Academic Librarians Who Teach: What Exactly Does That Mean?

Mark Aaron Polger, Assistant ProfessorFirst Year Experience Librarian & Information Literacy InstructorCollege of Staten Island, City University of New YorkMarkAaron.Polger@csi.cuny.edu

Webinar

LS 531: Academic Libraries [online course]Professor Naomi Gold, Ph.D.

University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies

June 8, 2016 7:00pm-8:30pm

Outline

Who Am I?What Do Academic Librarians Do?Library School Courses I Took in 1999Path to Academic LibrarianshipLibrarians Teach? Information Literacy ?Student Perceptions of LearningReal Classroom LearningProblems with Library InstructionSome SolutionsConcluding Thoughts

Who Am I?I’ve been a librarian for 16+ years

From Montreal, Canada and moved to New York City in 2008

Started out as a library circulation clerk in 1988 at high school library

Teens and 20’s, I worked in libraries and archives

I do not represent the stereotypical librarian (white, middle-aged, and female).

What Do Academic Librarians Do?

There is not one answer

Librarians have specialized duties and skills

Librarians represent much more than hugging books.

First and foremost, We help people locate information

What Do Academic Librarians Do?

Serve the public at the reference desk or classroom(reference and instruction)

Catalogue and order materials(technical services)

Manage information systems, program, and web sites(web / systems)

Plan programs, exhibits, create promotional material, Press Releases, Newsletters, create displays, fundraise(public relations)

Library School Courses I Took in 1999

Library and Information ScienceArchivesDatabase AdministrationLibrary Information Systems (how to make web sites)Virtual Libraries (theoretical)Canadiana (Canadian reference sources)Reference ServicesLibrary Administration Government Documents Collection Development

My Path to Academic Librarianship

After my BA degree, I did not take any time off

Took accelerated MLIS degree (no internship or work-study)

I graduated in 12 months

My Path to Academic Librarianship

I wanted an academic librarian job, but was told to get “second Master’s degree”

Went back to school in 2000 to pursue my second Master’s degree

My Path to Academic Librarianship2001I worked part time as a Children’s Librarian in a public library

I was determined to work in an academic library.

During my time at a public library, I developed customer service skills, outreach skills, “people” skills, and programming skills.

This would later help me in academic libraries

My Path to Academic Librarianship2001

I worked as a cataloguer* at a Biotech Boutique Consulting Firm

I created a simple Microsoft Access Database and catalogued their reference collection

I provided training** to staff

*I later learned that I did not like cataloguing** I later learned that training means teaching

My Path to Academic Librarianship2002I worked as a cataloguer* at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC Television)

I provided original cataloguing to the research materials used to produce Canada: A Peoples’ History (a 17 episode series)

I was so unhappy with cataloguing that I quit.

I only got through episodes 1-4.

My Path to Academic Librarianship2003 -2005

Worked at University of Waterloo as a Liaison Librarian. I had 2 “one year” contracts.

Duties:Reference Services (teachable moments)

Collection Development

Liaison to academic departments - communications and outreach to academic departments Library instruction –

Wait! I do not know how to teach!

In 2003 I was asked to give my very first library instruction lesson

I was asked to teach a class of 300 students how to use PsycINFO

I prepared a PowerPoint presentation and demonstrated the searching process.

I was given 1 hour and a microphone

Librarians Teach?

Aha Moment!Librarians Do Teach!

Taught students how to use databasesPersuaded them to use databases, not GoogleStudents Google everythingPick the first web site on resultsThey *don’t* evaluate

Librarianship + Teaching = Love2005-

Fell in love with teachingStarted teaching (part-time) Taught courses evenings/weekendsin a library science program

At this time (2005), I kept hearing the term “Information Literacy”

What was it?

Information Literacy: What I learned so far….Academic libraries are competing with Google…….(whether they admit it or not)

Google is winning

Academic librarians are not trying to convert students

Academic librarians have embraced Google

We teach students how to evaluate the quality of information

Information LiteracyWas not mentioned in library school

I had to figure it out on my own

My simplified definition: analysing the information you find before you use it so you can make an informed decision Example: buying a new car, looking up health information, choosing the best restaurant to eat, getting directions, learning about your research topic

Back to My Path to Academic Librarianship2006

I started working as a Hospital Librarian

Taught classes to hospital staff and physicians

Delivered medical journal articles

Provided medical literature searching

Learned that many hospital staff /physicians are *not* information literate

Back to My Path to Academic LibrarianshipHospital librarianship (Community Hospital, not a Teaching Hospital)

More about delivery of servicesLess about teachingAs a librarian, no upward mobilityStill wanted to pursue academic librarianship

Back to My Path to Academic Librarianship2008 to present- College of Staten Island, City University of New York

I moved to New York City to return to Academic Librarianship

My duties today:

Reference Services (huge decline in reference questions)

Teaching

Collection Development (tiny part of my job)

Publishing/Research (Librarians are faculty so we need to publish)

Service (Committee work, service to the College, Community, Local, Regional, National, etc)

TodayMost of my job involves teaching:

Credit courses targeted to First Year Students

First Year Library Workshops

Assignment-specific library instruction

Topical “credit” classes for First Year Students

Observations of Some StudentsSome students plagiarise (or don’t understand plagiarism)

Students are addicted to mobile devices (cell phone, texting, apps, Social Media, shopping online)

Students prefer using Google to the library databases

Research paper is the *product* in order to get a good grade

Students don’t evaluate/analyse sources.

Student learning: getting *products* (research papers) to get good grades so they can get high paying jobs

Classroom Learning

Learning is not getting *products* to get good grades to get high paying job.

Learning is a process

Learning is an adventure

Learning is growing

Learning involves dialogue and interaction, not just lecturing

Learning is a 2-way street

Problems with Library Instruction

Most library instruction -“one shots”

Students only attend 1 class (workshop)

Difficult to learn concepts in 1 class

Librarians must be very selective

Librarians cannot teach too much (i.e. information overload)

Some SolutionsExtend the class over many sessions (in person or online via Blackboard)***Embedded Librarianship -new word librarians made***

Offer credit courses to extend the lesson

Offer follow-up library instruction sessions

Create supplemental online tutorials (via YouTube)

Stereotypes Don’t DieWe continue to fight for legitimacy

Some college administration feel that everythingis online via Google

We believe the library is not just a building with books

We believe the library is a learning space (w/ books, librarians, technology, & classrooms)

Librarians are stereotyped as well read, book huggers, uptight, controlling, and are highly intelligent.

Concluding Thoughts• Try different library jobs

• Take every opportunity to learn new skills

• Teaching has become an integral part of an academic librarian’s job.

• Academic libraries are not only about books