Faculty In-Service: How to Boost Academic Library Services

Collaborative Librarianship

Volume 3 Issue 2 Article 7

2011

Faculty In-service: How to Boost Academic Library Services

Debra Lucas Library, D’Youville College, Buffalo, NY, [email protected]

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Recommended Citation Lucas, Debra (2011) "Faculty In-service: How to Boost Academic Library Services," Collaborative Librarianship: Vol. 3 : Iss. 2 , Article 7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29087/2011.3.2.03 Available at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/collaborativelibrarianship/vol3/iss2/7

This From the Field is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Collaborative Librarianship by an authorized editor of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. Lucas: Faculty In-service

Faculty In-service: How to Boost Academic Library Services

Debra Lucas ([email protected]) Head of Reference, Library, D’Youville College, Buffalo, NY

Abstract

This article discusses a collaborative approach to educate college faculty about the library to encourage faculty to engage and participate in services such as library instruction, interlibrary loan, course reserves, and research desk assistance. The more faculty know about the library, the more that they use them. Well informed faculty create students who will also be interested in the library. In-servicing is recommended because it allows librarians to market the library. Creating a well-planned library in-service also creates an opportunity to highlight a librarian’s teaching and research skills.

Keywords: Marketing; in-serivce; faculty

Introduction small classroom settings and large university halls. Faculty can best understand the professional functions that academic librarians serve if the In many academic institutions, librarians are faculty receive in-servicing sessions. In-servicing classified as faculty and sometimes work in te- is the act of collaboratively introducing new and nure-track lines. As such, they also conduct their existing faculty to the library resources and ser- own research that is subsequently used in pub- vices. This method is recommended because it lishing scholarly and peer reviewed journal ar- allows librarians to market the library and the ticles. When library in-services are implemented services it provides. Creating a well-planned effectively, it shows a librarian’s skill and com- library in-service also creates an opportunity to fort with conducting an endless array of aca- highlight a librarian’s teaching and research demic research for both students and faculty. skills. Additionally, faculty in-service can be con- The main goal of an academic in-service is to ducted so that the peer-to-peer experience be- create independent library researchers and criti- comes a teaching moment. In promoting library cal thinkers who can recognize and analyze val- research assistance, librarians can also market uable scholarly resources. The secondary goal is such services as: to market general library services. Academic libraries exist to support faculty and students • Student-based library instruction group ses- who are conducting research and writing aca- sions demic and scholarly papers. Since we offer in- • Library subscription-based online databases structional and research skill development ser- • Free web-based internet sites, such as vices to the students, why not also offer that to PubMed and Google Scholar the teaching faculty? • Interlibrary loan • Collection development Faculty in-service not only provides information • Reserves on library services, but it also gives librarians • Items of special research interests, such as the chance to showcase their professional abili- archives or discipline specific databases. ties and research experience. Librarians not only work with students who are conducting re- Literature Review search at the library research desk; they also routinely provide student-based instruction in According to Terri Pedersen Sumney, a marketing plan is “a roadmap or guide to the whole

Collaborative Librarianship 3(2):117-122 (2011) 117 Lucas: Faculty In-service marketing process.” It describes where the or- workshops and that multiple announcements ganization is at, where it plans to go and how it and different formats are necessary.11 will get there.1 Through faculty designed instructional programs, faculty can learn more Purpose of the In-Service about the resources and services the library provides. Giving them the opportunity to learn is One might ask how providing in-services to fa- critical. “Unless coaxed by the library, these culty constitutes marketing library resources. groups may not effectively use the full range of Library marketing is the act of advertising what services that the library offers to them.”2 Camp- the library offers and what benefits it brings to bell and Gibson say that students and faculty the institution. In marketing, librarians illumi- don’t know what makes library resources differ- nate the reasons why academic libraries are ent from free web based Internet resources3. campus mainstays.

Marketing library services via faculty in- Faculty in-service imparts key library science servicing resembles a faculty liaison program in and research concepts. Mainly, it teaches the its planning stages, its results and the overall faculty member how to use the library, what the intentions. Zheng Ye (Lan) Yang said that “It is library offers, and what is contained within its clear that faculty are willing to take advantage print and electronic collections. Also, these ses- of services the library may offer, but the first sions teach faculty what their students learn in step is educating faculty in the availability of student-based library instruction sessions. In specialized services.”4 According to Yang, fa- many ways, faculty in-services teach faculty culty are willing to use the library if they are how they and their students can most effectively educated about the library’s special services.5 conduct research using the library resources and its technology, while utilizing a modern ap- Reeves, Nishimuta, McMillan and Godin say proach. that, “Good relations between librarians and teaching faculty, then, are critical and a variety Using peer-to-peer or group facilitation can also of avenues should be explored to reach that introduce faculty to the different roles and re- goal.”6 Faculty instruct students about where to sponsibilities of the faculty librarians. For ex- go and how to use the library. Sometimes, how- ample, an in-service can teach faculty that an ever, “each service point in the library gets instructional librarian focuses their professional questions based on outdated information that’s work and energies on creating library instruc- been passed on to students by well meaning fa- tion programs for students. The collection de- culty.”7 She continues to say that “We promote velopment librarian works with faculty to de- our services and resources to the university velop a more comprehensive student-focused population each semester by offering library and curriculum-driven collection. A serials li- orientation tours, general classes on searching brarian may determine which online databases databases and the Internet, and lectures tailored should be added to the collection. Without this to instructional faculty requests.”8 “They are knowledge, faculty may not know of the aca- quite familiar,” she said, “with the literature in demic contributions each librarian makes the their fields and they regularly look at their jour- whole of library services, or which librarians to nals, but many have not kept up with the contact if they need assistance. changes that technology has imposed on information dissemination in their disciplines.”9 Advertising

According to Kotter, faculty “may feel ashamed Faculty in-service is a free marketing endeavor to ask a librarian for help because it might be that only requires a librarian’s time, energy, and viewed by their colleagues, and the librarian, as commitment. When launching a new in- unscholarly.”10 Faculty also need to be aware of servicing program, advertise instruction to fa- the in-service program. Stebelman states that culty, staff and administrators. Advertise the flyers should be sent to all faculty to publicize faculty in-service through campus newsletters and flyers. Make announcements at faculty

Collaborative Librarianship 3(2):117-122 (2011) 118 Lucas: Faculty In-service council or faculty senate meetings. Send emails without consulting library resources or academ- to faculty distribution lists. Ask faculty liaisons ic librarians. Because of the pace at which tech- to announce faculty in-service at departmental nology changes the research world, it is critical meetings. If you can be creative and proactive, to educate faculty on modern library trends and the free advertisement opportunities seem end- offerings. less. Once you have conducted several in- servicing sessions, faculty will market the ser- All librarians want research to begin at the ref- vice to other faculty members, a method that erence desk. The reference desk is home base for will drive up the number of in-servicing sessions reference librarians and they whole-heartedly provided. want to answer research questions. An in- service provides the opportunity to deliver this Scheduling message. In-service allows librarians to teach faculty that the reference desk is a place to obtain To increase the perceptions of the importance of research assistance. this service, consider offering sessions by ap- pointment only. Librarians can take their wares If you believe that the term reference desk is an to the wise – visit faculty in their offices and in old-fashioned and misunderstood term in to- their classrooms. Although we strive to create a day’s modern academic library, then consider library research desk that is welcoming, even the this: use an in-service session to begin marketing most approachable research area can be intimi- the reference desk as a research desk. Then con- dating for faculty. Faculty often do not feel com- tinue working to rebrand that desk space. When fortable receiving professional instruction in a faculty easily understand the purpose of a re- public setting. For the most proper and effective search desk, they will pass that understanding in-service, ensure privacy by instructing faculty on to their students. If their students have ques- either in their office or you own. tions regarding their research assignments, they can visit a librarian at the research desk. This Providing such appointments as “house-calls” increased understanding of what the desk’s also enhances individual attention and makes purpose is will concomitantly increase the num- the session more attractive to faculty. They are ber of times that students and faculty approach not always comfortable receiving instruction at a the desk for assistance. An increase in the num- public desk where their students or other faculty ber of visits is an increase in the number of re- may see them as inexperienced researchers. Fa- search questions asked. culty will come to you with vastly differently skill levels and research needs. Addressing these Library Instruction differences effectively requires individual and tailored attention. Library instruction teaches students how to use the library resources and to evaluate the re- Services to Market in an In-Service Session search materials they find. We teach students what they need to know about the library. Fa- Research Assistance at the Reference Desk culty in-service follows the same process. We teach them what they need to know. While we Too long have faculty and students been consi- most often teach library instruction to students dered a captive audience of the academic li- in classroom-based groups, we can also teach brary. Back in the middle 1980s, for example, the faculty either individually or in department- researchers had few resources outside of the based groups. library that they could consult. Books and indexes to journal articles existed only in print, During an in-service session, it is worthwhile to microfiche, or microfilm formats. Due to the discuss how the instruction you are giving the recent increased availability of the Internet, and faculty member resembles a library instruction in particular Google Scholar, the academic re- session that you would give to students. Help search audience is often conducting and con- the faculty better understand the library instruc- cluding their research outside the library walls, tion program. During the in-service, use phrases

Collaborative Librarianship 3(2):117-122 (2011) 119 Lucas: Faculty In-service such as “this is what students need to under- vided by library subscriptions. Imparting this stand” or “this is what we can teach students in knowledge markets library resources. a library instruction session.” In many instances, the faculty member will be so impressed with Faculty also use the resources to conduct profes- the faculty in-service and potential for student sional research and to create library assignments instruction, that they help market the instruction for their students. Marketing online databases program by spreading positive messages re- and working with the faculty encourages colla- garding instruction to other faculty members. boration between faculty and librarians. For example, librarians and faculty can create research Once the faculty have been educated on what assignments together. As faculty members begin library instruction offers, they are more inclined to understand that librarians are truly savvy in to participate. Although library instruction is the use of online resources, they may be willing mainly marketed to faculty, it is designed with to co-write assignments or consult librarians as the student in mind. Overall, the goal of a li- they create research assignments. brary instruction session is to enthusiastically encourage faculty and students to fully utilize Interlibrary Loan all that the library has to offer. Faculty who studied in large universities believe Online Databases that smaller college libraries have fewer resources. Smaller libraries do more often focus Online databases are electronic indexes used their collections to mainly support their school primarily to find academic journal articles, programs and departmental curriculum. The newspaper articles, conference proceedings, and breath of the library budget is not able to sup- other ephemeral periodical materials. Online port infinite research interests. databases even contain archival information through resources like the Humanities and Social Library in-servicing provides the perfect chance Sciences or JStor, with indexing going as far back to market Interlibrary loan (ILL). ILL is a pro- as 1890. These online databases may contain gram that expands the availability of scholarly full-text articles or have articles in abstract or and academic materials beyond the physical and citation-only format, leading researchers to print electronic collections of an academic library. It collections, electronic journals, other databases, provides full-text articles and print materials or perhaps even to interlibrary loan services. from a network of local, statewide, national and Many faculty who went to colleges and univer- international libraries. Explain to the faculty that sities prior to 1985, when indexes were still pri- your collection supports the school curriculum, marily available in print only, may not be aware and that materials supporting a faculty mem- of the ease in which articles can be obtained ber’s specific needs may not be housed within through online research. Despite the fact that your campus library. Market ILL so that they indexes went online for the first time in 1985, understand this service provides them with some faculty still now continue to create print- seemingly endless access to resources around resource based assignments for students. In the world. 2010, online databases have almost exclusively replaced print indices. Marketing online data- It is important to market ILL and document de- bases accomplishes several goals. First, it edu- livery because they are emerging services. A cates faculty on how to conduct online research plethora of citations are available online. Library using the latest technology and resources. subscription-based databases and free internet Second, it educates them on the availability of resources, such as Google Scholar and PubMed, scholarly information online, especially impor- contribute to this surge in availability of cita- tant to those faculty who question the validity of tions. With access to more citations, researchers electronic resources. Third, marketing online want more articles. The ILL and document deli- databases to faculty enables them to faithfully very programs expand research holdings and refer students to online resources that are pro- provide desk top delivery for faculty and students. In many instances solid ILL and docu-

Collaborative Librarianship 3(2):117-122 (2011) 120 Lucas: Faculty In-service ment delivery programs are one of the most can create a more solid collection: one that sup- highly regarded services that a library can offer. ports the needs of the student population. What a boost for your library’s image. Market that! Reserves

Collection Development Since many faculty now use online course man- agement systems such as Moodle and Black- Collection development is the range of activities board to post required or additional journal involved in developing what a library owns. A readings, most of the reserve items that exist in collection encompasses ownership of print and library reserves collections are monographs or online books, online databases, access to online audiovisual materials. The library reserve col- web-based information, audio-visual media, lection contains items with limited circulation equipment to use the resources, and special col- time frames. Some items circulate for only two- lection items, such as archives, exhibits, or hours within the library only. Other items popular fiction collections. might circulate for up to seven days outside the library. One of the most beneficial aspects of the Faculty sometimes need research or instruction- program is that the library can house books and al materials that the library does not own. In- audiovisual materials for faculty members who stead of using ILL services, faculty can partici- want to make shared resources available to their pate in collection development. Through edu- entire class. Through in-services, faculty can be cating faculty, librarians may teach them that informed that the library can, according to the materials supporting their special interests can faculty directions, restricted access to textbooks, be purchased. Also, when becoming acquainted DVDs, CDs or videocassettes. with the faculty, the librarians learn more about the faculty’s individual publications and scho- In the marketing pitch, a librarian can distribute larly contributions. Getting to know the indi- the reserve manager’s business cards or other vidual faculty member helps build a collection contact information. Librarians can reproduce that houses this person’s scholarly achieve- and distribute handouts that outline policy and ments. procedure information. They can even give a tour of the reserve collection so that faculty see Additionally, in many cases, faculty will assign what materials are housed in this collection. A a special project that requires students use li- demonstration of how to use the library catalog brary books or specific databases. The library to access the reserve collection is important to may in fact only have a few titles meeting the include in the reserve collection marketing pitch. course assignment needs. Sometimes, the library has none. In these circumstances, students Faculty with Specialized Research Interests may use interlibrary loan, but ILL normally takes a few days for the item to arrive. Many During in-services, librarians can demonstrate students, especially undergraduates, do not competencies with conducting research in the have time to wait. Even if the acquisitions de- faculty member’s discipline. For example, when partment rush orders several titles, the titles providing a library in-service to faculty from the most likely would not arrive in time for the stu- pharmacy department, it is helpful to demon- dents to complete the assignment. strate access to evidence-based research within the Cochran databases. Show them that you Students need access to materials that support have access to the Lexi-Comp or the Pharmacy their assignments. Without adequate collection Library databases and demonstrate your skills development collaboration between faculty and using it. If the faculty teaches in the liberal arts librarians, students can be left without key department instead, you can demonstrate the books and academic resources for their research JStor databases. In the sciences, you might assignments. When librarians use library in- demonstrate Science Direct. Librarians can show servicing to market collection development, they they are capable of skillfully teaching students how to use discipline-specific library resources.

Collaborative Librarianship 3(2):117-122 (2011) 121 Lucas: Faculty In-service

Market your skills with the specialized databas- 5. Ibid. es in your collection. 6. Linda Reeves, Catherine Nishimuta, Judy Conclusion McMillan and Christine Godin, “Faculty Out- reach: a Win-Win Proposition,” The Reference The marketing plan is a vital component to a Librarian 39, no. 82 (2003): 62. library because it explains where the library is and where it is heading. Faculty in-services, 7. Leilani Hall, “Faculty Information Compe- while only one component of the marketing tence,” Computers in Libraries 19 (1999): 29. plan, introduces faculty to the key library re- 8. Ibid., 29. sources in their areas of research. It explains what services the library offers. It also encou- 9. Ibid., 30. rages relationship building, where faculty introduce librarians to additional resources needed 10. Wade R. Kotter, “Bridging the Great Divide: for their discipline-specific research and re- Improving Relations between Librarians and quired course work. An organization that has a Classroom Faculty,” Journal of Academic Libra- marketing plan can incorporate faculty in- rianship 25, no. 4 (1999): 296. service into its structure and reap multiple benefits. 11. Jack Stebelman, David Siggins, David Nutty and Caroline Long. “Improving Library Rela- Faculty support increases usage statistics in re- tions with the Faculty and University Adminis- search desk activity, library instruction, interli- trators: the Role of the Faculty Outreach Libra- brary loan and reserves. It also impacts the qual- rian,” College and Research Libraries 60, no. 2 ity of collection development. Solid faculty in- (1999): 121-30. servicing can initiate a campus-wide improve- ment in a library’s public image and encourage collaboration between librarians and faculty. Try it, and become a library that works to build bridges across campus and boost the usage of their academic library resources and service.

Endnotes

______

1. Terri P. Sumney, “If You Build It, Will They

Come? Creating a Marketing Plan for Distance

Learning Library Devices,” Journal of Library

Administration 41, nos. 3/4 (2004): 461.

2. Nancy Marshall, “Public Relations in Aca- demic Libraries: a Descriptive Analysis,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 27, no. 2 (2001): 116.

3. Jennifer Campbell and Sally Gibson, “Real- Life Marketing and Promotion Strategies in Col- lege Libraries,” College and Undergraduate Libra- ries 12, nos, 1/2 (2005): 153-164.

4. Zheng Yang, “University Faculty’s Perception of a Library Liaison Program: a Case Study,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 26, no. 2 (2000): 128.

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