Comments on: With a Tangled Skein

By: The Naked Librarian

The Naked Librarian — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:00:34 +0000

We over in Asia do have the same problem although not as often. And we dont have the luxury of a tutoring centre. Yes, we are not crutches. I think all librarians have this inate desire to help as much as we can so when we are faced with a question that we know we should not help, we feel uncomfortable about it.

Here is what I usually do:
1. Ask them questions about their assignment. By asking questions about the assignment I am getting the student to think about it. I would also tell him that I asking questions because I am not a subject specialist and this is my way of understanding his question so that I can help him. This puts him at ease and encourages him to talk.

For eg. if the assignment requires an analysis of factors that affect the failure of a project, I will ask the student “What are these factors? Are they resource-related? Could the factors be linked to the project leader?”

2. The last 2 quesions will get them thinking. If the student continues to say he does not know, then, I would refer him back to the lecturer. I have to make it clear to him that my referring him back is because he needs to know the content before he proceeds to analyze.

3. The whole point is to ensure that we are able to discern whether it is a content/subject question. This is where drawing the line occurs.

4. Some of us would like to help and treat it like a learning experience for ourselves. I think we need very careful as we risk misinforming and giving the student a crutch when he needs to learn.

Hope this helps.

By: Edwin Wiles

Edwin Wiles — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:20:10 +0000

I agree with Beth but sometimes we can see assignments that are not clearly written. This is a time that we can talk with the professor and explain to him/her more what the library can offer and discuss information literacy more. Sometimes it is true that the student needs more preparation but sometimes it is the professor that needs our help.

By: Beth

Beth — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:58:03 +0000

You cannot and should not interpret assignments. I can empathize with students who don’t understand their assignment (and frankly, some are very poorly designed), but I always encourage them to talk to the professor/instructor and ask him/her to clarify the assignment. Writing/math/tech help centers are a great resource for a college to have, even for those who “know it.” We do see these types of problems occasionally at our school too and I would agree, the questions usually come from students who do not seem to be college-ready and should probably spend a year or two at community college before entering a 4 year institution. Of course we get LOTS of questions from all levels on pretty basic computer/tech issues, which only strengthens my position that younger people are not as tech savvy as the world would lead us to believe. But they catch on quickly.

By: Mary

Mary — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:57:14 +0000

I am working at a large urban library in NJ and we are using a product that would be great for your patrons. It is tutor.com. This year it has been beefed up to help with more college courses and testing like the GRE’s. Students (of any age) log in to a chat/whiteboard session with a subject/level-specific tutor. Also the students can send a file up to the tutor for editing/comments. It is not cheap and it doesn’t help everyone but in locations where one-on-one help is difficult to come by this is good.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:13:27 +0000

I’m seeing a lot of students come in who don’t know how to use our computers. This is complicated by a very slow connection, frustration if what they want isn’t readily available, and disinclination to learn HOW to use the system. When you put those factors together, it becomes a real issue. Ignorance is curable, but only if the patient is willing

By: Kathy

Kathy — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:45:51 +0000

I try to be clear that I can show users how to find information but I can’t interpret the information for them. I can sometimes direct them to a person who can interpret it, but that is the limit. I think it’s common to get questions like this in both academic and public libraries.

By: Marilyn R. Pukkila

Marilyn R. Pukkila — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:11:11 +0000

I almost feel a bit wistful — it’s been a long time since we’ve had too MANY questions at the desk! Having said that, I do understand about trying to find the way between appropriate and inappropriate questions. I worked closely this fall with 2 groups of students who, for various reasons, were not familiar with library services and college-level work generally. I was happy to have them think of me as “their” librarian, since I am comfortable referring when necessary. I do have one student this semester who has come to me a LOT with pretty much the same questions repeatedly, but they are about finding resources, using RefWorks, etc., and I’m definitely all about that!

By: Susanna

Susanna — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:29:20 +0000

Ellen…
Wait a second. You can stay sane in this job???? ::grin::

By: Ellen

Ellen — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:05:33 +0000

I think B had a good point. Our neediest students are those who are least prepared for college work. Since I teach so many library sessions, students associate me with help and maybe even knowledge. I always refer students to other resources when their requests get beyond library resources and research techniques. It’s the only way to stay sane.

By: Susanna

Susanna — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:42:58 +0000

I guess it’s all about learning how to say “no”… At our branch we have mostly adjuncts (like most community colleges these days) and they can be hard for the students to track down. So I’m easy and accesible. I’m hoping the trend will start slacking off now that midterms are over and I’ve said “no” enough times that they’re starting to learn I’m not a “one-stop-shop” for all their academic needs. But I don’t want to appear that I won’t help at all – come to me with a niggly research problem and I’m all about it! I’ve also started compiling a list of adjunct “office hours” (times when I know they’re usually on campus in one of the adjunct offices) so I can tell students “Ah – you should see Mr X, the math instructor. He’s usually here on Monday afternoons.” That has seemed to help too – I can’t answer their question about bone structure, but I know when the nursing instructors are here!