Pilot Project for an August Programme to Introduce Incoming 1st Year
Students to the Library
Purpose: To develop, deliver and assess, as a pilot
project, a programme to introduce incoming 1st year students to the Library
during August 2002. Experience gained and lessons learned from the pilot
will be used to determine whether a comparable programme should be considered
for subsequent years.
Rationale: Incoming 1st year students who participated
in focus group discussions about Library signage during the summer of 2001
noted that they valued that participation because it gave them a head start
in learning something about the Library before the beginning of their first
term. Additionally, they noted that they had friends who would also have
appreciated some exposure to the Library during the summer. We struggle
to find ways to get undergraduates into the Library, comfortable when they
are here, and capable of finding and using information resources effectively.
If incoming 1st year students would take advantage of an opportunity to
learn about the Library during the summer, we should take advantage of
their interest.
Sponsor: Susan Routliffe
Manager: Paul St-Pierre will manage the project and will
have hands-on responsibility for developing and implementing it.
Communication: as appropriate, Paul will communicate
with individuals and groups such as the University’s Coordinator
of 1st Year Student Life Programmes, the Library Instruction Committee,
the Library Signage Committee.
Scope: The project includes the following broad elements:
- developing a plan for a programme to introduce incoming first year
students to the Library
- coordinating the delivery of the programme
- developing a plan for assessing the programme
- assessing the programme
- developing recommendations about continuing such a programme for incoming
students in subsequent years.
Conducting the pilot project will include:
- Contacting the Coordinator of First Year Student Life Programmes,
Heather Fitzgerald, to let her know what we are planning and to learn
what, if any, concerns she has and what advice or direction she would
offer.
- Conducting a focus group with students who participated in the summer
2001 signage usage study to find out what elements of that experience
proved valuable during their first year and what suggestions they have
about things to include for a session intended to introduce incoming
students to the Library.
- Considering and defining precisely what we want students to learn
during a session offered in the summer.
- Considering how to facilitate the learning that is to take place and
developing a plan to achieve the desired learning outcomes.
- Determining which libraries should be included in the pilot, how many
sessions should be offered, how many students should attend each session,
and the date(s) and time(s) for the session(s).
- Determining the number of people required to conduct the programme,
whether they should all be staff and whether there is a way to include
students. If students are to be included, consider how they would be
recruited and trained and whether they would be paid. Determine the roles
to be played by staff and what training or briefing they would need.
- Determining how to contact potential participants and developing a
plan for doing so.
- Considering whether students will need to pre-register and, if they
will, developing a registration process.
- Coordinating and participating in the delivery of the programme.
- Developing and implementing an assessment plan.
March 1, 2002
February 13, 2006
