Social introduction to library services for international students

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness that a social function, an international student reception, has on making international students comfortable with library services and resources in an American academic library at Kent State University. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire was used to collect responses from attendees of an international student reception. The questionnaire was distributed both in-person and by e-mail. Ninety-three valid responses were received. The descriptive survey method was used in the study. Findings The findings reveal that the reception is attracting its target market, international students who have been enrolled at the university for less than one year. Food selection is critical to the success of the reception. However, there is room for improvement in many areas, such as the timing of the event, physical location and interactions between library staff and the international students. Research limitations/implications The survey was limited to only the international students who could attend the reception. Practical implications The study shows that partnership between the library and another department on campus (Office of Global Education) was a major key in the success of these receptions. Also, findings support that the comfort level of the students is a critical factor for the introduction of library services to international students. Future research is needed to measure the long-term impact of social event on library use. Originality/value This is the first case study in the literature where an academic library evaluates the impact of a social function, a reception, to gauge its ability to make international students comfortable with the library and its services.

The Social Mission of Academic Libraries in Higher Education

“…Luckert and Carpenter (2019, p. x) observe 'academic librarians are approaching their international students as whole people with a host of emotional, social, and intellectual concerns that intersect to inform students' experiences on American campuses', which is evident in 'efforts to make these students feel welcome and included' throughout their time on campus. The annual reception for international students and their families at Kent State University exemplifies such enhanced levels of social engagement (Sheu & Panchyshyn 2017).…”

Effectiveness of Vernacular Library Orientation Videos in Comparison with the English Language Equivalent

“…One widely adopted method is to offer in-person library orientation to international students at the beginning of their campus life. 18 In a survey study conducted at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 73.7 percent of the 163 international student respondents reported that the library orientation was either "very helpful" or "somewhat helpful" in providing useful information about the library. 19 While this orientation approach is successful in reaching out to international students, 20 "few students take away quite as much as libraries expect from these sessions" because the classroom lecture format gives students little time to observe the library environment, and language barriers inhibit students from absorbing the "overwhelming amount of information" provided.…”