Stepping outside the walls of the libraryBroadening our role in supporting academic skills

Monica Crump, NUI Galway

A c a d e m i c & S p e c i a l L i b r a r i e s C o n f e r e n c e , F e b r u a r y 2 6 t h 2 0 1 5

http://www.gettyimages.ie/detail/photo/man-walking-towards-a-beach-high-res-stock-photography/183842323

Libraries:At the centre of intellectual activity

Imperial Library of Constantinople

http://writingisfun-damental.com/tag/imperial-library-of-constantinople/

Google! Competition as the source of knowledge

The original Google storage device –housed in a frame of Lego blocks!

http://infolab.stanford.edu/pub/voy/museum/pictures/display/0-4-Google.htm

Evolving Roles

• Librarian as Teacher

• Librarian as Knowledge Creator

• Librarian as Publisher

?Have our wider audience kept up with this evolution?

?Do they still know what we do?

Peeking at what’s beyond

http://www.gettyimages.ie/detail/photo/child-peeking-over-a-wall-high-res-stock-photography/98855611

First steps beyond the boundaries

• Academic Writing Centre

• From hosting to service ownership!

Fear and trepidation

http://dreamatico.com/fear.html

A successful marrying of two worlds

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2009/2010 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14

Academic Writing Centre Growth in Uptake

No of visits

No attending workshops

Getting a seat at new tables…

http://www.beleaderly.com/leaderly-quote-dont-seat-table-bring-chair-4/

The Library – an ivory tower?

https://twitter.com/49ivorytower

Time to break down the walls

http://3nter.com/breaking/breaking-down-walls.html

Student Projects Fund

• In order to be considered for funding, the Project must clearly support the Strategic Objectives of the University, be in character in the general student services domain and fall into any or a combination of the following categories:

• Service

• Web-based development

• Equipment

• Building

• Research

Research on Academic Skills Support

• Analysis of what skills students believe they lacked in 1st year and would have valued support with.

• Analysis of what skills academic staff believe 1st year students require for success and which they need support developing.

• Review of skill supports currently available in NUI Galway and staff and student awareness and perceptions of them.

• Report and Recommendations

Eek! What have I done?

http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-get-back-to-the-ivory-tower/

Skills Support Services at NUIG

• Academic Writing Centre

• Information Skills Support from Subject Librarians and Information Assistants

• Skills4Study Campus – Online Study Skills Support

• ECDL - Online Training Modules

• SUMS - Support for Undergraduate Maths Students

• ComputerDISC - Computer Programming Drop-in Support Centre

• Disability Support Services – including skills supports that are available to all students

Beyond the walls – and outside the comfort zone!

http://www.travelfranceonline.com/walker-through-walls-in-montmartre-paris/

Survey of Academic Staff

• Measuring awareness and perception of other people’s services!

• Clear we’d hit a nerve!

Long, detailed comments

Clear lack of awareness of many of the services available

• Strong feeling that students’ needed support to develop their academic skills

• Strong message that better integration and sharing of information about the supports available was needed.

Survey of Students

• Once again measuring perceptions of services owned by someone else!

• But again a clear message of support needed by students to develop their skills

• Better awareness amongst students of the supports available, but not necessarily sure that they could avail of them

• Many helpful comments about specific services

Information on Supports Available

• Asking support service owners for information about:

Their services

Level of uptake and demand

Source and level of funding

• Nerve-wracking! But all happy to help!

• Less willing to provide funding information

The value of breaking the boundaries

• Academic Staff Awareness of the supports available for their students

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

SUMS

Academic Writing Centre

Subject Librarians

Skills4Study Campus

ComputerDisc

ECDL Online Training

Staff Awareness

Staff Awareness

Seeing the wider context

• Student Awareness of the supports available to them

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

SUMS

Academic Writing Centre

Subject Librarians

Skills4Study Campus

ComputerDisc

ECDL Online Training

Student Awareness

Student Awareness

Broadening our understanding

• Level of uptake of the various support services in 2013/14

0 4000 8000

SUMS

Academic Writing Centre

Subject Librarians

Skills4Study Campus

ComputerDisc

Support Uptake in 2013/14

Support Uptake in 2013/14

Reporting and Recommendations

http://mandybanderson.com/truth-fearand

Break down those walls Gain a wider perspective!

http://www.gdecoaching.com/fears-we-suffer/#sthash.NBtWXEc5.dpbs