Serving the Reference Needs of Non-textbook Students Presented by Sara Rofofsky Marcus at LACUNY 2007 Institute

Definition of a Non-Textbook Student What is a traditional student? Age Work status Family status Living arrangements Language A non-traditional (or non-textbook) student is one who does not fit one or more of the above descriptions.

Surprisingly enough, there are more non-traditional students than traditional students on our campuses today.

Traditional Reference Services The reference desk Librarian visits to a class Class visits to the library Individual bibliographic instruction Voluntary bibliographic instruction Information literacy classes

Yet, all of these require the student to physically come to the library. This is no longer possible for many of our students today.

What Can We Do? Forget about these students – they should have to come here. Figure the students will get help elsewhere If they really want help, they’ll come to us Go to where the students are

If you selected D, you are correct. We should bring the library to the students. Today’s technologies are making this much easier.

Going to the Student Some students, even traditional ones, feel intimidated when forced to ask for help. Looking at someone, simply walking up to a person and seeing their nonverbal language can intimidate a potential patron. Providing alternate means of interacting is a great way to go.

Ways to Reach the Student Synchronous or Asynchronous Text, Video, or Audio Required or Optional Group-based or Individual Class-based or Library-based

Synchronous or Asynchronous IM / Chat or E-mail? Telephone or Voicemail? In other words, are you communicating (in some form) in a ‘live’ manner or not? Some people prefer to have time to think out, or rehearse, what they want to say, and therefore benefit from asynchronous communication. Others prefer to ‘think on their feet,’ and enjoy the spontaneity and immediate feedback.

Text, Video, or Audio IM / Chat or Telephone? E-mail or Voicemail? Some people prefer to use text, or writing, to communicate. Others, prefer to use their voice and ears to communicate.

How to Decide Rather than you making the decision on how to communicate, offer your patrons (or students) options. Have ‘chat with a reference librarian’ e-mail a reference librarian (with a link or a form) telephone number(s) traditional reference desk(s) and/or roaming librarians By providing all of these options, students can then pick the method best suited to their need at the time.

Required or Optional When something is required, it is more likely to be done – be it a homework, a class meeting, or returning a form to your job. When it is optional, it is harder to get there for that help. However, having the library required means that the student needs to be able to access these services. The library can only be required when it is accessible to all.

Class-based or Library-based Class-based – the librarian comes to the class. Whether an online class where the librarian enrolls for a day, a week, or checks in regularly or a traditional class where the librarian comes to the classroom. This requires the cooperation of the instructor to allow the librarian to enter, and requires time on the librarian’s part to ‘attend’ the class. Library-based – where the student comes to the library. Students are given assignments where the onus is on the student to explore the library on their own. The class may come for a single meeting, or there might be an assignment requiring students to visit.

What Can We Do? Serve only the students we recognize from our own experience as a student Serve only those we have experience in serving Learn about other ways to serve students Give up

If you selected C, you are correct. Learning about the different technologies, the different methods, and raising awareness of these helps both the student and you!

Why does this help me? When you serve the student in the method of communication best suited to their needs, rather than your own, you are enabling that student to focus more on the content of their communication rather than on the technique of their communication.

An Example Consider a student who’s first language is not English. They might be shy about speaking, might not pronounce a word correctly, might not understand what you are saying. Their written English skills might be better than their verbal. This student would benefit from using written communications – such as IM or e-mail, or even a handout rather than verbal instructions – to better comprehend what is said. This student might also prefer to use a self-paced tutorial, rather than a librarian-led one, so that they can repeat parts when needed.

Another Example Consider a student who is swamped for time. They can’t stay around long enough to learn anything. This student too would benefit from a paper to take home, or a self-paced tutorial that they could start and stop whenever they had time.

What about the verbal learner? The verbal learner might benefit from hearing the librarian. However, this does not mean that face-to-face contact is required. Telephone, VoIP, Web conferencing (i.e., Elluminate) can all work as well. The ‘roaming librarian’ might also work in this instance, reaching out to students who do not want to approach ‘THE DESK’ Recorded verbal sessions (such as podcasts) can also work.

Don’t forget the visual learner Captured sessions, screen sharing, tutorials with screen caps, handouts with visual directions – these can all help this learner too.

What Should I Remember? Not everyone thinks, or learns, the same. This does not make them ‘bad’ learners. This is what makes each of us unique. Rather than trying to force a person to learn as you do, or as we have been taught to teach, teach the person as they wish to learn. Taking these few seconds (or even minutes) at the start can help save time and frustration in the long run.