“You’re My New Best Friend!”

1. “You’re My New Best Friend!” Judi DeLisle Valencia Community College June 28, 2004 ALA/LIRT

2. 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

3. Does the LRC Facilitate Adult Learning? • “Sanctimonious” View • Reality

4. What We Thought: • Margie: came in with her SLS class and the first thing she did was connect with the librarians. • Vanessa: “You ladies, the librarians are the greatest!”

5. 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

6. Real First Impressions • Vanessa: Didn’t know it exists • Problems with copy machines/printing: Margie

7. What Happened? • How did these eight students overcome their initial negative impressions? • Common traits • Love of libraries

8. Specific Issues • Library Instruction • Librarians • Handouts • Online Resources

9. 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

10. Librarians Were Wonderful; But • Librarians’ have limited time with each student • Feeling of bothering librarians (Margie: “Its her again…must have been thinking that….”) • Felt they should be more independent • Problems with other staff, especially student assistants

11. 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

12. Online Resources Were Great Time Savers; But • Computer anxiety • Not enough on-campus instruction before “going it alone” • Problems with borrower IDs/PINS

13. What Are We Doing/Changes Implemented? • First Impressions • Library Instruction • Librarians • Handouts • Staff • Online Resources & Services

14. 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

15. 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….”)

16. Librarians • Make no assumptions about students (Margie: “…visual processing handicap”) • Remain open, informal, inviting • Redesign reference counter • Proactive with faculty

17. 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

18. Staff • Customer training • FISH Philosophy for Student Assistants

19. Online Resources & Services • Marketing • Computer training sessions • Video follow ups available • Ask a Librarian email and chat

20. High Maintenance??

21. Our Best Students • Ana Amaya • Vanessa Clyborn-Thomas • Teresa Durrant • Mary Little • Lana McMurray • Denise Sullivan • Margie Tinis • Chandra Ward

22. 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) • They sometimes do become our “New Best Friends!”

23. 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

24. References • Separate handout