Hack Your Library: Engage Students in Information Literacy through a Technology-themed Competition

Abstract

Hack Dibner is a library competition for engineering students focused on information literacy, technology, and user experience. The challenge statement was "To enhance user experience in the library through technology." Students were allowed to participate as individuals or as teams, and were required to submit three deliverables throughout the semester: an initial concept, a written proposal, and a presentation. These deliverables required the students to perform a literature review to support their project ideas and to practice crafting and delivering effective presentations. To hold the students' interest throughout the semester, the library scheduled five engagement activities. These ranged from librarian-hosted information literacy workshops to faculty research presentations. The written proposals and presentations were scored by a committee of judges to determine the contest winner. The success of the competition was evaluated through a focus group of student participants. In this paper we present an overview of Hack Dibner, as well as a starter kit for other libraries. A timeline of the competition, marketing materials, and contest templates are presented to help librarians organize their own version of the contest.

Hackathons and Libraries

“…In the second year, following focus groups with participants, they designed a library hackathon with four goals: 1) appeal to a large base of the student population, 2) create a triangle of engagement between the student and the library, the library and the faculty, and the faculty and the students, 3) provide an adaptable model to other libraries, and 4) highlight the development of student information literacy skills. 41 The second year's approach required more work by the participants due to pitching an initial concept, providing a written proposal, and giving a final presentation. Library staff and guest speakers offered workshops to help students hone their skills.…”

Augmented Library: A Vertically Integrated Project

“…The Bern Dibner Library at NYU's Tandon School of Engineering has been implementing programs focused on both student engagement and library innovation since 2017 [10,11]. These programs have taken the form of student competitions and ideas based on student submissions have been implemented within the library.…”