Background

Assignments and Findings

Geographical location is not the only variable while dealing with communication expectations. Age, race, and gender are also key factors. There are a multitude of things to consider when deciding what information will be useful and how it is best to communicate that information so it is understood and utilized. Activity one made me realize that librarians must consider all of these things when working to help their patron. We want to show the world how to find the information that they want and need and it is important to make every transaction a good experience for the patron. By realizing differences among people through talking and listening, we will be better able to meet their varied communication needs and wants.

Activity two was interesting because it showed me a deeper side to the field that I feel I know quite well. The assignment was to interview and observe a faculty and course in the discipline that was our undergraduate major. While working with my old advisor in the English department, I discovered that even though an open door was present between her and an academic librarian the information needs were not always realized or met. This professor was not aware of her own information needs as she was focusing totally on her student’s issues. The librarian was also not realizing that there may be information needs that were not being assessed and met. This lack of sight and awareness of issues is most likely not uncommon. People cannot always articulate or see what their needs are and unfortunately, information gaps persist. Not only would the teacher and librarian benefit from deeper realization of needs, but the students would be the ultimate beneficary! Open communication with frequent and in-depth conversation is a win-win-win situation for everyone involved.

The English professor did use the library and her library connection was quite extensive. In the interview, she spoke of how she emphasized the importance of the library to her students and wanted them to understand and use the library, as well as to realize all that the library could offer. By having them attend a class with the librarian, she was able to focus students on key resources to benefit them as English students. Ideally, these were definitely ways that librarian and professor could successfully work together. As I interviewed her and observed her class however, I realized that the collaboration was not as functional or as deep as it could. The professor was used to standing alone in finding resources that she needed and introduced students to the librarian as an aid to students. By missing the potential open relationship between them, both librarian and professor were not reaching the full collaboration that I could see was possible.

Activity three was important and required we investigate a science discipline we were unfamiliar with. This assignment was a little more daunting because it made us focus on a subject that we were not comfortable with and did not have the background in. Thus, I switched from English to Geography and will contrast findings between the two disciplines. This assignment showed me how similar some aspects are between disciplines, yet how diverse they are as well. One similarity was that both professors were highly independent and did not go to a librarian to help them with their teaching information needs for course preparation and instruction. They spoke of using the librarian for research needs, but not to discover tools and resources to help them in their teaching roles which directly helped students. Both professors realized how important it was to show students the usefulness of the library and urged students to utilize the facility; but they did not see the need for themselves and thus students often follow their teachers' examples not suggestions. In contrast, these faculty had different information needs and different ways in which they taught their courses.

The geography professor did not have a close friendship with any of the librarians on staff and did not have that collaboration aspect as easily available to him. I could see that it would have been a great benefit to him and students to have this type of relationship. He was open to the idea of adopting new resources, yet seemed happy to not stray from his usual lesson plans from year to year. He updated his personal and departmental map collection and made sure that the text was current. He allowed for changes throughout the semester, but he did not actively search for new ways to present information to his students. The major meat of the course was well provided for, but the gravy was not being enriched or liberally added.

Implications for Librarians

I followed up by delving into the university library catalog and searching the amount of resources available to the English literature discipline. It was obvious that this field of studdy was well covered with over 9,000 journals in their databases and an extensive book collection waiting to be discovered and used. As I scanned the book collections, I estimated two thirds of the resources were from the last 25 years. Likewise, the journal collection was up to date as well, which included full-text journal articles that could be heavily used by students and professors.

The source I discovered to focus on the Geography discipline was Goddard’s 1983 publication, A Guide to Information Sources in the Geographical Sciences. This source was disturbing to me because it is over 20 years old and this was the newest resource I could find in the collection on this topic. Perhaps there are different ways that these librarians are meeting the needs of this discipline, but there is no visible sign in their collection that much effort is being put forth for geography. There were some new resources for students, but few resources that librarians would use to audit their collection with regard to geography. Goddard’s work had a chapter about the U.S.S.R., which is obsolete, and more current resources are needed to cover the physical and cultural geography of this vast area of the world! This emphasized to me how fast information does change in the field and that this library was not keeping current as evident by the fact that I did not find any newer resource bibliographies.

Goddard’s book had the same notes in the margins as I had noticed in the Blazek and Aversa volume and many of the items were owned by the library. I was excited to see that equal attention had been spent on these two resources at one time but the humanitites was 7 years old and the geography resource was 24 years old. As I looked closely at the amount of resources available for both disciplines, it became evident that the geography department was not as thoroughly covered as the English department. Many factors are likely involved such as libraray funding and the number of students in each program; however, I also had a feeling that the amount of time spent with the instructors of these fields could play a role as well. The professor in the English department was closely connected to the librarian and conversed with her weekly. The needs of her students were being discussed and resources were found and provided for them. The professor in the geography department did not have a deep connection with any of the librarians and consequently relied upon and used the resources that he or the department owned.

Discussion and Conclusions

In the case of the English professor, the collaboration process is established. Although both parties have a working relationship, perhaps neither has realized more is possible. In the case of the geography professor, the collaboration process needs to be established. An effective library liaison program can partner with the professor who could step outside the needs of students in the class and realize the benefits to be had for all. By sharing syllabus needs and lesson planning goals with the library liaison, new possibilities for exciting resources may be discovered to help both professor and student.

Throughout this course I have discovered how important it is for the librarian to blaze new trails and open all avenues of communication with the professors. A library liaison can foster this relationship and by collaborating with other faculty, even occasionally, the needs of their patrons will be clarified and better understood. They will be able to help find the resources that are needed when they are needed. Librarians may also be more apt to keep a closer eye on the libraries’ collection and see the gaps that it may contain. Thus, in reflecting on course activities a model for enhancing the liaison services to investigate any discipline was presented. A liaison can facilitate the process of collaboration, which takes time, energy and a degree of enthusiasm. However, by sticking with it and keeping open the avenues of communication everyone will benefit.

References