“You’re My New Best Friend!” Judi DeLisle Valencia Community College June 28, 2004 ALA/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.Margie Vanessa: “You ladies, the librarians are the greatest!”Vanessa

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: MargieMargie

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….”)Margie 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….”)Vanessa

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