Students Share Library Experiences
Union Institute & University together with the American Library Association (ALA) is celebrating National Library Week, April 9-15, 2017. This year’s theme is “Libraries Transform.”
In recognition of this celebration, we asked students to share their library experiences by answering two questions “How does the library impact your research?” and “How do the librarians help you?” Read below to find out how the library staff is transforming the educational journey for these UI&U students.
My experience with the Librarians has been wonderful. They have assisted me in finding articles I have needed. They have helped an entire class I am currently taking now, with great pointers on how to complete our oral/slide presentations and different websites to use such as emaze, and letting us know what material is allowed with “Can I use this picture?” They even joined our class in the forum section and would answer any questions we had for them about the completion of our project. Our school’s librarians are a great asset to have because they can help you with so much. They really take the time to help the students get the information needed. – Karen Sheffer, Bachelor of Science student with a major in Maternal Child Health in Human Lactation
The librarians are really kind and have helped me find great materials. Phone conversations or emails where we talk back and forth have been a great help. Those interactions help me come up with other search terms that yield diverse results in my quest for more materials.
I also frequently use the interlibrary loan function. They have found all kinds of journals and other sources for me. I haven’t put in a request yet that they haven’t been able to find.
– Candice Drave, Master of Arts student with a major in History & Culture
The online library at Union Institute and University is a great tool to have available! I have used the library countless times for research through OneSearch and Google Scholar, always confident that I will find what I need. The citation tool and help center have been invaluable as I’ve learned proper ways to cite the articles I’ve found. I’m so thankful the library is accessible 24 hours a day, because I’ve done most of my research late at night after everyone else in my house is asleep!
The librarians at Union Institute and University are wonderful to work with! From demonstrating what the library had to offer at the beginning of the semester, to assisting me with research at the end of the semester, they have offered great personal service. Tina taught me how to be efficient when finding articles for my research topic on numerous occasions, always giving great suggestions and answering any questions I had. Klara has been a great resource for items I needed through interlibrary loan and even followed up with suggestions when she could not locate an online copy of a book I requested. The librarians are always quick to respond, cheerful, and eager to help however they can!
– Becky Franzen, Master of Arts student with a major in Health & Wellness.
The UI&U Library is fundamental to my success. I had the great fortune to get my master’s degree from UI&U and now I am a doctoral student. The librarians have helped me in countless ways, from thinking about how and where to look for materials to helping me to find obscure items; they have been there for me
This semester alone, Klara has been invaluable. She helped me to locate congressional hearing records and to navigate the acquisition process, minimizing frustration all around. Many times I have felt that I should know how to find this or that, Klara would gently remind me that her role is to support our research. The UIU staff is simply awesome, helpful and knowledgeable.
– Michael Washington, Ph.D. student with a major in Ethical & Creative Leadership.
The UIU library has a deep impact on my research. The journal collections, databases, and printed and electronic book access enable me to gather resources from the multiple disciplines involved in my research. The variety of electronic sources enables me to engage research anywhere I happen to be, and ILL does a wonderful job in getting me print and hard-to-find sources that have become integral to the process.
Our librarians are amazing. They have found articles, books, and other artifacts that I have needed throughout my time at Union. They provide advice in locating materials that they either cannot find or access, even to the point of helping locate libraries in my area that have the resource I am searching for. They communicate with me throughout the process to let me know when, where, and how they have found a resource, offering multiple formats of delivery when available. There have even been times when they caught a source that didn’t fit with the general trends of what I had been searching for recently, and they reached out to make sure that I was aware of the difference! – Greta Enriquez, Ph.D. student with a major in Humanities & Culture
The librarians have been an amazing support for me as I conduct research in education policy and social change. One amazing example was a librarian who found a resource for me in my public library, so rather than waiting for a book through inter-library loan, I was able to walk down the street. – Jennifer Kramer-Wine, Ph.D. student with a major in Public Policy & Social Change