How Well Are We Preparing Them?: An Assessment of First-Year Library Student Assistants’ Information Literacy Skills

Folk, Amanda

doi:10.1080/10691316.2013.829377

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…The use of student reference assistants to aid in the provision of reference services has a long history within the library profession (Maxey-Harris et al, 2010;Heinlein, 1976). The abundance of recent research provides further evidence of the centrality of student reference assistants to the functioning of the modern academic library (Faix, 2014;Folk, 2014;Han et al, 2014;Mitchell and Soini, 2014;Gremmels, 2013;Langan, 2012;Gratz and Gilbert, 2011;Stanfield and Palmer, 2011;Maxey-Harris et al, 2010;Baird, 2003;Sheets, 1998;Walker and Fliotsos, 1992). In fact, as the Association of College & Research Libraries has noted, the proportion of student workers as a percentage of total library staff has steadily increased since the 1970s, with students making up as much as 31 per cent of total staff in bachelor's degree granting institutions in 2008…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Part-time student employment, defined as employment that requires a time commitment of 20 hours or less per week, has been shown to correlate with higher student academic performance, higher student retention rates and higher graduation rates (Jacobson and Shuyler, 2013). Researchers have also shown that students specifically employed within the library also display higher rates of retention and social integration within collegiate environments (Folk, 2014;Maxey-Harris et al, 2010) as well as higher graduation rates and academic success (Folk, 2014).…”

Section: Benefits To Student Reference Assistantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While there are many potential benefits for students who are employed in libraries, there are also a number of benefits to the professional librarians who employ them. Perhaps the most cited advantage in the literature is the fact that employing student reference assistants frees professional librarians from answering directional and, possibly, simple reference questions, so that they can focus on high-level tasks (Folk, 2014;Mitchell and Soini, 2014;Gratz and Gilbert, 2011;Stanfield and Palmer, 2011). As one group of researchers showed, the plurality of questions that are typically presented at reference desks are directional in nature (Chan, 2014).…”

Section: Benefits To Librariansmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In short, the use of student reference assistants provides librarians with a number of advantages that translate into improved service (Faix, 2014), better use of staff time and staff in general and potential savings to the library (Gremmels, 2013;Maxey-Harris et al, 2010). Additionally, researchers have noted that student workers are good resources for the evaluation of existing library services and the development of new ones (Aho et al, 2010), as well as representing a pool of potential professional librarians (Folk, 2014;Maxey-Harris et al, 2010).…”

Section: Benefits To Librariansmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although most studies do not specifically examine the perceptions of student workers as they relate to an understanding of the mission, function and services of libraries, at least one study shows that students in general do not have a good understanding of academic libraries and the roles of academic librarians (Fagan, 2003). While a few researchers discuss the importance of student workers' understanding and appreciation of the library as a means to generate community support and emphasize the library's value (Folk, 2014;Han et al, 2014;Baird, 2003), these studies do not examine student assistant perceptions themselves. Our pilot study aims to address this lack in the research.…”

Section: Lack Of Research On Student Reference Assistant Perceptions Of Librariesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perceptions of students working as library reference assistants at a University Library

Brenza

Kowalsky

Brush

2015

Reference Services Review

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Purpose – This paper aims to develop a better understanding of student worker perceptions of academic libraries in an effort to improve student worker training, position structure and, ultimately, their perceptions of the library. The value of student reference assistants extends well beyond the completion of assigned library tasks. Specifically, student reference assistants can be important community voices and advocates for academic libraries, spreading, by word-of-mouth, the kinds of library services available to students and their relevance to the academic community. Consequently, it is essential to gain an understanding of how student workers perceive the academic library as a result of their employment. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses an informal, anonymous online survey of student reference assistants to gather information on student worker perceptions of the library. Questions focus on student workers’ understanding of library services and resources as well as on the library’s mission and purpose. An analysis of student responses is provided in light of four “ideal” perceptions which the librarians hold for all students. Findings – Overall, student worker responses to the survey generally aligned with the ideal perceptions. However, misalignments suggest the need for training that focuses on the development of a broader understanding of the library’s role in the academic community. Practical implications – The paper can help academic librarians gain insight on how student workers understand the role of the library within the larger academic community and how positive student worker perceptions can be leveraged for outreach purposes. Originality/value – This paper examines an important aspect of student worker perception that has generally been overlooked in the literature.

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