Documents: Presentation (.pdf)

Investigating User Needs and Applying it to Your Planning By Dave Green. Presentation, Academic Library Planning and Revitalization Institute March 25, 2013. Seattle, WA

Documents: Presentation (.pdf)

Dave’s presentation will provide background on the ERIAL project, its challenges, and those findings which are relevant to all academic libraries.  He will highlight the strategic [...]]]> ERIAL Project Coordinator Dave Green will be presenting an Invited Paper session titled “The ERIAL Project: Findings, Ideas and Tools to Advance Your Library” at this year’s ACRL conference in Indianapolis, IN.

Dave’s presentation will provide background on the ERIAL project, its challenges, and those findings which are relevant to all academic libraries.  He will highlight the strategic advantages of doing even a small ethnographic study in your library and why the process can sometimes be more valuable to a library organization than the findings.  Finally, Dave will briefly review the step-by-step guide developed by the ERIAL anthropologists to help you do your own project.

For a full description of ACRL 2013′s Invited Paper sessions including Dave’s, please visit this page

“A well-organized and insightful work that reveals how academic libraries are viewed and utilized … Those interested in keeping pace with the rapidly evolving world of academic libraries will find numerous points of interest to contemplate [...]]]> Here’s what a few reviewers have had to say about the the ERIAL Project book College Libraries and Student Culture:

“A well-organized and insightful work that reveals how academic libraries are viewed and utilized … Those interested in keeping pace with the rapidly evolving world of academic libraries will find numerous points of interest to contemplate in these pages.” 
–Booklist

“Engaging … While readers might be drawn initially to the salient findings described in chapters two through nine, a more lasting effect of this book is perhaps its impact on librarians’ interest in conducting ethnographic studies at their own institutions … Readers will benefit from an extensive bibliography, including a number of studies initiated to understand and improve student researchers’ experiences in their college libraries.”
–Portal

“While this book explores some exciting ideas in academic library services, I especially enjoyed the quotes from the students and faculty interviews that many chapter contributors shared. This thought-provoking book will be of interest to anyone concerned with the future of libraries.”
–Information Today

The book is currently available from ALA editions in both print and electronic formats.

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/06/01/studies-shed-more-light-student-research-skills

The UIC study focuses on the development of information literacy skills throughout students’ college careers, while the IWU/Bucknell University study focuses specifically on evaluating library discover tools from the student’s perspective.

“What Students Don’t Know” – Inside Higher Ed “Study: College students rarely use librarians’ expertise” – USA Today

The findings have struck a chord among educators, librarians, and bloggers and have been picked up by several other prominent media outlets including Boing Boing and Mashable.

“Missing from the Stacks”

The article discusses  ERIAL’s research findings relating to Hispanic students at Northeastern Illinois University .

Date & Time: Thursday, March 31, from 1-2pm Location: Room 201 B/C (complete ACRL schedule)

Full Program [...]]]> NEIU’s David Green and Mary Thill will be presenting ““Ethnography and the Hispanic Student: Using Real Data to Connect with Students” at ACRL 2011 in Philadelphia. The program will be based on experience gained while conducting the ERIAL project at NEIU specifically.

Date & Time: Thursday, March 31, from 1-2pm
Location: Room 201 B/C
(complete ACRL schedule)

Full Program Description:

Librarians who want to support the mission of their university must turn their attention to America’s fastest growing student population: Hispanics. Yet how much do you really know about these students? After participating in a two-year ethnographic study involving 600 participants, two presenters will demonstrate how to create an action plan that supports the academic success of Latino students. Learn how you can use qualitative and quantitative data to connect with Hispanics at your institution

The preconference will take place on March 30, and will address how to plan and execute an ethnographic study at your library.

Full [...]]]>

The ERIAL project will be giving a preconference entitled, “Using Anthropology to Unite with Users: How Hands-on Experiences Can Connect You With Faculty and Students,” at the 2011 ACRL conference in Philadelphia, PA.

The preconference will take place on March 30, and will address how to plan and execute an ethnographic study at your library.

Full details and registration information is available here:  http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/events/national/2011/program/precon5.cfm