1. Student Information Search Skills and Help Acquisition Differences Across Three Faculties Linda Bedwell Reference & Instruction Librarian Dalhousie University Nova Scotia, Canada

2. Dalhousie SOSA Majors-Killam Library Student Study Partnership with 4 th -yr class of Sociology and Social Anthropology Majors Students (Majors) co-designed and conducted the studies Provided a student-perspective Positive impact on participation rate and quality of data?

3. Participant Observation (Space) Learning Commons Computer Workstation Survey (Space/facilities) Website Focus Groups (Online presence) Interview Survey (Learning/research behaviours) Studies Performed at Killam Library 2009-10 Academic Year

4. Purpose of Interview Survey Simply: To learn more about students in the faculties served by the Killam Library ▫Information seeking behaviours ▫Search skills acquisition ▫Help acquisition ▫Impact of librarian-led instruction (knowledge/confidence) Measure impact of IL efforts and align services with student work habits

5. Methodology Semi-structured interview 15-17 questions Interviewers (Majors) positioned in ‘neutral’ locations on campus – not the library “Toonie for your time” – incentive Data analysis – Excel and SPSS (SOSA prof.)

6. Interview Survey – Feb 3 rd & 16 th, 2010 97 respondents ▫36 Arts & SS ▫19 Management ▫23 Science ▫5 Arts & SS and Science ▫64 Undergraduate; 19 Graduate ▫56% Female, 44% Male

7. In-Class Library Instruction Q:We are interested in how you have learned to find the books, journal articles, etc. you may need to complete your assignments. Have you received instruction on this during any of your classes here at Dal? (yes/no) Q:Who provided this instruction? (someone from the library/professor/TA)

8. In-Class Library Instruction

9. Other Learning Methods Q:How else have you learned how to find information/sources? (open-ended)

10. Other Learning Methods

11. Who Students go to for Help Q:Who do you go to for help with finding information/sources? (open-ended)

12. Who Students go to for Help

13. How Students Find Information Q:How do you approach finding information to complete assignments? (open-ended)

14. How Students Find Information

15. Help Seeking Methods Q:Have you sought help from the Dalhousie library in person, online, and/or through email? (Select all that apply: in person, online, email, never.)

16. Help Seeking Methods

17. Self-Reported Knowledge Scale Q:Where would you place yourself on a scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being you know very little about how to find the sources you may need and 10 being you know everything you need to know about how to find the sources you may need?

18. Self-Reported Knowledge Scale

19. Conclusion Different approaches for different faculties ▫Empower Arts and Social Sciences to help/teach each other ▫Partner with Mgmt and Science faculty to co- teach/co-produce online tutorials, etc. Should better support self-teaching Students’ confidence increase with librarian-led instruction – this should encourage additional outreach methods

20. Questions? Thank you! Linda Bedwell Reference & Instruction Librarian Dalhousie Killam Library LBedwell@dal.ca