Use, Perceptions, and Awareness of LibGuides among Undergraduate and Graduate Health Professions Students

Abstract

Objective – This study investigated usage, perceptions, and awareness of library research guides created using Springshare’s LibGuides among undergraduate and graduate health professions students. Methods – The researchers recruited 100 health professions students in April 2017 from Hunter College, a senior college within the City University of New York system. Participants were asked to complete a paper survey to ascertain their use, perceptions, and awareness of Springhare’s LibGuides. Results – Nearly two-thirds of study participants were not aware of library-created LibGuides and 68% had never used this tool. Compared to undergraduates, graduate students were more likely to be aware of LibGuides. The use of LibGuides was higher among graduate respondents (43%) than their undergraduate counterparts (30%). The study found low awareness and use of LibGuides among health professions students overall, regardless of age, gender, academic level, and health sciences concentration. Physical therapy students were more likely to use and be familiar with LibGuides than nursing, medical laboratory sciences, and speech-language pathology and audiology students. Participants reported using general subject guides more than course-specific guides, and the most commonly used page was the Databases guide. Of those participants who had used LibGuides, the vast majority (97%) said they found them useful in their studies. Conclusion – This study demonstrates low usage and awareness of LibGuides among health professions students at a large urban public college. Findings suggest a need for academic libraries serving such students to develop and implement strategies to promote awareness and increase usage of online research guides. The researchers recommend instructing with LibGuides during information literacy sessions and demonstrating their usefulness during reference consultations. Additional strategies include linking LibGuides to course sites through learning management systems such as Blackboard and collaborating with faculty members to better inform students about the guides.

Exploring the Expectations and Preferences of Health Sciences Library Subject Guides Users

“…This finding, though disappointing, was not surprising, as previous studies have also found a general lack of awareness of guides among their populations. 3 , 15 Despite this lack of prior awareness, this group was still able to provide valuable insight into what they imagine a guide could be like and importantly what might influence them to use one. When asked about what might motivate them to use a subject guide, guide nonusers ranked a suggestion from a professor/mentor/supervisor/peer the highest.…”

“…Though they did not explicitly call it “mental models,” Carey et al also sought to compare how different student groups may interact with guides, specifically within a health science setting. 15 In their survey, they found that different academic levels had varying guide awareness and experience, with upper-level students showing more familiarity and usage. They also examined the awareness and usage between several health science disciplines, with Physical Therapy having the highest rates.…”

“…They also examined the awareness and usage between several health science disciplines, with Physical Therapy having the highest rates. 15 …”

Informal Field-Based Learning in Librarianship: A Case Study Applying the CAM-OS Framework to Library Guide Construction

“…Love them or hate them, library guides are a staple of academic librarianship in the digital age. The library community has developed a multitude of approaches for their use in its pursuit of outcomes at every level despite the undercurrent of uncertainties regarding their efficacy, success, or accessibility (Carey et al, 2020;Del Bosque & Morris, 2021;Hennesy & Adams, 2021). The wide variety of guide objectives, best practices, institutional contexts, librarian proficiency, and style ultimately require time-consuming review at a granular level to understand whether and how intended goals are being met.…”