College Libraries And Student Culture

How do college students really conduct research for classroom assignments? In 2008, five large Illinois universities were awarded a Library Services and Technology Act Grant to try to answer that question. The resulting ongoing study has already yielded some eye-opening results. The findings suggest changes ranging from simple adjustments in service and resources to modifying the physical layout of the library. In this book Duke and Asher, two anthropological researchers involved with the project since the beginning, Summarize the study's history, including its goals, parameters, and methodology Offer a comprehensive discussion of the research findings, touching on issues such as website design, library instruction for faculty, and meeting the needs of commuter and minority students Detail a number of service reforms which have already been implemented at the participating institutions This important book deepens our understanding of how academic libraries can better serve students’ needs, and also serves as a model for other researchers interested in a user-centered approach to evaluating library services.

Workplace culture refers to conditions that collectively influence the work atmosphere. These can include policies, norms, and unwritten standards for behavior. This book focuses on various aspects of workplace culture in academic libraries from the practitioners’ viewpoint, as opposed to that of the theoretician. The book asks the following questions: What conditions contribute to an excellent academic library work environment? What helps to make a particular academic library a great place to work? Articles focus on actual programs while placing the discussion in a scholarly context. The book is structured into 14 chapters, covering various aspects of workplace culture in academic libraries, including: overview of workplace culture, assessment, recruitment, acclimation for new librarians, workforce diversity, physical environment, staff morale, interaction between departments, tenure track/academic culture, mentoring/coaching, generational differences, motivation/incentives, complaints/conflict management, and organizational transparency. Includes the most current best practices and models in academic libraries Represents the viewpoints of both the employee and manager Focuses on the academic library as workplace rather than as a service provider

Presenting strategies for improving academic library services for first-generation students, this timely book focuses on programs and services that will increase student academic engagement and success. Demographic data and secondary school graduation rates suggest that colleges and universities will enroll growing numbers of first-generation students over the next decade. Academic Library Services for First-Generation Students focuses on ways academic libraries can uniquely contribute to the successful transition to college and year-to-year retention of first-generation students. The practical recommendations in this book include a wide range of ideas for the design and modification of library services and facilities to be more inclusive of the needs of first-generation students. All of the recommendations are specifically aimed at addressing challenges faced by first-generation students. Topics covered range from study spaces and service points to information literacy instruction and campus partnerships. The book makes the case—both explicitly and implicitly—that academic libraries can help address known risk factors (e.g., by helping students build academic cultural competencies) and thereby improve success, persistence, and retention for first-generation students. Academic library professionals in both leadership roles and public service positions will benefit from the actionable strategies presented here.

Practical advice on how to promote your library and how to better understand and serve library users Real-Life Marketing and Promotion Strategies in College Libraries is a “how-to” guide to marketing and promotional activities that will raise your library’s visibility in the face of increased competition from other information providers. Academic librarians draw on their own experiences with real-life examples of what works (and what doesn’t) when developing, implementing, and evaluating on-campus marketing initiatives. You’ll learn how to use surveys, focus groups, advertising, target audiences, community outreach, and public relations to learn more about the needs of your library’s users, how to make improvements to meet those needs, and how to communicate those improvements to students and faculty. Academic librarians just getting started or well into their careers will benefit from the book’s practical approach to using marketing and promotional techniques that are effective and affordable. Each article of Real-Life Marketing and Promotion Strategies in College Libraries includes tables, figures, and appendices that provide tangible examples of marketing and promotional activities that really work. The book also includes a bibliography of effective marketing resources that’s kept up-to-date through an accompanying Web site. Real-Life Marketing and Promotion Strategies in College Libraries shows you how to: incorporate the results of LibQUAL+ and student focus groups into your short- and long-range planning use posters, displays, brochures, newspaper ads, and giveaways in your public relations campaigns get the word out to the community about your library and its services use the right media to match your message with your audience increase awareness of your library’s virtual reference services use postcards to promote your services collaborate with students to develop an advertising campaign implement a marketing action plan stage large-scale special events and programs and a whole lot more! Real-Life Marketing and Promotion Strategies in College Libraries is an essential professional resource for practicing academic librarians and library directors at colleges and universities.

Librarians working in two-year and other small academic libraries share current thinking on such topics as managing change, accreditation standards, marketing library services, and coping with technology. --From publisher description.

Librarians and student affairs professionals share a commitment to student success and holistic development, collaborative strategies, and reflective practice. Environments for Student Success and Development explores how librarians and student affairs professionals partner through programming and other activities in order to create stronger campus environments for student learning, growth, and development. Edited by Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe and Melissa Autumn Wong, the book includes an introduction to student affairs and student development, followed by case studies of successful collaborations co-authored by student affairs and library professionals. Also included is a selected bibliography of publications on student affairs, strategies for collaboration, and library and student affairs collaborations.

Inspired by work-practice studies of students and faculty conducted at the University of Rochester, this guide maps potentially vibrant futures for academic libraries."--BOOK JACKET.

This book takes a comprehensive look at first-year library instruction from examining why first-year students struggle with academic assignments to exploring instruction roles at different institutions. It offers step-by-step guidance for planning, teaching, and assessing first-year students in and beyond the library instruction classroom.