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Designing an Instructional Toolkit for Research Assistants at a Research Library

This project aims to create a specialized toolkit for research assistants at a research library, considering their special needs and challenges. It includes planning, creating, implementing, evaluating, and discussions.

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Designing an Instructional Toolkit for Research Assistants at a Research Library

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  1. Special Users, Special Needs: Designing an Instructional Toolkit for Research Assistants at a Research Library Kate Scherler, Molly Stewart, and Judit Ward Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers University VALE/Users'/ACRL-NJ/NJLA-CUS Conference 2012

  2. Agenda • About our library and this project • Planning • Creating • Implementing • Evaluating • Discussion

  3. The Center of Alcohol Studiesat Rutgers University

  4. The Center of Alcohol Studies

  5. The Center of Alcohol Studiesat Rutgers University The CAS is a small institution in a much larger network of institutions at Rutgers University.

  6. The Center of Alcohol Studiesat Rutgers University The Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Other Drugs (JSAD) is also published at the CAS.

  7. Library and Information Servicesat the CAS The CAS Library website has information on some of the services offered to faculty.

  8. Current Services at CAS Library • Computers and wireless for online research (CAS IP) • Article request & delivery • Literature searches • Creating bibliographies • Scanning, OCR • Proofreading • Fact checking • Bibliographic instruction • Reference management • Special collections

  9. Special needs: Research

  10. Special needs: Education/Training and Treatment

  11. The Need for a Specialized Toolkit • Frequent requests for training • Quick turnover of research staff • Large UGrad populations • Volunteers without RU access • Many students are reluctant to ask for help • CAS library has limited hours and a small staff

  12. Research Assistant Toolkit (the project)

  13. Planning, part one Meetings! Research groups Lab staff Grad students CAS core faculty– one on one Needs analysis

  14. Planning, part two How do we define our users and their needs? • Rubrics? • Benchmarks? • Minimum requirements? Immediate needs created by the task

  15. Planning, part three What have others done? http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/rul/rr_gateway/research_guides/nursing/tutorial/view_content.html

  16. Creating, part one LibGuides versus Sakai easy to use – clumsy variety of options – limiting modifications RUL resource – RU resource existing guide – new content open to everyone – invitation only

  17. Creating, part two • What’s most important? • What key words will people look for? 3. What was requested most frequently in the past for training and orientation?

  18. Creating, part three Forever?

  19. The LibGuide

  20. The LibGuide: Find Articles

  21. The LibGuide: Statistics

  22. The Sakai site

  23. The Sakai site Syllabus Tab = Site Directory

  24. The Sakai site (cont’d) Resources Tab: • general and RUL info • getting started guides • library-specific information

  25. The Sakai site: CAS Library Services A detailed guide to services and equipment available in the library, meant to orient those to new to the center. CAS Library Special

  26. Quick Reference Guide

  27. Implementing, part one Publicize, publicize, publicize!

  28. Implementing, part two • One-on-one and group training sessions for • Women’s Treatment Project • Emotion and Sensation Study • NeuroPharmacoGenetics Laboratory • Integrative Data Analysis Lab for College Alcohol Intervention Research • Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory • Proactive steps: more meetings with faculty to identify evolving needs

  29. Implementing, part three • Introducing LibGuide to key people: PI’s, Lab directors, instructors, project managers • Finalizing Sakai site (still creating documentation) • Print and distribute quick reference guide (in progress)

  30. Evaluating, part one Feedback!

  31. Evaluating, part two • After the training sessions: • Immediate feedback from participants • Long-term evaluation by key CAS members • Forms of feedback • Formal survey • Informal feedback, fits CAS profile more

  32. Evaluating, part three • What we think works • What we might change • What else to add • How often to update

  33. Overall, what we learned from this….. Just do it!

  34. Questions?

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