Undergrads: Interested in Research?

In case you didn't see it in today's Virginia Tech News:  

The Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) Undergraduate Scholars Program (http://usp.vbi.vt.edu/ ) will provide Virginia Tech undergraduate students the opportunity to gain valuable research experience and/or course credit working with VBI research groups under the direction of experienced transdisciplinary scientists. The program will equip students with the kind of research and/or laboratory skills that cannot be gained merely in a classroom setting, while immersing students in cutting edge science and technology environments. Students interested in pursuing graduate degrees will find this type of research experience invaluable in the process of further refining and developing their career interests.

Interested Virginia Tech undergraduate students should visit the program website at http://usp.vbi.vt.edu for application information, FAQs and faculty research information.

For more information, contact Kristy Collins at 540-231-1389.

Read the original item

University Libraries: Facts & Figures

It's already the third day of classes here at VT, and I'm gearing up for teaching my first library class this afternoon (hello VT dietetic interns) and teaching the 7 classes I have scheduled for next week!  The months of September and October are always packed for instruction librarians, and I'm busy brainstorming new ways to talk about library research and resources.

When I start planning classes each semester, I always check University Libraries' "facts and numbers" page to make sure that I'm giving students and faculty the most updated information about library resources.  I always have trouble finding this on our website, since it's not linked onto the main page, so I thought I'd share it (and the updated stats) here, just so everyone's in the loop.

You can find the full facts and figures about University Libraries here:  http://www.lib.vt.edu/about/facts.html.

What always seems to shock students, though, is the sheer size of our collection!  According to the 2009-2010 Association of Research Libraries statistical report, we have:

• 2.6 million volumes
• 13,000 audio recordings
• 42,000 current journal subscriptions
• 18,000 films/videos
• 400,000 government documents
• 140,000 maps
• 6.3 million microforms

Annually, we spend:

• $2.2 million on books
• $5.25 million on current serials
• $8.4 million on total library materials

Also annually, librarians and library staff give around 900 presents to groups on and around campus.  If you are part of one of these groups that will be coming to see us this semester, then welcome!  We look forward to working with you, and to showing you around our large collections and collaborative spaces.

Library Research: A Follow Up for Faculty

Yesterday, I wrote about an article that inspired me to think a little bit differently about how I will work with students during the new school year.  In that post, I noted that the original article included quite a few bits of information and I didn't get a chance to touch in my review.  However, after thinking about it a little bit more, there is one other issue discussed in the article that I think is really important.  And faculty, it deals with you!

The article points out that "teaching and library faculty are likely to have been...skilled researchers as undergraduates...[and] might have a hard time putting themselves in the shoes of a student who walks into the library knowing practically nothing."  Now, while I confessed yesterday that my undergraduate research skills were probably lacking, I know that we often see a disconnect between assignments and students' capabilities, here at the library.  When we work on the reference desk, we hear the questions and confusions that students have over assignments that have to do with scholarly resources and other library-related topics.  And for every question that we hear, we can probably safely assume that there are 10 other people with that question who aren't brave enough to approach the reference desk and ask it.

Because this is something that we librarians have been thinking about for quite awhile, we've come up with some good suggestions for helping you (faculty) build effective assignments that address library research and help develop critical thinking and inquiry skills.  Our webmaster posted a brief piece entitled "Designing library research assignments" last week during our Faculty Week series of posts and suggestions.  I definitely, definitely recommend that you peruse the whole piece; however, I can also briefly highlight the most important ideas communicated here.  When designing a research/library assignment:

• Communicate and collaborate with your College Librarian (me, in your case!)
• Consult the subject guides we've created for you and your students
• Set up a library tour with your College Librarian, or refer students to our regularly scheduled library tours
• Point students to our research portal and have them use our Research Paper Scheduler

As always, I'm happy to provide any support that you may need!  Simply contact me, and we can work together to design and execute efficient, successful research assignments!  

Library Research: The Ideal v. The Practical

Happy first day of school!  I don't think I will ever NOT feel excited on the first day of school--at least, I hope I won't. Everyone is happy to see old friends and filled with good intentions for starting off the school year right.  I had a whole "welcome back" post planned, but an Inside Higher Ed article came out today that I just have to discuss.  And in a way, it is a good welcome back discussion!

The article, entitled "What Students Don't Know," has been making the rounds on all my professional listservs and Facebook sites today; after quickly skimming it, I knew why.  I'd be interested to hear what you (students and faculty!) think of the points made in the article--leave a comment at the end of this post if you have an opinion or insight!

Librarians know that we're underutilized (there are so many ways we can help!), and this article attempts to understand why that is, and what we can do about it.  "Students rarely ask for help, even when they need it," the article's author, Steve Kolowich, summarizes from an ethnographic study conducted at several universities in Illinois.  [Really?  They needed an ethnographic study for that?]  Fortunately, the study was much more complex than this, and indicated several good reasons why students don't ask for help and several solutions for this.  I'll not cover everything discussed in the article--you should definitely read it yourself. However, there were some major points that really resonated with me:

First of all, the study found that many librarians and faculty members overestimate students' research skills.  In general, I don't think high expectations are a bad thing.  We have smart students here at Virginia Tech, and I know that they are very capable of pursuing in-depth and complex research.  However, the article points out one downside to this way of thinking:  isolating and alienating those that we are trying to help by not offering realistic or efficient support strategies.  The study found that a "gulf" exists between students and librarians because librarians may not be offering the kind of help that students need!

So, what do students need?  According to the article, students need practical research suggestions rather than idealistic research discussions.  So, should I stop helping students learn about library databases and stop expecting them to to perform thorough research?  Not at all!  As one librarian phrased it, "It's not about teaching shortcuts [in research], it's about teaching them not to take the long way to a goal."  I didn't mention this before, but I was one of those undergraduate students who never asked for help, even when I needed it.  And I frequently took the "long way" in my research projects.  Who knew that a reference librarian would have been able to save me time?  I could have avoided many long hours sitting on the floor, in the middle of the stacks browsing through books if someone had just shown me how subject headings work.  Similarly, I could have taken advantage of the wealth of information available through my library, rather than just sticking to the one database I knew (JSTOR).

Basically, the article seemed to suggest that librarians have an image problem on college campuses.  And that's hard to argue with, since the image that I always had of librarians was intimidating, and kind of scary. As an undergrad, I was afraid of being overwhelmed by information--which may have happened, since librarians want to help students so badly that they often overwhelm them.  This article, though, has reminded me that I need to keep student research in perspective--get a sense of what they need to succeed, and then balance thoroughness with a sense of efficiency.  Similarly, as a librarian, I need to put myself OUT there and meet people where it might be easier for them to talk to me. This is one reason that I started HNFE Librarian Office Hours in Wallace Atrium--a way of meeting students and faculty in their own space.

This is a lot for the first day of school.  If there's an overall takeaway from this piece, it's that librarians really can help, and that we need to make it easier for you to ask for, and then receive, that help.  And that's what I look forward to doing with you this semester!

Top Ten Services: 2...1...!

I know you've been waiting for it all week...and here they are, the top TWO services of the HNFE Librarian.

2.  Reference Services
As you've probably noticed by now, a lot of the services highlighted this week have been related.  Such is the case with reference services.  Reference services can certainly include help with literature reviews or bibliographic management, but they can also be a lot more than that.  Most librarians at University Libraries work 4-7 hours a week on the reference desk, and many offer office hours outside of that.  In one week, I generally work 6-7 hours on the SciTech Reference Desk (4th floor, Newman Library), and 3 hours in Wallace Atrium for HNFE Librarian Office Hours.  Reference librarians can be contacted by phone, email, and even instant message.  Check out our Ask a Librarian page for even more ways to get in touch with me, or any other librarian at VT.

At this point, you may be asking, "what exactly are reference services?"  Basically, reference services involves us answering your questions!  We answer questions from "where is the bathroom?" and "where is such and such a thesis?" to "where do I begin my dissertation work?" and "how do I use this database?"  If you have a question, we'll answer it or work with you to find the answer!  So definitely come and see us in the library, or visit with me during HNFE Librarian Office Hours this fall!

1.  Personal Librarianship
If you've been reading the blog this week, then you are well aware of the wide variety of services that we can help you with, here at University Libraries.  I've barely scratched the surface on the services that we offer (Interlibrary Loan?  Institutional Repository?  "Fun" books?), but I hope that what I have emphasized is that we are here to work with YOU.  Again, if you're reading this blog, then you are likely a member of VT's HNFE department; that means that I am your personal librarian.  I'm here to help you with research, guide you through the maze of information out there, and provide support in whatever way possible.  If you need something that I didn't talk about this week or that you don't see on the website, don't hesitate to ask me about it.  I'm here to help you!  Now that you know this, pass it on!  Let others know that I'm here to help.

While this blog does focus on a wide variety of topics related to research and information, I do highlight library services (like the ones I've highlighted this week) from time to time.  Use the tag library services to read related posts from the archive and catch future posts!

I'm looking forward to working with you this year!

Top Ten Services: 4...3...

Even MORE services?  Why, yes....  In fact, today's Top Ten post focuses around a particular service theme:  instructional services!

4.  Instruction Sessions & Library Tours
I've already mentioned lots of ways that I help disseminate information about University Libraries and research:  subject guides, tutorials, bibliographic management.  However, one other way that I can support both students and faculty is through actual instructional support.  I often get invited to speak with classes for one or two sessions during the semester; these opportunities allow me to share information about University Libraries services and how we can help the rest of the university community.  These opportunities also allow me to actually teach in my subject area:  information literacy.  In just a session or two, I can direct students to the most relevant resources and help students gain confidence in developing research strategies, seamlessly weaving the technical and theoretical aspects of research!  You can view guides that I've created for some of the past courses I've worked with here:  http://www.lib.vt.edu/subjects/hnfe/.

On a less-intensive level, I am also available for the brief and casual library tour.  Newman is a weird building--we all agree with that!  So, let me show you around!

3.  GRAD 5124:  Library Research Skills 
In addition to developing and delivering guest lectures for other classes, I also teach my own class:  GRAD 5124.  GRAD 5124 is taught by a number of librarians here at University Libraries, and we are matched with students from our own disciplines.  That means that all HNFE students that sign up for this course will be enrolled in my section of this course.  This is a 1-credit, pass/fail course that complements the rest of a particular student's plan of study and research!  You can read more about the course in a blog post that I wrote about it earlier this year:  http://hnfelibrarian.blogspot.com/2011/04/library-research-skills-class.html

What will the top TWO services of the HNFE Librarian turn out to be?  Check back tomorrow!!

Top Ten Services: 6...5...

How else can I help you this school year?  Keep reading to find out!

6.  Literature Reviews
Do you ever get the sneaking suspicion that you just haven't found ALL the resources that you should have for your literature review?  Check with me before you submit that lit review, and we'll make sure you've covered all your bases before your submit your work.  We'll brainstorm databases, create new search strings, and even set up some RSS and email alerts to make sure you stay up to date on your topic.  We'll do author and cited reference searches so that you will be completely confident that you've found all of the seminal research on the topic you're researching.  Just set up an appointment with me, and we'll get started.  Of course, if you don't have time to meet with me, maybe you'll want to see a custom tutorial...

5.   Custom tutorials
Databases and website interfaces are constantly changing, and we here at the library try to help you keep up with these changes by posting tutorials on our screencasts page.  However, we know that we may not have included the most recent changes in these tutorials, or that you may need something a bit different than what these tutorials offer.  That's why I use tools like Adobe Captivate, Jing, and Screenr to create custom, on the fly tutorials for your specific research need.  Do you need to find the impact factor for a particular journal?  I can create a 30 second tutorial for you!  Don't quite remember how to search PubMed's MeSH database?  I can take your specific research topic, create a visual example for you, and then send you the link.  It's that easy.  Check out some of the tutorials I've recently posted to this blog!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's installment of the Top 10 Services of the HNFE Librarian!

Top Ten Services: 8...7...

And the countdown continues!

8.  HNFE Librarian Office Hours
Why come to the library when the librarian can come to you?  Well, there may be a few reasons that you'll need to visit Newman Library during the upcoming semester, but making a visit specifically to talk to me doesn't have to be one of them.  This semester, I will be in Wallace Atrium two days a week (Tuesday:  2:00-3:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 9:00-10:30 a.m.) to answer reference questions, provide one-on-one consultations, or just talk!  Be sure to stop by and say hi!


7.  Help with bibliographic management
Endnote.  Zotero.  Mendeley.  APA.  AJCN.  Organizing, managing, and citing all of your resources can be time consuming and frustrating.  However, I'm here to help!  I can help you figure out various bibliographic management software (EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley), and navigate the world of citation and style guides.  Let me help you become an efficient and responsible researcher through the use of these tools.  I can provide class, small group, one-on-one, and even totally online tutorial sessions.  Just let me know what works best for you!

What are the NEXT top services of the HNFE Librarian?  Check back tomorrow to see!

Top Ten Services: 10...9...

The countdown has begun!  This time next week, the 2011-2012 school year will have officially started.  To celebrate, I will be hosting my own countdown, right here on this blog:  Top 10 Services of the HNFE Librarian...

10.  Books
Did you know that I have a budget devoted to buying books for HNFE students, faculty, and staff?  I do, and I am taking requests!  Although we generally avoid purchasing textbooks, please let me know if you have any recommendations for ways that we can make our library collection more relevant to your research, instruction, and personal needs.  Use this form to recommend a book purchase.  You can also just send me an email!  Journal subscriptions come out of a different budget, but if you have a recommendation for a journal subscription, you can email me that, as well.

9.  Subject guides
While University Libraries has always offered subject guides to help students (and anyone, really) start research in a particular area, we unveiled our NEW and IMPROVED subject guides today!  Take a look, and be sure to check out the new HNFE subject guide.  I'll definitely be showing this in any classes that I teach in the fall...

Stay tuned for tomorrow's installment of the Top Ten Services of the HNFE Librarian!

New Books: July 2011

Well, hello there--it's been awhile!  Up until the past two weeks, I've posted regular thoughts to this blog at least twice a week (usually more like four times a week).  But, for the last two weeks, I've only posted once, and I've missed the regular posting.  Since school is about to start back up here (in two weeks--where did the summer go?), I'm getting back in the habit of regular posting.

Today:  highlights from our July 2011 new books list!  As always, remember that you can view the entire July 2011 new books list here, and even request that I purchase something for our collection!  Now is a particularly good time for requesting books, since I've just started spending my 2011-12 book budget.

And now, a few highlights from our July 2011 new books list:

Innovations in Health Literacy Research

What's Gotten into Us?  Staying Healthy in a Toxic World

Read a few reviews!

Nuts and Seeds in Health and Disease Prevention

Read a brief summary!

From the Jewish Heartland:  Two Centuries of Midwest Foodways

Read a brief summary and review!

Anatomy as Spectacle:  Public Exhibitions of the Body, 1770 to the Present

Read a brief summary!