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February 28, 2008
The Rochester Library Anthropology Study
The University of Rochester library hired an anthropologist to work with their students and staff, to understand exactly what their needs are, and how they go about studying and writing research papers. I love it when my undergrad in anthropology comes into play in my work in libraries! There are a few of us in libraries and the tools and techniques of social and ethnographic anthropology work very well in developing understanding of the social life of information and libraries. This report is exciting and will provide some bedtime reading for me.
Download this for free (99 page PDF):
Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester
edited by Nancy Fried Foster and Susan Gibbons
Association of College and Research Libraries, ALA, Chicago 2007
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Undergraduate Research Project
Faculty Expectations of Student Research
Asking Students about Their Research
Night Owl Librarians: Shifting the Reference Clock
Library Design and Ethnography
Dream Catcher: Capturing Student-Inspired Ideas for the Libraries’ Web site
Photo Surveys: Eliciting More Than You Knew to Ask For
Mapping Diaries, or Where Do They Go All Day?
What an Experience: Library Staff Participation in Ethnographic Research
Then and Now: How Today’s Students Differ
The Mommy Model of Service
Conclusion: Creating Student-Centered Academic Libraries
References
Author bios
You can also purchase it for $28.00 from ALA/ACRL.
This is a lovely contribution for libraryland, again, from the good people at the University of Rochester. Thanks.
Stephen
Posted by stephen at February 28, 2008 11:13 PM
Comments
Karen,
Thank you so much for posting this. I am fascinated by the topic. It was really nice of you to remember my background.
Paul
Posted by: Paul Denning at March 4, 2008 1:51 PM