asp



Cal State Fullerton, 2008Cal State Fullerton, 2008

= 54%= 54%

Library/Research SkillsLibrary/Research Skills

What kind of library/Research What kind of library/Research (Information Literacy) skills do these (Information Literacy) skills do these students arrive at universities with?students arrive at universities with?

From my 10 years of observations: From my 10 years of observations: a lacking in these skills among a lacking in these skills among International & ESL studentsInternational & ESL students

Yes, but don’t Yes, but don’t homegrown, homegrown,

English-speaking English-speaking U.S. students U.S. students

likewise lack I.L. likewise lack I.L. skills???skills???

Of course. However…Of course. However…

Extra challenges:Extra challenges: English unfamiliarityEnglish unfamiliarity Culture shockCulture shock Different academic system (e.g. little Different academic system (e.g. little

independent Research)independent Research) Limited experience with libraries/ Limited experience with libraries/

librarians due to different library librarians due to different library conditions in their home countriesconditions in their home countries

So…what to do?So…what to do?

How to outreach How to outreach to these students?to these students?

3-fold plan:3-fold plan:

1.Do background research about your 1.Do background research about your int’l/ESL students’ countries/cultures… int’l/ESL students’ countries/cultures… namely, educational & library aspects.namely, educational & library aspects.

2. Prepare custom outreach guides (online, 2. Prepare custom outreach guides (online, but print too) for these studentsbut print too) for these students

3. Outreach to them, by going 3. Outreach to them, by going to themto them! (to ! (to their clubs, ESL classes, parties, etc.)their clubs, ESL classes, parties, etc.)

BackgroundBackgroundResearchResearch

1a1a. Read the professional literature . Read the professional literature on educational aspectson educational aspects

e.g. “Teaching and Learning in e.g. “Teaching and Learning in Korean Classrooms”, Korean Classrooms”, Asia Asia Pacific Education ReviewPacific Education Review, v4 n2 , v4 n2 p140-150 2003 p140-150 2003

1b1b. Read the professional literature . Read the professional literature on foreign library conditionson foreign library conditions

e.g. “Information Literacy in e.g. “Information Literacy in Chinese Higher Education”, Chinese Higher Education”, Library TrendsLibrary Trends 51 51 no2 210-17 no2 210-17 Fall 2002Fall 2002

1c1c. Consult campus cultural experts. Consult campus cultural experts

Chicano Resource Center directorChicano Resource Center director

Asian or Asian-American Studies facultyAsian or Asian-American Studies faculty

Education faculty (Compar. Int’l. Educ.)Education faculty (Compar. Int’l. Educ.)

School/public librarians of local ethnic School/public librarians of local ethnic areasareas

Int’l Education or ESL Dept. DirectorInt’l Education or ESL Dept. Director

Ethnic faculty/staff themselves! Ethnic faculty/staff themselves!

(younger/more recent = better)(younger/more recent = better)

1d1d. Query the students themselves. Query the students themselves(pre-contact)(pre-contact)

Administer a IL survey to them via Administer a IL survey to them via their ESL teacher, the Int’l Office their ESL teacher, the Int’l Office director, their student club advisor, director, their student club advisor, etc.etc.

1e1e. And finally…. And finally…establish contacts with libraries at establish contacts with libraries at foreign universities that send many foreign universities that send many

of your Int’l studentsof your Int’l students

an atypical way of doing this…an atypical way of doing this…

What?! You expect us to go to What?! You expect us to go to those lengths?!those lengths?!

What?! You expect us to go to What?! You expect us to go to those lengths?!those lengths?!

If you like to travel, then sure, write a If you like to travel, then sure, write a research travel grant…or if on a research travel grant…or if on a vacation, visit academic libraries vacation, visit academic libraries then.then.

But even if you don’t travel, you can But even if you don’t travel, you can still make contacts and do this still make contacts and do this virtually.virtually.

How virtually?How virtually?

1. Identify demographics at your 1. Identify demographics at your library—what country is most heavily library—what country is most heavily represented?represented?

2. Check with your university’s Int’l 2. Check with your university’s Int’l Relations office and Int’l Exchange Relations office and Int’l Exchange office to see what partnerships you office to see what partnerships you havehave

3. Then contact those universities’ 3. Then contact those universities’ libraries from their websites. libraries from their websites.

(English is the (English is the de factode facto international international language, so Web pages in English language, so Web pages in English are increasingly common—with email are increasingly common—with email contacts and bilingual staff)contacts and bilingual staff)

CSUF – Fudan partnershipCSUF – Fudan partnership

Nanjing UniversityNanjing University

An optional “nice touch”:An optional “nice touch”:

If you have a campus colleague who If you have a campus colleague who is bilingual, sending your intro letter is bilingual, sending your intro letter bilingually is great!bilingually is great!

Another optional “nice touch”:Another optional “nice touch”:

Webcam with them! Webcam with them!

MSN, Yahoo IM, Skype are already MSN, Yahoo IM, Skype are already very used overseas.very used overseas.

Then you can “show” them things, Then you can “show” them things, and vica versa!and vica versa!

For example…For example…CSUF’s Cambodian ClubCSUF’s Cambodian Club

Network with them!Network with them!

Learn about Learn about their their library conditions & library conditions & instruction programs (if any)instruction programs (if any)

Share with them Share with them youryour instruction instruction programs…and offer to link to your programs…and offer to link to your library’s homepage (or special page library’s homepage (or special page for them)for them)

Some of my in-person networking:Some of my in-person networking:















The resulting benefits?The resulting benefits?

You learn more about what kind of You learn more about what kind of library conditions/services exist at library conditions/services exist at certain universitiescertain universities

(CAUTION: don’t stereotype the whole (CAUTION: don’t stereotype the whole country from your 1 university)country from your 1 university)

Both are China!

The resulting benefits?The resulting benefits?

They learn about your library, and They learn about your library, and can better prepare their study-can better prepare their study-abroad students on what to expectabroad students on what to expect

And you might even meet them, in-person!

Prepare custom outreach guidesPrepare custom outreach guides (print & online) for these students (print & online) for these students

Introduce them to some initial Introduce them to some initial similarities/differences between their similarities/differences between their home libraries and here-home libraries and here-

Present library resources on their Present library resources on their country, to get them excited to come!country, to get them excited to come!

Print brochuresPrint brochures

Print brochuresPrint brochures

Print brochures (bilingual)Print brochures (bilingual)

““Circulation”Circulation”

Print brochuresPrint brochuresDefine unfamiliar terms!Define unfamiliar terms!

““ILL”ILL”

““Citation”Citation”

““ERIC”ERIC”

…”…”air fan?”air fan?”

…”…”sick?”sick?”

…“…“traffic ticket?”traffic ticket?”

…“…“another librarian?”another librarian?”

Print brochuresPrint brochures can also be informal can also be informal

Online guidesOnline guides

Get them excited about all the Get them excited about all the resources in the library about their resources in the library about their country (books, periodicals, videos, country (books, periodicals, videos, databases, etc.)databases, etc.)

Include links to their home library Include links to their home library and home online catalog!and home online catalog!



Books!Books!


videos!videos!


periodicals!periodicals!

Online guideOnline guide

maps!maps!

Outreach to them, Outreach to them, by going by going to themto them!!

(their clubs, ESL classes, parties, etc.)(their clubs, ESL classes, parties, etc.)

Make it fun! You’re not going to Make it fun! You’re not going to “give them a library lecture”…you’re “give them a library lecture”…you’re going to celebrate their country!going to celebrate their country!

Then you can weave in info about the Then you can weave in info about the library and I.L. elementslibrary and I.L. elements

Spring 2007: OutreachSpring 2007: Outreach

Indonesian clubIndonesian club Cambodian clubCambodian club Vietnamese clubVietnamese club Korean students (ESL classes)Korean students (ESL classes) Thai partyThai party

Sample advertising to them:Sample advertising to them:

Even if you haven’t traveled…Even if you haven’t traveled…

You can still make it fun & appealing!You can still make it fun & appealing!

Title it, for example:Title it, for example:

“ “Cool things about Japan in the Cool things about Japan in the Library” or Library” or

““German libraries partnering with German libraries partnering with us!” us!”

Make it appealing!Make it appealing!

Add some incentives!Add some incentives!

Popcorn Give-awaysPopcorn Give-aways

Cultural treatsCultural treats

But don’t forget the I.L….But don’t forget the I.L….

Have handouts about the libraryHave handouts about the library

Include the URL to your Web guideInclude the URL to your Web guide

Now its your turn…Now its your turn…

Do the same at your library!Do the same at your library!

Documents

Effective & Exciting Information Literacy outreach efforts for international & ESL students John Hickok, MLIS, MA Coordinator of Library Instruction ESL