“You’re My New Best Friend!”

Judi DeLisleValencia Community College

June 28, 2004ALA/LIRT

Methodology

• Literature search• Interviewed 8 adult female

students• Attended a Student Success

class designed for adult returning students

• Review of library’s policies, procedures, resources and services

Does the LRC Facilitate Adult Learning?

• “Sanctimonious” View• Reality

What We Thought:

•Margie: came in with her SLS class and the first thing she did was connect with the librarians. •Vanessa: “You ladies, the librarians are the greatest!”

What We Found Out: Real First Impressions

• “Anxiety” “Overwhelmed” “Confused” “Diarrhea” “Lost”

• Problems with student assistants

• Many procedures and processes

• Unclear or insufficient directions/signage

Real First Impressions

• Vanessa: Didn’t know it exists

• Problems with copy machines/printing: Margie

What Happened?

• How did these eight students overcome their initial negative impressions?

• Common traits• Love of libraries

Specific Issues

• Library Instruction• Librarians• Handouts• Online Resources

Library Instruction Was Great; But

• Too much, too fast• Hands-on either helpful or

frustrating• Multiple sessions with hands

on help from professor and librarian helpful; most are one-shot

Librarians Were Wonderful; But

• Librarians’ have limited time with each student

• Feeling of bothering librarians (Margie: “Its her again…must have been thinking that….”)

• Felt they should be more independent

• Problems with other staff, especially student assistants

Handouts Were Helpful; But

• Too brief; need to be more detailed

• Weren’t helpful if they didn’t know they existed

• Need to be on very basic things

Online Resources Were Great Time Savers; But

• Computer anxiety• Not enough on-campus

instruction before “going it alone”

• Problems with borrower IDs/PINS

What Are We Doing/Changes Implemented?

• First Impressions• Library Instruction• Librarians• Handouts• Staff• Online Resources & Services

First Impressions

• ‘Road Map’ for orientation• Redesigned Web page• Customer training for student

assistants• Better signage especially up-

front• Inviting furniture and

atmosphere• Enforcing a Learning Center

Acceptable Code of Behavior

Library Instruction

• Promote multi-class instruction• If one-shot, then one database well• Video follow up for databases• Sign up for individual consultations • Proactive & Library Survival sessions • Classroom Assessment Techniques• Our responsibility to get with faculty

to get students in (Vanessa: “..not a good thing….”)

Librarians

• Make no assumptions about students (Margie: “…visual processing handicap”)

• Remain open, informal, inviting• Redesign reference counter• Proactive with faculty

Handouts

• Publicize handouts through Atlas portal system & faculty pages

• Better signage• Made more visible on library

home page• Handouts on non instructional

topics• Interactive handouts/Self

assessment handouts

Staff

• Customer training• FISH Philosophy for Student

Assistants

Online Resources & Services

• Marketing• Computer training sessions• Video follow ups available• Ask a Librarian email and chat

High Maintenance??

Our Best Students

• Ana Amaya• Vanessa Clyborn-Thomas • Teresa Durrant• Mary Little• Lana McMurray• Denise Sullivan• Margie Tinis • Chandra Ward

Why We Love Our Female Adult Students?

• They have a clue!• They listen and do what they

are told • They make us feel good about

what we do (Vanessa)• They sometimes do become our

“New Best Friends!”

Thanks to:

• Angelique Smith, Manager Teaching and Learning Center

• Dan Kimble, Librarian• Amy Eger, Instructional Design Specialist• Paulette Smith, Librarian• Suzanne Johnson, Librarian• Nuria Curas, Librarian• Diane Orsini, Communications Professor• Dr. Karen Blondeau, Director West Campus

LRC

References

• Separate handout