Undergraduates today often face difficulty locating quality information for research projects. College students often have little experience using libraries and are usually more comfortable searching Google than a library catalog. Navigating the complex world of information today is difficult, and it is especially challenging for new researchers who may be unable to determine the quality of sources.
These problems are compounded in large research universities such as the University of Chicago. While one of the wonderful aspects of being an undergraduate at Chicago is access to libraries such as Regenstein and Crerar, these research libraries were really developed for the needs of graduate and faculty research. While our graduate students and faculty are thrilled at the prospect of browsing through our millions of volumes, our undergraduates are often quickly overwhelmed and frustrated finding a book for the paper they are writing. In addition, while today's undergraduates are extremely tech savvy, selecting the best resource out of hundreds of Library databases can be challenging for even the most seasoned of researchers.
RESEARCH STUDY
In one of the largest studies done on the impact of libraries on pedagogy and learning, in 1994 the University of California, Berkeley surveyed 386 graduating seniors from two social sciences departments. The results of this study showed:
- Fewer than 50% were able to conduct relevant library research.
- Of the respondents, only 7% reported their library skills as poor, even though 63% received poor to failing grades on the questions.
- Of those students who answered 80% or more of the questions correctly, the vast majority reported having library instruction during their undergraduate years.
Berkeley used these results to strengthen the joint programs between the Teaching Library and the academic departments. [Source: Patricia Davitt Maughn, "Assessing Information Literacy among Undergraduates: A Discussion of the Literature and University of California-Berkeley assessment Experience," College and Research Libraries v.62 no.1 (Jan 2001): 71-85.]
The Library has a team of librarians who are familiar with some of the challenges that face undergraduates in their research. CIAO (College Instrucation and Outreach) focuses on developing library outreach and information literacy programs for the College, including orientation programs, the Class Librarians, The College at the Library (a section of the Library's annual newspaper), and Special Collections holiday study breaks (Love in the Stacks, Things that Go Bump in the Stacks).
CIAO's members are happy to meet with you about strategies to help better serve this important population. For more information, contact ciao@lib.uchicago.edu.