The Hybrid Librarian in the Student Learning Center Caroline Cason University of Georgia Libraries

1. The Hybrid Librarian in the Student Learning CenterCaroline CasonUniversity of Georgia Libraries

2. UGA Libraries • Comprised of the Main library, Science library, Student Learning Center and Research Facilities • 3.7 million items in the collection • Access to over 300 electronic databases and indexes through GALILEO • Access to over 30 thousand full text journals and newspapers

3. Student Learning Center • “One Stop Shop” with classrooms, library research sources and technology • Partnership effort between OISD, EITS and University Libraries • Extremely successful and welcomed on campus by students and faculty, alike • High traffic: 15,395 entries into the building on April 28, 2004

4. Reference Desk at the SLC • Electronic Library consists of all electronic research sources with a small, non-circulating print collection • Four reference/info desks • 3 Desks staffed by student consultants and 1 desk staffed by both a librarian and student consultants • Student Consultants managed by EITS. Administratively separate from the Libraries.

5. The Electronic Library • Combined computer lab and library space -- a trend in “Information Commons” but at the SLC we are in an almost exclusively electronic library environment • Staffing ensures professional library research assistance is available but do the students know we are there?

6. Survey Says … • Spring 2004 online and paper survey of nearly 1000 users of the SLC • 2 focus groups conducted with undergrad and graduate students • Asked what they use in the SLC

7. Survey Resultsselected statistics Note: Will not total 100% as respondents could choose multiple sources

8. Focus Group Results • Focus groups – consisted of 2 groups of 7-8 grads and undergrads • Know there are librarians in the SLC but not where • Understood that electronic resources were available but still visited the Main and Science libraries for print • Use the SLC as a study space and to work on group projects • One student referred to librarians as “research technicians” • Thought of librarians as being helpful and “would prefer to ask a librarian” for assistance to save time • Said the SLC become an essential part of their academic lives: “I realized after it opened that it was absolutely necessary.”

9. Library Resource Use GALILEO • Slight increase in SLC from Fall 2003 to Spring 2004 • Still very low compared to Main and Science Libraries • Statistics count number of times someone accessed GALILEO from the SLC versus Main/Science Libraries

10. Library Resource Use • GIL -- The stats count GIL “requests” from users in the UGA Libraries. Requests include: • each search, each click to look at a record, each request to view a patron record, etc. • TOTAL REQUESTS • Fall 2003 • SLC 85,044 • Main & Science 1,194,447 • Spring 2004 • SLC 91,207 • Main & Science 1,020,682

11. At the Desk – Fall 2003 • SLC: 12,720 total questions • 5% In-depth or Ready Reference • 35% Directional • 60% Software, Graphics Machines, Printer or Machine Maintenance, Wireless • Note that we had some significant technical problems this semester leading to lots of questions about the printers • Science: 10,073 total questions • 62% In-depth or Ready Reference • 17% Directional • 21% Software help, Printer or Machine Maintenance

12. At the Desk – Spring 2004 • SLC: 9,561 total questions • 6% In-depth or Ready Reference • 53% Directional • 41% Software, Graphics Machines, Printer, Machine Maintenance, Wireless • Science: 8,331 total questions • 68% In-depth or Ready Reference • 13% Directional • 19% Software help, Printer or Machine Maintenance

13. The Librarians’ Experience • Positive outcomes • “I feel more connected to what is going on around campus” • Emphasis on library as process rather than library as place • Librarians are fulfilling the “one stop shop” by answering both reference and tech questions • Love the interaction with student staff

14. The Librarians’ Experience • Challenges • Defining roles when responsibilities overlap • Creating new policies on the fly • Maintaining skill level (tech and reference) • Frustration with lack of reference questions • Communicating the concept of a library without books

15. How Has Reference Changed? • New skills • Broadening our technology skills • Working collaboratively • Closer to faculty • Opportunities to teach in a technologically advanced environment • Loss of “traditional” skills? • Very little print • Lack of demand for reference work

16. New Techniques • “Retail Style” Reference • Chat Reference • In-depth Reference • Collaboration with teaching faculty in the SLC • Encourage addition of research assignments • Participate with OISD in Faculty Orientations and Forums • Tours/Orientations/Indoctrinations! • Becoming more involved in the first year experience to relay the message that the SLC is a library from the start

17. New Tactics • Combat loss of skills by maintaining reference shifts at the Main and Science Libraries • Build identity of SLC Reference desk by being both places • Continue public relations efforts • Explore ways to emphasize the traditional library within this new environment • More prominent signage • New Reading Room collection • Increased teaching load/reference conferences

18. The Teaching Mission • Librarians from the SLC have increased their teaching load over the past year

19. Teaching in the SLC • Classes are usually taught in our Advanced Learning Labs • One academic credit class taught twice weekly in the SLC • Can make “house calls” to any class taught in the SLC

20. The Future? • Popularity of the SLC indicates that students like the one-stop-shop concept • Communication is key with cross-departmental collaborations • Hybrid librarians must keep up with demand for technical expertise while promoting research skills • Don’t let “seamless” mean “invisible”

21. Acknowledgements • Thanks to the following for their assistance with gathering the statistics used in this presentation: Brad Baxter, Phil Fitzpatrick, Marty Tanner Hughes, Thomas Knowlton and Anna Van Scoyoc • Presented by Caroline Cason, Reference & Instruction Librarian, University of Georgia Libraries, ccason@uga.edu