Library assists first-year students
First-Year Experience Librarian Jamie Goodfellow’s goal is to provide help to first-year students at the Trafalgar campus’ library and learning centre.
STORY AND PHOTO BY CATARINA MUIA
When it comes to doing college research, 21st-century college students typically bypass libraries and head straight for the Internet to find facts.
After all, poring over stacks of books is something their parents or grandparents did.
But according to Jamie Goodfellow, nothing could be further from the truth.
Goodfellow, who was previously a liaison librarian at Western University, started her job as a First-Year Experience Librarian on July 1, and officially began to help students at the beginning of this term.
There are librarians who help with specific departments of the library, whereas Goodfellow’s role is, “basically covering the entire spectrum of all of the disciplines, but just in terms of reaching out to, and supporting first-year students.”
Goodfellow teaches general research skills, orientation to the library and learning centre, and academic integrity and plagiarism.
“Typically, we find that students aren’t aware of what the library and learning centre can do in terms of resources and services until later on into their terms,” said Goodfellow.
She explained that they hear students in their third year often say: “‘Oh wow, I wish I knew about this service when I was in my first year, that would have helped so much,’” after visiting the library for the first time.
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Her goals are to just support and promote the library to students and teach them about what they can do to make researching and learning easier.
Goodfellow is not alone though. She works with a team that is spread throughout all three campuses in order to provide as much assistance as possible.
So far, the feedback received from students has been positive, but the library is still looking for the ways to enhance the service.
“Based on what students are saying, we’re making improvements,” said Marian Traynor, the library services manager at Davis and Hazel McCallion Campuses.
“Another big thing for us, is we want to make sure, as much as we can, that we get involved with as many programs as possible so that we’re embedded in the courses,” said Traynor.
The library is still looking to promote this new service and is holding studying events each term so students can work with Goodfellow and the first-year team and get comfortable with using the library and learning centre.
