Value and impact of librarians’ interventions on student skills development (Library Impact and Value For Education and Skills: LIVES) Project: Phase 1 report

Shreeve, Susan; Chelin, Jacqueline; Delaney, Emma; Hamley, Julie; Plaice, Caroline

Abstract

This study became known as the LIVES (Library Impact and Value for Education and Skills) Project. The aim of this study was to discover the perceived impact and to identify the value of four library interventions within the curriculum in developing information skills at the University of the West of England:
• Faculty of Environment and Technology “Library Online Workbook”
• Faculty of Business and Law “Building Legal Information Skills” activity
• Faculty of Business and Law Criminal Law library teaching
• Faculty of Health and Life Sciences “Problem-based Learning” library intervention
The value of the perceived impact will then be defined and promoted and the information gathered will be used, not only to influence UWE policy and practice, but to contribute case studies (“stories”) to other projects and to outline best practice that can be shared more widely.
Participants and Data Collection:
Faculty staff and librarian interviews and student focus groups were used to:
• gather evidence regarding the perceived impact of these interventions in terms of altered student behaviour, competence, level of knowledge or attitude
• gather feedback to identify possible enhancements to the library interventions
• investigate the drivers and barriers to faculty staff embedding library teaching within their modules with a view to recommending future processes and effective strategies to build on partnerships with faculty staff.
Literature was reviewed to support the research and to illuminate findings.
Findings showed that:
• Both the faculty staff and the students interviewed were largely positive regarding the structure, content and administration of the four library interventions, including the methodologies used and the impact of the librarians on the success of the session. Some constructive criticism was also received.
• The overwhelming majority of comments relating to the perceived impact of the library interventions (84%) were positive and none was negative, with a perceived increase in confidence in searching for information forming one fifth of the positive perceived impact comments. Altered searching behaviour, improved searching competence, development of new skills and altered attitude towards librarians was also reported.
• Where the skills learnt during the library intervention were assessed, there was general agreement that this motivated students to engage, particularly when marks were awarded.
• Presenting the information literacy instruction within a disciplinary context and using examples relevant to the students was seen as a key motivating factor to student engagement with the library intervention, as was including a practical element so that students could try out their newly learnt skills in a supportive environment.
• The librarian/faculty staff relationship and a desire to improve student engagement with library information skills teaching were key factors in driving the embedding and assessment of library interventions. There are several successful strategies and processes at UWE that encourage the development of the librarian/faculty staff relationship including librarian attendance at faculty meetings, a “Librarians on Tour” initiative and the introduction of library “Welcome” emails for new staff, promoting the help available through the library and inviting them to meet with the library team.

• Report Type: Project Report
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 7, 2019
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: impact, value, library, librarian, information literacy, teaching, student skills
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/929677
• Related Public URLs: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/23213/
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This Project Report has been followed up with a journal article "Value and Impact of Librarians’ Interventions on Student Skills Development" in the New Review of Academic Librarianship. Information about this article is available at http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/23213/