In spring 2014, the Henry Madden Library at Fresno State implemented an outreach program for incoming international students, consisting of a campus orientation presentation, library orientation and tours, information literacy workshops, and international peer advisor training. Assessment as a result of the program has shown a high level of use of help services among international students, as well as modestly higher use of several services and resources amongst students who attended the library orientation.
List of keywordsinternational students, library outreach, information literacy, partnerships, sustainability
Authors' FootnoteAddress correspondence to Chris Langer, clanger@csufresno.edu; and Hiromi Kubo, hkubo@csufresno.edu. Henry Madden Library. 5200 N. Barton Ave. M/S ML 34. Fresno, California, 937408014.
IntroductionInternational students are a fastgrowing demographic at many academic institutions in the United States. International student enrollment in U.S. higher education has steadily increased over the past five decades, and in 20132014 rose to a total of 886,052 students (Institute of International Education, 2014). California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) currently enrolls nearly 700 graduate and undergraduate students from over 60 countries. While the International Student Services and Programs Office (ISSP) addresses many of the institutional and daily living challenges these students face, the academic literature has demonstrated that many of these students are unfamiliar with Western libraries and the role of librarians in their education.Prior to 2014, the Henry Madden Library at Fresno State offered no coordinated outreach or information literacy programs to this special population. To remedy this, two public services librarians, with the support of library and campus administration, collaborated with ISSP and designed a pilot project of library orientation and a series of information literacy workshops targeted specifically at the international student population. These programs were first implemented in the spring 2014 semester and continue to the present. Assessment of the program has been conducted at various points.This article presents a case study of an academic library initiative that supports international students' library and information literacy needs, and explores sustainable library programs for this student population. Potential audiences of this article are librarians, student service professionals, and administrators, or anyone with a desire to more effectively reach out to international students on their campuses. Our goal is to showcase replicable ideas about creating sustainable library programs that encourage international students to use the library effectively, and increase their academic success.
Literature ReviewThere is a considerable body of literature that discusses the challenges of international students in a Western academic environment. Coming from diverse backgrounds, many international students face difficult adjustments to American cultu...