Skip to main content

Libraries and Student Success


 By Angela Naranjo 

    Many academic libraries have LibGuides that focus on “point-of-need research,” that help guide students through using the databases and properly citing your research (Burchfield and Possinger 2). These LibGuides have easy to read step-by-step instructions on how to plan your research and use the databases to find peer reviewed works with proper evidence, other forms of LibGuides help with citing your found article correctly in the format needed. These LibGuides are created by librarians and are created to focus student success and guide them in making the research process easier. 

Although these LibGuides have been created for students to have an easier time doing their research, statistics have shown that librarians who are subject specialists in their areas may not have all the necessary skills to translate their knowledge in ways students can understand (Burchfield and Possinger 2). In order for more student success with LibGuides, it's important to take into account the needs of the students and their learning patterns. Some common problems with the style of LibGuides that students find hard to understand are the terms and phrases used, organization, and too much information. Research has shown that many students are not attracted to guides that have too much information and don’t get to the point, leading to many students using online guides to not bother scrolling to the bottom of the page (Burchfield and Possinger 3). 

  One of the best solutions brought up by students for student success with LibGuides is proposing a template that “ensures the use of standardized language for labeling guide content and tabs” (Burchfield and Possinger 3). This ensures that the organization of the LibGuide is easy to understand and the language is simple enough to follow and feel comfortable enough to continue reading through. Lee University conducted a study using the template method and found that students felt more successful using LibGuides organized this way because they felt more confident going through the research steps and writing their citations (Burchfield and Possinger 11). Student success concerning LibGuides can be achieved by listening to the students' needs and allowing them to have a say in the way they learn. 




Burchfield, Julie, and Maggie Possinger. “Managing Your Library’s LibGuides: Conducting A Usability Study to Determine Student Preference for LibGuide Design.” Information Technology & Libraries, vol. 42, no. 4, Dec. 2023, pp. 1–18. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.palomar.edu/10.5860/ital.v42i4.16473.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Post

The Demise of School Libraries - C. Lynch

                This is a segment from WCCO News and CBS Minnesota, covering the decline of school libraries since the COVID-19 Pandemic began in 2020. It references the SLIDE Project, which stands for The School Librarian Investigation-Decline or Evolution? Project. According to their website, libslide.org , this project was conducted from September 2020 through August 2023 to “determine patterns in the continuing, national decline in school librarian positions and how school districts decide to staff library, learning resources, and instructional technology programs”. According to SLIDE, in the 2020-21 school year, 30% of public school districts did not have any librarian at any of their schools(Ellis & Lance, 30).                However, this lack of librarians is not new. In fact, the number of school librarians has been on a decline for a while. In a presentation, Keith Curry Lance, the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Libraries and the Digital Divide

By Angela Naranjo    Many libraries over the years have tried their hardest to keep up with the growth of technology and their trends. Some libraries have now added a 3-D printer and allow customers to design a project and a librarian will create it for them, and then it can be purchased by how much material they use. However, many libraries in rural areas are being affected by the digital divide, due to lack of technological equipment and funding.   In 2012, a survey was conducted by Public Library Funding and Technology Access Survey (PLFTAS), finding that rural libraries have weaker technological infrastructure and fewer support services (Real, et. al.7). Because rural libraries are the only free internet or computer access points in many of their areas, they provide about 70.3% of services to their customers. And in present time, public libraries, especially libraries in rural areas are still the primary source of internet and device access. These issues stem f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Helping Students (and Staff!) to Discover New Presentation Tools (LT130 - Presentation Tools, KGaines)

  How to Make Your Presentation POP! We all know about Powerpoint - but what are some other types of presentation software when you can't access Powerpoint or simply want to use/learn new technology?   As library support staff, one of the most important things we can do is to keep up with new technology as a way to support our students and staff.  The school library is where many students go to research and create their assignments, which may include presentations.  New and experienced teachers both may have times when they need something different.  Being able to support their needs is one of our most valuable roles.  Let's look at some of the platforms available: Powerpoint - the most commonly known presentation platform.  This is a part of the Office 365 suite and is often available to students or staff with their educational email accounts Canva - this platform originated in Australia in 2012 but has become incredibly popular since 2020....
Post a Comment
Read more