PROFESSORS MUST DO THEIR HOMEWORK WHEN MAKING LIBRARY ASSIGNMENTS, UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS LIBRARIAN SAYS

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - When faced with a labyrinth of shelves and stacks of books and magazines, many college students find the library to be a source of intimidation instead of information. However, a University of Arkansas researcher says that professors and librarians can change students’ image of the library from unfathomable to valuable by remembering a few guidelines.

In fact, professors can save students from anguish in the library and get better classroom results by following some steps when creating library assignments, according to Necia Parker-Gibson, associate professor/librarian, social sciences librarian and library instruction coordinator for Mullins Library on the Fayetteville campus.

"I’ve seen a lot of frustration from students coming to the reference desk, and I wanted to get this information to the people who are making the assignments," said Parker-Gibson. Her paper on the subject appeared in the spring issue of the quarterly "College Teaching."

Parker-Gibson has watched students walk into the library and say, "I’m lost. I don’t know how to find anything." They can be overwhelmed from the start by the big building, the unfamiliar catalog system, the computers and, of course, their own stereotypical image of the librarians as "stern, authoritarian, rule-bound and finicky," writes Parker-Gibson. Ambiguous class assignments only add to students’ intimidation as they walk into an unfamiliar place.

Parker-Gibson offers several tips for instructors creating library assignments. Instructors should be sure the assignment relates to class work and beyond, so students can see the possible connection to their future. She advises professors not to assign "scavenger hunts" designed only to send students to the library.

She also urges professors to take into account the learning curve when making assignments.

"Experts in a field skip steps because they have internalized these steps," she said. "But students need to have these steps explained to them.

"The idea of having a beginner’s mind is really important."

Instructors can also inadvertently cause suffering when they ban certain tools or demand the use of inappropriate tools. Parker-Gibson said that professors often have good intentions - trying to be sure students don’t just run to Encyclopedia Britannica and memorize the entry, for instance. But if professors ban "encyclopedias," students will not have access to specialized materials from sources like "The Encyclopedia of Human Behavior," "The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology" or the "Encyclopedia of Women and Religion," which may offer good starting points to work from. Also, professors who ban use of the Internet may steer students from online databases or journals that could provide valuable information for research projects.

Parker-Gibson also suggests that instructors check to see that the library has the tools they assign in class. She said that new instructors often assume that libraries contain the same reference materials from state to state, but this may not be the case.

Assignments should be succinct when explaining what kinds of materials students should use. The word "journal," for instance, has a specific meaning, but students sometimes take it to mean academic journals, newspapers or popular magazines. Students flounder when trying to decipher unclear assignments, Parker-Gibson said.

Professors should also give their students - especially freshmen - an idea of how long an assignment should take to complete. Many students enter the library thinking an assignment will take them 30 minutes, when realistically it will require eight hours.

Parker-Gibson doesn’t leave all the responsibility for class assignments with the instructor. Students can help themselves by asking questions of library personnel.

"There are all kinds of people, especially librarians who are there for the purpose of answering questions," Parker-Gibson said. There are also maps and handouts on various tools the library houses available in the lobby.

Students should not exclude the Internet or the bookshelves when seeking information. Using both tools wisely, the chances of finding information on almost any topic is quite high.

Ideally, in Parker-Gibson’s mind, students should walk out of the library with an increased sense of confidence that they can find what they seek when they once again enter the library’s doors.

"I hate to see students frustrated when I know they can be helped," she said.