Librarians don't bite: assessing library orientation for freshmen

Abstract

Evaluates the effect of the library component of a freshman orientation program on student attitudes and library anxiety. A modified version of Bostick's Library Anxiety Scale was administered to 1,027 true freshmen enrolled in the Connections First‐Year Experience program at Utah State University in the fall of 2003. First year students showed a moderate level of library anxiety prior to their library orientation sessions. This anxiety was significantly decreased after the orientation sessions. A control group reported similar anxiety levels on the pre‐test and a much smaller degree of improvement on the post‐test. Proposes that academic libraries should participate in the First‐Year Experience programs on their campuses. These activities reduce the levels of library anxiety felt by first‐year students and reduce possible barriers to academic achievement. Concludes that this paper will be of use to librarians seeking administrative and campus‐wide support for inclusion of a library component in First‐Year Experience programs. The survey can be used to assess efficacy of activities for those libraries already participating in such programs.

Virtual Tours, Videos, and Zombies: The Changing Face of Academic Library Orientation / Visites virtuelles, vidéos et zombies : Le nouveau visage de l’initiation à la bibliothèque universitaire

“…Traditionally, academic libraries have accomplished library orientation using a variety of methods, all in person, usually requiring both students and librarians to be physically present at the library (Brown et al 2004). I have grouped these methods into three general categories:…”

“…Students also expect to be able to access most information online and may be unable or unwilling to attend in-person orientation sessions, especially at the beginning of the semester, when many new students (who may be those most in need of library orientation) are overwhelmed. Not only this, but students may simply be too nervous or afraid of appearing ignorant to come to the library and ask for help in basic matters such as searching the library catalogue (Brown et al 2004) and so never develop a basic level of competency in library use. Several university libraries have also raised concerns about the sheer number of new students requiring orientation every year, putting a great strain on the librarians (Dent 2003;Mikkelsen and Davidson 2011;Rosenstein 2013).…”

“…There is also the perennial issue of how to reduce library anxiety in new students. Ever since Mellon's influential 1986 paper, "Library Anxiety: A Grounded Theory and Its Development," formalized library anxiety as a concept, librarians have used orientation programs as a method to reduce this anxiety in students (Brown et al 2004). While in-person orientation may indeed be useful in this area, when one returns to Mellon's original paper and examines students' own expressions of anxiety and intimidation, one recognizes that online orientation may in fact be more effective in addressing some of the issues than in-person orientation.…”

Creating an Engaging Library Orientation: First Year Experience Courses at University of California, San Diego

“…Students who receive an orientation to library resources and services are more likely to seek needed research assistance with course papers, projects, and presentations (Brown et al, 2004;Pellegrino, 2012;Vance, Kirk, & Gardner, 2012;Du Mont & Schloman, 1995;Boff & Johnson, 2002;Ury & King, 1995). Donald, Harmon, and Schweikhard (2012) pointed out the importance of introducing students early to the library space.…”

Piloting a dedicated information literacy programme for nursing students at Waterford Institute of Technology libraries

“…Students are encouraged to recognise their needs for information and to become familiar with the library's print monograph and periodical collections, before being introduced to the basic concepts of searching databases and electronic resources. Similar to Goebel Brown et al (2004); ''we want[ed] the students to become familiar with the library, to ask questions and to realise that the librarians are a valuable resource [who] do not bite''.…”