Author: Dr. Beth Caldarello, Library Director
Working in a college library is the best place to be, without a doubt. Every day when I come to work, I realize that I do not ever really know what will happen. No day is the same, and that is what makes it an exciting place to be. The students, faculty, and staff needs that we try to solve each day, can range from proctoring a test, finding a remote research article that the student knows they read, but cannot remember the title, ordering that perfect fiction book for one of our students who is an avid reader, helping with an assignment that is due is one hour, planning an event that will bring people into the library to see what we have to offer them, manning our very busy Text a Librarian service AND that may be just what we accomplished in a morning! Our librarians are here to make your life easier by explaining things in a way that makes sense to you specifically, finding answers to your questions, and always welcoming you.
Libraries and librarians’ roles continue to evolve with the needs of our patrons. Technology tools are an exceptionally large part of what we need to know, but also how to teach students how to use those tools. Our electronic library databases, which are chosen to complement the needs of our students, cover many topics and are specifically chosen to ensure that reputable information is always available and easy to access, both on campus and online. Another example of technology at its finest is the sheer volume of eBooks that have to offer and are ready instantaneously…over 250,000. So, imagine you are starting to write a research paper, and you have all these amazing ways to access information, but where do you begin? That is our job to make sure you can do just that.
Artificial Intelligence has made our interactions with our students even more interesting…how do you use AI, and where did the information within AI originate? Do you know the information you are using from AI? With the increasing amount of information readily available, which can be overwhelming, our goal is that each student who uses the library and its tools will learn how to evaluate an article, listen to the news, read a newsfeed, and verify its validity. We teach students different methods or checklists to remember as they are reading and researching articles. For instance, who is the author? When was it written or updated? Is the source dependable? Can you verify this information from other sources? Who is the author and what are their credentials? How does the URL address end? (.edu, .gov, .com, .org). Finally, what is the author’s or publisher’s motivation to author this article? Why is this an important process to remember?
Students need to know how to decide if what they are reading is true or false, and why. And if they share that information, then they are now one of the sources of that information. Evaluate before you share Library!
Photo: Dr. Beth Caldarello