An Exploratory Study

1
An Exploratory Study
Librarians Understanding of First Generation
Students Concerns and Needs
Karina Miki Douglas, MLIS 2007 The University of
Western Ontario
2
Acknowledgements

• I would also like to thank Dr. Anabel
  Quan-Haase, Faculty of Information and Medias
  Studies and Dr. Ron Hansen, Faculty of Education
  at the University of Western Ontario for
  co-supervising this research project.

3
Question

• What does first generation student imply to you?

4
ERIC Thesaurus Definition
Students who are the first in their families to
attend an institution of higher education - more
strictly refers to students whose parents have
attained education at or below the high school
level.
Note The Controlled Vocabulary Term is First
Generation College Students.
5
Some Characteristics

• Around 1/3rd of all students
• Lower income backgrounds
• Often older than 18-23

6
Some Characteristics

• Part-time Enrolment
• Commute to School, rather than live in residence

7
Some Characteristics

• More likely belong to a visible minority
• More likely to have experienced racial
  discrimination
• (Terenzini et al., 1996 Grayson, 1997
  Tyckoson, 2000 Choy, 2001)

8
Not Just Undergraduates

• First generation status still poses challenges
  for students at the graduate-level
• An even smaller minority carry on to graduate
  studies

9
Keep in Mind

• These are just a few common tendencies, far
  from serving as a template applicable to all
  first generation students

10
Identity as a Group

• The defining characteristic of being first is
  intrinsic
• First generation students are a hidden minority

11
Challenges

• Research shows that being the first member of
  a family to go to university is the hardest
  barrier to break.
• The Times (UK) University Squeeze on Children of
  Graduates, March 16, 2007

12
Academic Challenges

• Did not prepare enough in high school
• Other commitments besides class
• Time management
• May feel intimidated
• Drop in grades risk for academic probation
• Do not know where to get help

13
Assimilation Challenges

• Socio-economic differences
• Cannot fall back on familial experience
• Limited/Conflicted support from home
• Expectations and pre-conceived notion versus
  reality of higher education
• Age and experiential differences in the
  lifecourse

14
First generation students have a much higher risk
for attrition than their continuing generation
peers.
Consequently
15
Influences on Education

• The strongest influences on a childs educational
  aspirations include
• Parents level of education attained
• Parents attitudes towards higher education
• HRDC (2004), Aspirations of
• Canadian Youth for Higher
• Education

16
Hope for Success
17
Making Gains

• Academic success relates to better assimilation

18
Making Gains

• Using the school library on a regular basis led
  to more academic gains
• (Eg Terenzini et al, 1996 Grayson, 1997 Pike
  Kuh, 2005)

19
Library Experiences

• Most literature available comes from Educational
  Studies
• Behaviours defining library experiences convey
  a document-based view of the academic library

20
Library Experiences

• A quiet place to read/study
• Browsing
• Asking for help
• Reading extra materials for class
• Using an index/database
• Developing a bibliography
• Reading a cited reference
• Pike Kuh (2005)

21
Basis of the Present Study
Library service for the first-generation college
student. David A. Tyckoson HEAD OF PUBLIC
SERVICES, HENRY MADDEN LIBRARY AT CALIFORNIA
STATE UNIVERSITY, FRESNO.
22
Present Study Perspective

• This study explored the perspective of library
  staff, who work directly with all students

23
Participants

• Main criterion working one-on-one with students
• Four subject librarians and one library
  technician took part
• 2 Males, 3 Females

24
Interview Questions

• 16 questions on three themes
• Librarianship
• Educational Background
• First Generation Familiarity

25
Objectives

• Determine participants understanding of first
  generation students as a unique user group
• Learn what the library has/offers to help these
  students in their work

26
Professional Experience

• All participants had worked in other library
  settings
• Experience in the academic library ranged from 7
  months to 24.5 years.

27
Participants Education

• Education ranged from a 3-year Bachelors Degree
  with a postgraduate diploma to a Doctorate

28
Familial Education

• The 4 librarians had at least one parent with a
  university education
• 1 librarian's mother had been an off-campus
  student
• The library technician was a
• first generation student

29
First-Generation Familiarity

• The actual term first generation students could
  imply more than one meaning

30
Estimated Demographics

• Estimates reflected geographic locations of
  schools and knowledge of current social trends in
  higher education pursuits

31
Estimated Demographics

• Geography was also implied in Familial
  social-economic status and occupational
  background
• local industry base
• rural versus urban settings
• inner city versus suburban accessibility and
  resources

32
Perceived Challenges

• Lack of familial support (i.e. experience)
• Separation by distance
• Uncertainty about academic expectations

33
Perceived Challenges

• Anxiety, fear of the unknown
• Seek guidance outside the family
• Financing the education

34
In the Library...

• Technology played a major role in library
  services and instruction
• Access to equipment for students without their
  own
• Using materials from online sources creates a
  greater need for instruction

35
Bridging a gap?

• Technology may actually place first generation
  students on similar footing
• High schools have similar equipment
• Older students may have used same technology
  at work

36
Recollections of the Library

• The library technician recalled the academic
  library seemed alien, compared to the public
  library
• Size of library
• Did not know where to go
• for help

37
Recollections of the Library

• The librarian whose mother was educated
  off-campus found the adjustment a little easier
• Had worked in a public library
• Experience as a staff member may have helped

38
Services and Outreach Today

• Two of the librarians work with students in their
  study environment
• Sessions held in first-year residences
• Working with recent medical graduates on-site

39
Services and Outreach Today

• Remote access, and availability during off peak
  times
• Phone or email reference desk
• Instant messaging (popular, but limited subject
  speciality)

40
Getting Noticed...

• All 5 participants admitted they had been
  self-reliant in the library as undergraduates
• One had even skipped the instruction session
  days in class

41
Getting Noticed...

• Participation in creative ways to let the
  university community know what they have to offer
• The fall orientation period is a major time to be
  involved

42
Other Suggestions to Help...

• Ideally, the library would be involved with other
  campus services, and collaborate with
  departments...
• Targeting initiatives for specific groups is
  useful

43
Discussion

• Location was another underlying theme in the
  interviews
• The 4 subject librarians represented the 2
  largest libraries (out of 6)

44
Discussion

• The Library Technician worked in a subject
  library, but actually apart from the main system
• Communications on services between the main
  system and outlying libraries is limited

45
Discussion

• Service availability also varied by library
• E.g. Instant messaging only for science/medicine
• The subject-specific library was on a separate
  LAN, which required students to be on-site

46
Conclusion

• The participants interviewed recognise challenges
  facing first generation students
• Many services and outreach (especially in the
  first year) can help these students adjust

47
And Finally...

• Whatever the means to improve chances of a first
  generation student succeeding, the experiential
  benefits go beyond the time spent in school

48
And Finally...

• As one participant noted, her experience as a
  student has been passed along to her children,
  such that they now have an idea of what to expect
  in their higher education endeavours