Beyond Face Value: Evaluating Research Consultations from the Student Perspective

Abstract

In this study, the authors examined the value of research consultations, an important component of reference services. Previous research explored the sustainability and scalability of a large-scale research consultation project from the librarian perspective. Through survey responses from the perspectives of more than 1,500 students, the authors gathered evidence on the impact of research consultations on student confidence and their perceptions of the approachability and helpfulness of library personnel.

Development, implementation and importance of an undergraduate peer research consultant program at the University of North Dakota’s Chester Fritz Library

“…CFL, which is UND's main library on campus, has also seen a steady decline in the number of reference questions over the past ten years. Students often prefer searching for information independently and seek assistance only when frustrated by the amount of time the research is taking (Reiter & Cole, 2019). CFL leaders realize that for a library to remain a viable academic service, highly trained professionals cannot continue to tie up their time providing a service that is dramatically decreasing in usage.…”

“…Students report a preference to work with their peers rather than a professional librarian because they feel more comfortable and less intimidated with their peers when asking for assistance (Bandyopadhyay & Boyd-Byrnes, 2016). In addition, stereotypes affect whether a student perceives a librarian as approachable, including the librarian's personal characteristics and appearance (Reiter & Cole, 2019). One goal of the peer mentoring program is to make students feel more comfortable in asking for assistance, which will hopefully lead to greater confidence in mentees' abilities.…”

“…However, while librarians might be prone to overcomplicating basic instruction, the affective advantages of a peer researcher include selfconfidence and empathy (Bodemer, 2014). Reiter & Cole (2019) also report that students had decreased anxiety, as well as an increase in library use comfort and research confidence, which could improve student retention and success while counteracting students' negative emotions, such as irritation and frustration. The researchers feel that this alone proved the value and importance in committing personnel time to developing and implementing a program.…”

Zooming to Video: Rapidly Converting a Large-Scale Research Consultation Program from Face-to-Face to Online

“…In this course, each student is individually assigned a Fortune 500 company and completes an assignment in which they are asked to research the company and the industry in which it operates. Students are required to meet in small groups with one of the library's "research consultants," a group that consists of business librarians, staff, and part-time student peer educators (Reiter & Cole, 2019).…”

“…Over 1800 students take MGMT 301 over the course of an academic year, with a majority taking the course during the spring semester of their first year at the university. An iterative process undertaken by library staff and the faculty member has shaped the development of the format and logistics of the research consultations over several years (Reiter & Huffman, 2016;Reiter & Cole, 2019).…”