STUDIO STUDENTS AND THE ART LIBRARY:

DEMYSTIFYING INFORMATION SEEKING AND SUPPORTING ARTISTIC PRACTICE

Anna Simon, Indiana University, March 25, 2011

Information Literacy

Information Literacy

Under ACRL Information Literacy Standards, a student should be able to:

Articulate the need for information

Access it efficiently and effectively

Evaluate contents and sources

Use sources effectively and legally

Millennials vs. Information Literacy

Millennials

Born between 1979 and 2000

Need Information that’s fast, free and found first

Digital Natives Conditioned to achieving

immediate results Comfortable with:

Collaboration Learning experientially

and visually Multi-tasking

Indiana University Fine Arts Library

• Supports Studio art and History of Art

•130,000 volumes and 323 periodicals, including collections of circulating slides and plates and a non-circulating collection of over 1000 artists' books

Methodology

WHAT: Written, 20 question survey on use habits; 3

questions addressed information literacy WHO:

100 level art classes; introductory, discipline-specific classes (painting, photography, etc); advanced studio seminar classes

HOW: Administered in person with brief introduction, at

beginning of class WHEN:

Spring semester 2010, February-March WHERE:

In studio classes throughout campus

The Numbers:

227 students surveyed; 211 undergraduates

By Discipline: 30 Sculpture 17 Ceramics 19 Drawing & Painting 9 Jewelry/Metalsmithing 25 Photography 13 Digital Art 31 Graphic Design 17 Printmaking 53 Fundamentals

By Major: 38 Freshmen, 53 Sophomores, 53 Juniors,

64 Seniors

The Numbers By Level:

10 History of Ceramics students; 7 Seminar students

7 Intro Drawing students; 12 Painting Seminar

9 Jewelry/Metalsmithing Seminar students

14 Photography Intro students, 11 Seminar

24 Sculpture Intro; 6 Seminar 8 Digital Art Intro; 9 Seminar 14 Graphic Design intro; 11 Seminar 12 Printmaking Intro; 5 Seminar

53 Fundamental students (Drawing, 2D and 3D)

Q. 3: How frequently do you seek consultation?

N=211

Very

Fre

quen

tly

Som

ewha

t Fre

quen

tly

Rarel

y

Never

0

40

80

120

160

9

75109

14

36%

52%

7% PercentNumber of Students

52% Rarely seek consultation; 4% seek it frequently

Q. 4.1: Who do you consult with?

Professor Librarian Friend or Peer

Nobody0

50

100

150

200

250

144

76

153

36

70%

27%

75%

23%

PercentNumber of Students

N=211

Work outside of class…

At a Glance: 211 Undergraduates

34% have never tried to find information in the Indiana University Fine Arts Library, but— 38% of those who do think they’re very

successful at it

How well do students know basic resources?

Information Literacy 

Number Students Percent

Number of Students who said art books were found in IUCAT   85 40%

Number of students who said art images were found in ARTstor   61 29%

Number of students who said journal articles on art were found in Art Full Text   33 16%

N=211

Info literacy: knowing where to find books

Information Literacy Beginning Intermediate Advanced

Students who said art books were found in IUCAT (catalog) 25% 50% 100%

Students who said art images were found in ARTstor 6% 25% 80%

Students who said art journal articles were found in Art Full Text 6% 8% 60%

Printmaking classes: beginning, intermediate, and advanced

At a Glance: what collections are being used?

26% use the reference collection

55% use books

16% use periodicals….AND

40% report not using the collection at all

N=211

Finally:

65% feel the Fine Arts Library at Indiana University is somewhat to very important for their studies; but 34% are unsure or think it is not important

Student Responses

“Where to find information on what the databases are and how to access them.”

“Why can't I check out bound periodicals?”

“A system to help you find a book and the people at the desk not just tell you where to look but actually show you.” [sic]

“What exactly is it?”

“I'm sure there are things I don't know but I don't know what they are so how can I tell you.”

“Why are employees not helpful when I ask questions?”

“How to look up articles from old periodicals.”

“Yes, I was never really introduced to the library…Just kind of thrown in and didn't know how to use it. Maybe that's why I don't use it so much.”

“Database use, images files, scanning, getting answers to questions. It would be helpful to have something near the computers to introduce how to research on the computer (similar to the scanning guides).”

If you want more studio classes in the library then ask the professor to add more research projects. It would benefit a lot of students.”

Conclusions…

Faculty— May not be

imbedding the library into lessons

May believe that the internet works just fine…

May not require students to use library resources in their research assignments

Students— Don’t become

indoctrinated with the library until their final year of study, if they do

Don’t ask librarians for help

The Library— Is not on the radar of

enough students, many of whom take classes in the same building without knowing it’s there

Librarians are not very visible for reference exchanges or help

…and ideas for improvement Target specific faculty

and students to spread the word

Strategically publicize survey results to further mission

Use graduate students to infiltrate the ranks of studio AIs and undergraduate students

Provide easy ways for faculty to integrate the library into assignments(Problem based learning)

Make resources, and their locations, visible to appeal to the studio search method of “browsing”

Try adapting instruction sessions to visual and physical learning sessions

But mostly…

Be visible to faculty (and students).

Attend faculty meetings, student critiques, art openings.

If instructors insist they don’t have time for instruction, offer to pop into their class at the beginning of the semester and make a pitch for the library.

Think about ways to make the library visually appealing and browser-friendly.

Anna Simon, Indiana Universityannasimo@indiana.edu

Whitmore, Marilyn P., ed. Creative Strategies for Library Instruction in the Arts, Literature, and Music. Active Learning Series, no. 5. Pittsburgh, PA: Library Instruction Publications, 2001.  

Bennett, Hannah. "Bringing the Studio into the Library: Addressing the Research Needs of Studio Arts and Architecture Students." Art Documentation 25, no. 1 (2006): 38-42.

Brown, Jeanne, Jane Carlin, Thomas Caswell, Edith Crowe, Maya Gervits, Susan Lewis, Alan Michelson, Barbara Opar, and Jennifer Parker. “Information Competencies for Students in Design Disciplines.” Art Libraries Society of North America, 2007.

Zanin-Yost, Alessia and Erin Tapley. “Learning in the Art Classroom: Making the Connection Between Research and Art.” Art Documentation 27, no. 2 (Fall 2008): 40-45.

Halverson, Aniko L. “Confronting Information Literacy in an Academic Arts Library.” Art Documentation 27, no. 2 (2008): 34-38.

Brown, Jeanne M., ed. Library Instruction for Students in Design Disciplines: Scenarios, Exercises, and Techniques. Occasional Papers no. 13. Kanata, Ontario, Canada: Art Libraries Society of North America, 2002.