Librarian Mentors & Student Researchers in an Honors Program Interdisciplinary Seminar

1. Librarian Mentors & Student Researchers in an Honors Program Interdisciplinary Seminar Susan McPherson Professor of English, Coordinator of the Honors Program, Quinsigamond Community College Fyiane Nsilo-Swai Natural Sciences Librarian, Ithaca College (formerly Coordinator of Reference and Instruction at QCC, 2000-2009) Dale LaBonte Coordinator of Library Serials and Electronic Resources, QCC

2. Introduction The Background -- on QCC, Library Instruction, IDS 200 The Process A glance at the Literature

3. The Background on QCC, Library Instruction and IDS 200

4. Quick Facts

5. George I. Alden Library

6. Honors Program

7. Library Instruction Program • Correlates with information literacy competencies developed by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) • Individual consultations at the Reference Desk • Classroom Instruction in many subjects, with highest demand in English, Psychology, and Orientation

8. Reference Team Five Librarians (4.2 FTE) One or more Librarians on duty whenever the Library is open Collaborative framework for providing Library Instruction Weekly team meetings

9. Outreach to faculty • Individual Consultations • Reference • Professional development • Research assignment design • Library Class Instruction session • Supports specific research assignments • Reduces library anxiety • Addresses information literacy outcomes: • Student develops a research question • Identifies and evaluates appropriate resources

10. Seeking opportunities to partner Dr. Melissa Tamas, Assistant Professor of Psychology Concerned with lack of research and writing skills Assignment – PsycINFO - one article, summarize Partnership with Reference Team leader Librarian embedded in the course Developed new laddering approach Replicated and expanded partnership and approach in Honors Colloquium -- IDS200

11. IDS 200: Interdisciplinary Studies • Popular Culture • Eat the View (Food) • Human Rights • Emerging Paradigms • A second-year “capstone” experience for honors program students • Students engage in a semester-long interdisciplinary research project • Course theme provides research framework

12. The Course: IDS 200 Students produce • A research paper • An oral presentation • A poster session in the Honors Showcase • May present at the statewide Undergraduate Research Conference

13. The Problems for Faculty Class sizes vary with up to 24 students Interdisciplinary approach Unconstrained topic selections Unspecified outcomes measures

14. The Problem for Students Uncertainty and inexperience Prior experience with research varies Little familiarity with research tools Inexperience with academic disciplines Unfamiliarity with research methods

15. Problem indicators • Librarians notice: • Students unfamiliar with scholarly resources • Students radically change topics close to deadline

16. Problem indicators • Honors showcase presentations • Bibliographies limited to websites • Visual presentation inadequate

17. What is Mentoring? Homer described the original Mentor as a "wise and trusted counselor" whom Odysseus left in charge of his household during his travels. Athena, in the guise of Mentor, became the guardian and teacher of Odysseus' son Telemachus.

18. What do we mean by Mentoring? • A relationship • Role modeling • Guidance and feedback • Collegiality • A process • Orientation to scholarly literature within a discipline • Support structure for individual growth

19. The Reference Interview “The interpersonal communication that occurs between a reference librarian and a library user to determine the person's specific information need(s), which may turn out to be different than the reference question as initially posed.” Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science http://www.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/searchODLIS.aspx

20. Undergraduate Research Stamatoplos p. 236 “…independent research experiences entail real hands-on experience in research conception, design, conduct, and dissemination and make inherent contributions to a discipline.”

21. What were the goals? • Support students to • Thrive in the Honors Program • Embrace the challenge of academic rigor • Demonstrate information literacy • Develop time management skills

22. What were the goals? • Engage with faculty to: • Help students achieve high standards • Advance assessment/evaluation criteria • Exchange information on student progress

23. The Process

24. Before the semester Faculty and reference team members hold planning meeting Faculty send welcome letter to students describing the mentoring partnership Librarians send welcome letter offering mentor support

25. Early in the semester Syllabus establishes progress deadlines and librarian/student contact dates Instruction session explores relevant sources and the research process Students sign up for initial mentoring sessions

26. Course Outline Week Four 2/8 Paradigms and (Biology of) Belief; Topics Due Meeting #1 with assigned librarian must take place before 2/8 Week Five 2/17 Epigenetics; Concept Map Due Meeting #2 with assigned librarian must take place before 2/17 Week Seven 3/3 Evolution of Consciousness Bibliographies and Outlines Due Meeting #3 with assigned librarian must take place before 3/3 Week Ten 3/29 Vibrational and Energy Medicine First 7 Pages of Rough Draft Due Week Eleven 4/7 Drafts returned; discussion

27. Course Requirements Course requirements must remain flexible to allow for the team taught experience. However, requirements include the following tasks: Preparation of a 12-15-page research paper supported by a minimum of ten outside sources, which explores a specific topic, related to the colloquium’s theme. A short written account of all meetings (3 required) with assigned librarian to prepare for the research project. A 5-7 minute oral presentation summarizing the main points of the research paper, the process of its evolution, and research methodology used.

28. For a productive librarian mentor meeting, • plan to bring: • your datebook • a tentative topic (or several) • a definition of your topic(s) • a list of questions ready to ask your librarian mentor • a list of the resources you consulted

29. Mid-semester Students produce key documents Students and Librarians report on and evaluate mentoring sessions Feedback looking for gaps

30. Mentoring Session EvaluationsStudent • What questions did you have for the librarian? • Please describe what happened during the session. • What progress did you make on your project as a result of your meeting? What did you learn through the session?

31. Mentoring Session EvaluationsLibrarian The meeting outcome Completed Cancelled/Rescheduled No Show How prepared was the student for the meeting? Extremely Very Somewhat A Little Not Prepared The student's progress on the project thus far is: Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor No Progress Did the student make good use of the session? Yes No Any potential problems with the student's project? Yes No Comments:

32. End of semester Classroom presentations IDS 200 Honors Showcase UMass Undergraduate Research Conference

33. Assessment Mentor meetings required for Honors status Librarians collect bibliographies as an indicator of information literacy Campus feedback Ongoing and end of semester discussions between faculty and librarians Accreditation visits

34. Breakout session 10 minutes • What mentoring programs exist at your institution? • What could you do to participate in, develop, or enhance those programs/ opportunities? • What resources are available or would be needed?

35. A Glance at the Literature

36. Galbraith, Michael W.“Mentoring Toward Self-Directedness.”Adult Learning. 14/4. 2003. 9-11 relationship emphasis information emphasis facilitative focus confrontive focus modeling visioning • Mentions an assessment instrument for mentor self-assessment: • Cohen’s Principles of Adult Mentoring Scale Defines 2 types of mentoring : formal and informal Identifies 6 components of the mentor role:

37. Lopatto, David“Undergraduate Research as a Catalyst for Liberal Learning.”Peer Review. 2/2. Winter 2006. 22-25. • Emphasizes student growth through the mentoring relationship • Notes team role stronger in STEM fields and faculty/student contact is less frequent in humanities and social science • Describes the Summer Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE) survey taken by both student protégés and faculty mentors

38. Lopatto, David“UndergraduateResearchas aHigh-ImpactStudentExperience” • PeerReview.12/2Spring2010. 27-30. “The general taxonomy of benefits include student-reported gains on a variety of disciplinary skills, research design, information or data collection and analysis, information literacy, and communication. … Undergraduate researchers learn tolerance for obstacles faced in the research process, how knowledge is constructed, independence, increased self-confidence, and a readiness for more demanding research” (par 3-4). Discusses SURE survey results that demonstrate students’ positive responses to the mentoring relationship Notes benefits of academic year mentored research experiences:

39. Stamatoplos, Anthony“The Role of Academic Libraries in Mentored Undergraduate Research: A Model of Engagement in the Academic Community” • College & Research Libraries.Vol/isMay 2009. 235-249. Reviews the literature on undergraduate research and academic mentoring primarily in the STEM fields Explores ways libraries can support mentoring programs, although not proposing that librarians serve as mentors Reports on a pilot program at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

40. Ishiyama, John“Expectations and Perceptions of Undergraduate Research Mentoring: Comparing First Generation, Low Income White/Caucasian and African American Students.” • College Student Journal. 41/3. 2007. 540-549. Insights on cultural differences suggest that role modeling and informal networks are more valuable for some types of students Analyzes needs and interests of the population we find in the community college student body Uses SURE data to explore the student side of the mentoring equation

41. The Library and the Academy “The libraries take every opportunity to demonstrate that they are not just buildings full of books; a library is a body of knowledge contained by no walls, a place both physical and virtual where ideas are conceived and shared, and where that knowledge grows. Wherever there exists a potential for a learning experience, librarians will be found. Librarians will create these opportunities, too” (104). Shoop, M. “University of Florida’s George A. Smathers Libraries and the Common Reading Program.” Librarians as Community Partners: An Outreach Handbook. Ed. Carol Smallwood. Chicago: American Library Association, 2010: 103-105. Print.

42. Presenters • Collaborator Matthew Bejune Coordinator of Library Reference and Instruction, QCC mbejune@qcc.mass.edu | 508-854-4210 Susan McPherson Professor of English, Coordinator of the Honors Program, Quinsigamond Community College smcpherson@qcc.mass.edu|508-854-2759 Fyiane Nsilo-Swai Natural Sciences Librarian, Ithaca College fnsiloswai@ithaca.edu| 607-274-3889 Dale LaBonte Coordinator of Library Serials and Electronic Resources, QCC dlabonte@qcc.mass.edu | 508-854-7472