between acceptance and attendance jannelle ruswick, instruction coordinator introducing the library...
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Between Acceptance and Attendance
Jannelle Ruswick, Instruction Coordinator
Introducing the Library to New International Students
Acceptance
Internet
• Always open• Multi-lingual guides• IM and emails
7-30 days before
• Weekly in-library orientations• Personal attention• Welcome packets
Week before
• Auditorium speeches• Daily in-library orientations• Resource fairs• All hands on deck!
Classes
begin
• More in-library orientations• More resource fairs• Seriously, all hands on deck!
Attendance
Private PhD-granting institution in Chicago
7,787 students 35% undergrad, 65% grad
STEM+ (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Psychology, Business, Law, Architecture
High ratio of international students 43% international over 100 countries represented
Make new friends
…and keep the old
Build Relationships
Big 3 Targets
International CenterOrientation Committee
Admissions Office
Know your students
Survey, respond, repeat
Gate and Proxy Counts
Where are they coming from? Determine statistical significance Scan all IDs in specific times for two weeks Count all proxy use
Output: Excel file with demographic data, no names or IDs.
Conduct biannually to track changes Spring semester, 2009 and 2011
Top 3 Countries of Origin
Institute of International Education. (2010). "Top 25 Places of Origin of International Students, 2008/09-2009/10." Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. Retrieved from http://www.iie.org/opendoors
Takeaways Learned as much as we could about libraries in
these three countries. Empirical evidence for outreach
Users and nonusers Can use this to ask for more resources!
Survey
Given to all in-library orientation attendees every semester
Offered online to current students in 2007 iTunes gift card from random drawing
Seeking information about previous library use and current library confusion
Do you find anything confusing about the library?
“Yes ,,, finding one book is like finding a pin in a haystack, and something I've noticed is that most international students are too shy to ask for help.”
“How the books are sorted, they should be by departments.”
Do you find anything confusing about the library?
“There is a couple of tables and chairs on the first floor reserved for eating. But frequently I found it occupied by group studiers. Then I have to walk to MTCC to finish lunch or dinner.”
“where is quiet seats”
Fixes
General How to Find Books LibGuide International Students LibGuide Simplify signs
Not “Intersession Hours” but “Hours for August” Bilingual signs
Designated quiet spaces Makes library feel more like home
Enhance your online presence
After all, it is the “World” Wide Web
Provide Online Materials
Learn before arriving Multi-lingual guides are welcoming Get information without having to ask
But if they do ask, they can type at their own pace
Library.iit.edu/students
Guides placed where current students were looking for them.
Multilingual Library Virtual Tour
Translated by volunteer students into Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Hindi.
Bilingual library guides
Online research guides in Chinese On topics they want to know about
Research papers Plagiarism Finding articles
Reuse and Repurpose
Most content already existed In user-friendly location Inclusive feeling
Welcome early arrivers
Internet, air conditioning, long hours
Orientation Methods
Big auditorium lecturesLibrary toursLibrary workshopsResource fairsInformal hellos
Auditorium Orientations
Pros Cons Reach wide audience Surface topics only No promotion
needed Legitimized Advertise other
events
Impersonal Surface topics only One of many lectures
Library Tours and Workshops
•Textbooks
•Library Catalog
•Reference services
Make up for the cons
Auditorium Orientation’s cons
Workshop’s pros
Impersonal Surface topics only One of many lectures
Personal In-depth topics Top questions asked
by international students
Interactive with students
Student Resource Fairs
Recommendations
Know and consult your international population
Look around your library space and end confusion
Repackage current materials and get them online Make a new content priority list
Prepare your staff for the 30 day triathlon Do it all with a smile
Questions?
Jannelle [email protected]
http://library.iit.edu/students
Yi Han, [email protected] and Outreach Fair Exhibit Hall3-5pm Today!