Mark your calendars now for the VLA College & Research Libraries (VLACRL) section’s spring program Monday, May 19, at Sweet Briar College. Susan Gibbons will present on the groundbreaking anthropological work conducted at the University of Rochester in an attempt to answer a question we have all pondered: “What do students really do when they write their research papers?”
The project helped the River Campus Libraries at Rochester implement changes in three major areas: reference outreach, facilities, and Web services. You can read about their experiences in the 2007 ACRL publication, Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester, co-edited by Gibbons, the libraries’ associate dean of public services and collection development. You may download a PDF copy of the book for free at http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlpubs/downloadables/downloads.cfm.
Look for program registration to open in March, with estimated registration fees in the range of $25 for VLACRL members (you qualify for the member rate if you are a member of ACRL or a member of VLA) and $35 for non-members.
We’re also looking for potential afternoon speakers from the state that could talk about ways in which your library has reached out (beyond the traditional survey), listened to your community, and then used that feedback to improve your library. If you or somebody you know can speak about a creative method in which you have learned more about your user population, we want to hear from you!
Please contact Luke Vilelle (lvilelle@hollins.edu; 540-362-6592) with any questions or suggestions.