The Hybrid Librarian in
the Student Learning
Center
Caroline Cason
University of Georgia Libraries
UGA Libraries
 Comprised of the Main
library, Science library,
Student Learning Center
and Research Facilities
 3.7 million items in the
collection
 Access to over 300
electronic databases and
indexes through GALILEO
 Access to over 30
thousand full text journals
and newspapers
Student Learning Center
 “One Stop Shop” with
classrooms, library research
sources and technology
 Partnership effort between
OISD, EITS and University
Libraries
 Extremely successful and
welcomed on campus by
students and faculty, alike
 High traffic: 15,395 entries
into the building on April 28,
2004
Reference Desk at the SLC




Electronic Library consists of
all electronic research
sources with a small, noncirculating print collection
Four reference/info desks
3 Desks staffed by student
consultants and 1 desk
staffed by both a librarian
and student consultants
Student Consultants
managed by EITS.
Administratively separate
from the Libraries.
The Electronic Library
 Combined computer lab and library
space -- a trend in “Information
Commons” but at the SLC we are in
an almost exclusively electronic
library environment
 Staffing ensures professional library
research assistance is available but
do the students know we are there?
Survey Says …
 Spring 2004 online and paper survey of
nearly 1000 users of the SLC
 2 focus groups conducted with undergrad
and graduate students
 Asked what they use in the SLC
Visits by Status
973 Visits
28%
Freshmen
Sophomores
20%
Juniors
24%
Seniors
Grad Students
Faculty Members
20%
1%
0%
0%
7%
Staff Members
Visitors
Survey Results
selected statistics
Students Researching & Writing
Papers in the SLC
80%
GIL
60%
GALILEO
40%
Web
20%
0%
WebCT
18% 22.50% 72% 67%
Technology Use by Students Studying
in a Group or Individually
Note: Will not total 100% as
respondents could choose
multiple sources
40%
Softw are
20%
Graphics/Scanner
0%
Wireless
31% 7.50% 10%
Focus Group Results
 Focus groups – consisted of 2 groups of 7-8 grads and
undergrads
 Know there are librarians in the SLC but not where
 Understood that electronic resources were available
but still visited the Main and Science libraries for print
 Use the SLC as a study space and to work on group
projects
 One student referred to librarians as “research
technicians”
 Thought of librarians as being helpful and “would
prefer to ask a librarian” for assistance to save time
 Said the SLC become an essential part of their
academic lives: “I realized after it opened that it was
absolutely necessary.”
Library Resource Use
GALILEO
 Slight increase in SLC
from Fall 2003 to
Spring 2004
 Still very low compared
to Main and Science
Libraries
 Statistics count number
of times someone
accessed GALILEO from
the SLC versus
Main/Science Libraries
GALILEO Use
50000
47299
40233
40000
30000
20000
SLC
13873
15106
10000
0
Fall 2003
Spring 2004
Main/Sci
Library Resource Use

GIL -- The stats count GIL
“requests” from users in the
UGA Libraries. Requests
include:
 each search, each click to
look at a record, each
request to view a patron
record, etc.
 TOTAL REQUESTS
 Fall 2003
 SLC 85,044
 Main & Science
1,194,447
 Spring 2004
 SLC 91,207
 Main & Science
1,020,682
GIL Use Fall 2003
400000
300000
SLC
200000
Main / Science
100000
0
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
GIL Use Spring 2004
400000
300000
SLC
200000
Main / Science
100000
0
Jan
Feb
March April
May
At the Desk – Fall 2003
 SLC: 12,720 total questions
 5% In-depth or Ready Reference
 35% Directional
 60% Software, Graphics Machines, Printer or
Machine Maintenance, Wireless
 Note that we had some significant technical
problems this semester leading to lots of questions
about the printers
 Science: 10,073 total questions
 62% In-depth or Ready Reference
 17% Directional
 21% Software help, Printer or Machine
Maintenance
At the Desk – Spring 2004
 SLC: 9,561 total questions
 6% In-depth or Ready Reference
 53% Directional
 41% Software, Graphics Machines, Printer,
Machine Maintenance, Wireless
 Science: 8,331 total questions
 68% In-depth or Ready Reference
 13% Directional
 19% Software help, Printer or Machine
Maintenance
The Librarians’ Experience
 Positive outcomes
 “I feel more connected to what is going
on around campus”
 Emphasis on library as process rather
than library as place
 Librarians are fulfilling the “one stop
shop” by answering both reference and
tech questions
 Love the interaction with student staff
The Librarians’ Experience
 Challenges
 Defining roles when responsibilities
overlap
 Creating new policies on the fly
 Maintaining skill level (tech and
reference)
 Frustration with lack of reference
questions
 Communicating the concept of a library
without books
How Has Reference Changed?
 New skills




Broadening our technology skills
Working collaboratively
Closer to faculty
Opportunities to teach in a
technologically advanced environment
 Loss of “traditional” skills?
 Very little print
 Lack of demand for reference work
New Techniques




“Retail Style” Reference
Chat Reference
In-depth Reference
Collaboration with teaching faculty in the SLC
 Encourage addition of research assignments
 Participate with OISD in Faculty Orientations and
Forums
 Tours/Orientations/Indoctrinations!
 Becoming more involved in the first year
experience to relay the message that the SLC is a
library from the start
New Tactics
 Combat loss of skills by maintaining
reference shifts at the Main and Science
Libraries
 Build identity of SLC Reference desk by being
both places
 Continue public relations efforts
 Explore ways to emphasize the traditional
library within this new environment
 More prominent signage
 New Reading Room collection
 Increased teaching load/reference
conferences
The Teaching Mission
 Librarians from the SLC have increased
their teaching load over the past year
Number of Participants
July 2003 - May 2004
Number of BIs / Tours
July 2003 - May 2004
211
229
2029
SLC
SLC
Main
Main
Science
137
4565
2447
Science
Teaching in the SLC
 Classes are usually
taught in our
Advanced Learning
Labs
 One academic
credit class taught
twice weekly in the
SLC
 Can make “house
calls” to any class
taught in the SLC
The Future?
 Popularity of the SLC indicates that
students like the one-stop-shop
concept
 Communication is key with crossdepartmental collaborations
 Hybrid librarians must keep up with
demand for technical expertise while
promoting research skills
 Don’t let “seamless” mean “invisible”
Acknowledgements
 Thanks to the following for their assistance
with gathering the statistics used in this
presentation: Brad Baxter, Phil Fitzpatrick,
Marty Tanner Hughes, Thomas Knowlton
and Anna Van Scoyoc
 Presented by Caroline Cason, Reference &
Instruction Librarian, University of Georgia
Libraries, ccason@uga.edu