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Proactive Library Outreach to International Students

Proactive Library Outreach to International Students. John Hickok, MLIS, MA International Outreach Librarian California State University, Fullerton. The Library/Research Skills of International students?. The Library/Research Skills of International students?.

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Proactive Library Outreach to International Students

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  1. Proactive Library Outreach to International Students John Hickok, MLIS, MA International Outreach Librarian California State University, Fullerton

  2. The Library/Research Skillsof International students?

  3. The Library/Research Skillsof International students? Consistently lacking(10 years of first-hand observations)

  4. Reasons:

  5. Reasons: 1. Little library experience in their home countries

  6. Reasons: 1. Little library experience in their home countries 2. Substandard libraries in their home countries

  7. Reasons: 1. Little library experience in their home countries 2. Substandard libraries in their home countries 3. Little/no preparation for what U.S. research demands

  8. Reasons: 1. Little library experience in their home countries 2. Substandard libraries in their home countries 3. Little/no preparation for what U.S. research demands 4. The “consult Google” culture

  9. So…what to do?Just wait for these students to come to the libraryon their own?

  10. 3-fold plan: 1.Do background research about your int’l/ESL students’ countries/cultures… namely, educational & library aspects. 2. Prepare custom outreach guides (online, but print too) for these students 3. Outreach to them, by going to them! (to their clubs, ESL classes, parties, etc.)

  11. 1.

  12. Background Research 1.

  13. 1a. Read the professional literature on educational aspects e.g. “Teaching and Learning in Korean Classrooms”, Asia Pacific Education Review, v4 n2 p140-150 2003

  14. 1b. Read the professional literature on foreign library conditions e.g. “Information Literacy in Chinese Higher Education”, Library Trends 51 no2 210-17 Fall 2002

  15. 1c. Consult campus cultural experts • Chicano Resource Center director • Asian or Asian-American Studies faculty • Education faculty (Compar. Int’l. Educ.) • School/public librarians of local ethnic areas • Int’l Education or ESL Dept. Director • Ethnic faculty/staff themselves! (younger/more recent = better)

  16. 1d. Query the students themselves • Administer a IL survey to them via their ESL teacher, the Int’l Office director, their student club advisor, etc.

  17. 1e. And finally…establish contacts with libraries at foreign universities that send many of your Int’l students

  18. 2.

  19. Prepare custom outreach guides (print & online) for these students 2.

  20. Prepare custom outreach guides (print & online) for these students 2. • Introduce them to some initial similarities/differences between their home libraries and here- • Present library resources on their country, to get them excited to come!

  21. Print brochures

  22. Print brochures

  23. Print brochures (bilingual)

  24. Print brochuresDefine unfamiliar terms! • “Circulation” …”air fan?” • “ILL” …”sick?” • “Citation” …“traffic ticket?” • “ERIC” …“another librarian?”

  25. Get them excitedby emphasizing their culture

  26. Online guides • Get them excited about all the resources in the library about their country (books, periodicals, videos, databases, etc.) • Include links to their home library and home online catalog!

  27. Online guides

  28. Online guides • Books!

  29. Online guides • videos!

  30. Online guides • periodicals!

  31. Online guide • maps!

  32. 3.

  33. Outreach to them, by going to them!(their clubs, ESL classes, parties, etc.) 3.

  34. Outreach to them, by going to them!(their clubs, ESL classes, parties, etc.) 3. • Make it fun! You’re not going to “give them a library lecture”…you’re going to celebrate their country! • Then you can weave in info about the library and I.L. elements

  35. 2011-2012: Outreach • Indonesian club • Cambodian club • Vietnamese club • Korean students (ESL classes) • Thai party

  36. Sample advertising to them:

  37. Make it appealing!

  38. Add some incentives! Popcorn Give-aways Cultural treats

  39. But don’t forget the I.L…. • Have handouts about the library • Include the URL to your Web guide

  40. I assure you…

  41. I assure you… Implementing these 3 steps will GREATLY increase the library usage, and research skills, of your international student populations.

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