Libraries on Their Minds from Day One:
A New Model for Freshman ServiceLearning Programs
Dr. April Heiselt, Dr. Bob Wolverton, Ms. Susan Hall
ALA Conference
Chicago, IL
July 2009
Once upon a time…
the “Day One” Story
In 2006, MSU President Foglesong established
an agenda to build character and leadership
skills.
 A first-year leadership learning community
concept was proposed by Dr. Tom Carskadon.
 This concept, “Day One,” while developed under
a Student Affairs umbrella, is linked to Academic
Affairs and the local community.

Day One Structure

How the Day One Program Works
– Living-learning environment (Cresswell Hall)
– Leadership Forum Class
– Co-enrolled “Day One” General
Education Class
– Service-Learning component

Definition of Terms
– Pods (Day One Courses) = 24-28 students
– Action Team = 5-7 students
– Action Team Mentor (ATM) = Faculty or Staff Mentor
Service-learning Structure
The
Incredibles
ATM: Joe Jones
Red Hots
Pod A
ATM: Ann Tilman
Smurfettes
ATM: Ann Smith
Bully’s
Bookworms
ATM: Bob Wolverton
Habitat for
Humanity
American Red
Cross
MSU Disability
Services
Starkville
Public Library
Service - learning
Students provide a service that meets the need of
a community partner and is connected to
course objectives.
Service-Learning
Requirements

Student Requirements
–
–
–
–
–
–

10 site visits (minimum)
20 service-learning hours/events
On-line service hour log
Submitted one reflection each week
Action Team Project Proposal & Brief
Action Team Service-Learning Presentation (Showcase)
Action Team Mentor Requirements
– Took attendance at Action Team meetings
– Comment on student reflections
– Verified service hours on student logs
Day One Events
Field Day
Showcase
Stark Annex Project
Background of the Christopher
Randolph Stark and Annie Reynolds
Stark Annex

Recent addition to the
Starkville Public Library

2300 square feet

Staffed by two librarians:
Carolyn Reed and Perian Kerr
Stark Annex Project

Houses genealogy books and materials,
microfilm records, historical and rare books and
primary family documents.
Stark Annex Project
Help needed in processing:





Newspaper obituaries
Local high school newspapers
Local birth, death, and marriage information
from the Starkville Daily News
Genealogy and local history microfilm
Scrapbooks from local schools and community
groups
Stark Annex Project
Three major types of projects:
1) Preservation

Working with obituary notices in newspapers that
had been kept in shoeboxes and donated to the
library.

Scrapbook maintenance – involved inter-leaving
with acid-free paper, copying newspaper entries,
extracting names, and documenting contents.

Photocopying local high school newspapers from
the 1930s to the 1950s.
Stark Annex Project
2) Research

Locating and photocopying historical articles.

Researching academic theses and dissertations held
by the Mississippi State University Libraries which
dealt with individuals, times, or places in Oktibbeha
County.

Abstracting and indexing names and dates in early
high school yearbooks and finding births, marriages,
and deaths with page numbers from local
newspapers.
Stark Annex Project
3) Public relations:

Writing articles for the city newspaper:
– Describing Annex work and how the librarians could assist
patrons with their genealogical and historical research.
– Geared toward young adults that would generate interest in
locating and documenting their own family history.

Creating activities for children ages 8-12 that would help
stimulate their interest in learning about their own
family history.

Creating a display for the Stark Annex.
Day One Action Teams
Bully’s Bookworms (2007)
(6 freshman students)
The SubLime 7 (2008)
(7 freshman students)
Action Team Accomplishments

Hundreds of newspaper obituaries (originally in
shoeboxes) were sorted alphabetically and labeled.

160 Starkville High School newspapers were photocopied
on acid-free paper; 121 were inventoried; 16 had all
names extracted and indexed.

Seven scrapbooks were inventoried and preserved.

County historical research project at the MSU Libraries
was completed. Project involved checking theses and
dissertations about the local area.
Accomplishments, continued

Birth, death, and marriage information was extracted
and indexed from the Starkville Daily News from
1950-1952.

Initial content inventory completed of all genealogy
and local history microfilm.

Names from the 1924 and 1926 Starkville High School
yearbooks were extracted and indexed.

Four high school student historical essays became part
of the Stark Annex collection.
Benefits to the Starkville-Oktibbeha
County Public Library:
Received assistance from tech savvy, hard
working students throughout the semester.
 Excellent progress made in organizing their
collection.

Benefits to the Day One students:
Satisfaction of serving others in the community.
 Helped students develop skills in team building,
time management, and leadership.
 Helped students develop a strong work ethic.

Children’s
Services
at the
Starkville
Public
Library
BOOM!
Books On Our Minds

Community partner was
Children’s Services of the
Starkville Public Library

Laura Foxworth, Children’s
Librarian
Weekly Service Tasks
 Shelving
 Publicity, flyers, bulletin boards
 Computer tasks
 Events / story-time preparations
Action Team Meetings:
Covered assigned tasks
outlined in Day One
Guidebook
 Planned for the team
“legacy” project
 Day-long children’s event
at the Starkville Public
Library

Chronicles of Narnia


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Celebration of the series with themed event
Narnia related trivia questions
Prizes, refreshments
Team t-shirts were designed
Narnia costume contest
Movie finale
My weekly
investment…

One lunch hour

Read student work posted to
MyCourses, approved for credit

Tracked student service hours and
approved
Factors in Success
Detailed course notebook, outlining
weekly assignments, events, expectations
 Questions were anticipated / answered
 Rules were known
 Cooperation between academic units
 Flexibility with community partners and
student mentors
 Critical mass of available volunteers

Contact
Information:
Dr. April Heiselt
ah384@mssstate.edu
Dr. Bob Wolverton
bwolverton@library.msstate.edu
Ms. Susan Hall
shall@library.msstate.edu
Day One Information
For more information about the Day One Leadership Program
please see:
http://www.dayone.msstate.edu/