ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


December 1995/757

Every 
Librarian 
a Leader

Student retention and 
academ ic lib raries

B y  M au rie C aitlin K elly

Librarians must take an active 
role in retention activities

T here is an old African proverb, “It takes a whole village to educate a child.” Apply 
this to a university setting and it becomes, “it 
takes a whole university to educate a student.” 
This statement, which was recently used as the 
basis for an academic task force report on stu­
dent retention at the University o f Illinois at 
Chicago (UIC), sets out the partnership between 
students and the university. It implies that each 
person in the university has a role and a re­
sponsibility in assisting students to reach their 
goals. It is truly why w e are here.

The academic library/librarian's role
In the current atmosphere o f rapidly changing 
technologies, it is increasingly important that 
educators be aware o f the needs and abilities 
o f the student population. It is unrealistic to 
expect a student from a small public school 
system or a large overburdened urban school 
system to have the proper skills for academic 
library research. It is also unrealistic to expect 
the majority o f the student population to be 
academically successful without these skills. The 
academic library in general, and academic li­
brarians in particular, play a pivotal role in the 
education and retention o f students. Often this 
role is overlooked or considered secondary to 
that o f other units and individuals in the uni­
versity system. Evidence o f this perception can 
be seen in the lower salaries o f library faculty 
and the frequent slashing o f library budgets. 
But what exactly is the role that the library and 
librarians play in the lives o f students?

These roles can be as simple as providing a 
quiet place for students to study or meet in 
groups to share ideas and strategies. It is a non­
threatening environment where even the most 
basic question can be asked without embar­
rassment. Resources such as dictionaries, com­
puters, encyclopedias, and printers are readily 
available for use. For librarians, the most satis­
fying and challenging roles are often related to 
teaching students critical thinking skills and 
helping them grasp difficult concepts through 
work at a public service desk. But these func­
tions are stationary. Students come to the li­
brary seeking help. Shouldn’t the library, and 
more importantly the librarians, be part o f a 
student’s experience at a university from the 
first day? Most academic libraries offer biblio­
graphic instruction sessions or tours upon re­
quest. Librarians often participate based on their 
subject specialties or specific abilities or inter­
ests. But how many are able to become in­
volved in areas outside o f the library walls? Has 
there been a direct connection betw een 
campuswide retention activities or the units in­
volved in these activities and the academic li­
brary on campus? Do librarians network with 
academic advisors, counselors, and student af­
fairs personnel to develop a greater understand­
ing o f the student population and their needs?

Student retention is not an issue limited to 
urban universities. There are programs related 
to student retention in universities as diverse 
as the University o f Illinois at Chicago to the 
University o f North Carolina, as well as many 
smaller two-year and four-year liberal arts col­
leges. There are meetings and conferences re­
lated to the freshman experience and student 
retention held regionally, nationally, and inter­
nationally, as well as journals devoted to these

M aurie Caitlin Kelly is an assistant documents librarian/assistant professor in the Documents, Maps, 
Microforms, and Curriculum  Department at the University o f  Illinois at Chicago; e-mail: 
U60005@uicvm.cc.uic.edu. The a uth or would like to thank James J. Kelly, senior associate director, 
Division o f  Undergraduate Studies, Penn State University, f o r  his assistance in preparing this article.

mailto:U60005@uicvm.cc.uic.edu


758/C&RL News

issues. In light o f the attention this issue re­
ceives and o f the staggering impact that new 
technologies have had in the academic envi­
ronment, libraries and librarians must redefine 
their role in student retention to meet the chal­
lenges o f the next century. The two ways in 
which librarians can meet these challenges are
1) to learn more about their students through 
both formal (surveys) and informal (network­
ing with other campus units and individuals 
and reference interviews) data collection, and
2) to get involved— develop programs or par­
ticipate in programs based on the needs o f the 
student population that have been identified 
through data collection and networking.

Gathering data
One o f the most important overall factors in 
student retention is gathering data on the stu­
dent population. This data can be taken from

The Freshman Success Semi
includes segments on time 
management, money mana
writing, and library researc
. . . and [offers] an opportu
students to bond with librar

both formal and informal sources. Formal data 
sources include SAT or ACT scores, admissions 
surveys, and other existing university sources. 
Informal data can be gathered through refer­
ence interviews, networking with other univer­
sity units and staff, and interaction with stu­
dents during tours and instruction sessions. Used 
together, the data gathered through these 
sources can give both the university and the 
librarians an in-depth picture o f the student 
population.

An example o f one o f the most comprehen­
sive formal surveys administered at the univer­
sity level is at Penn State University. Penn State’s 
Division o f Undergraduate Studies (DUS) de­
veloped and distributes the Educational Plan­
ning Survey (EPS) to over 10,000 incoming 
freshmen every year. The information gathered 
in this survey, which ranges from high school 
courses and grades to number o f hours spent 
studying in high school, is used to evaluate stu­
dent needs and abilities throughout their ca­
reers at Penn State. The individual data, which 
are not available for publication, can be used

n

g
h
n

to compile a picture o f each freshman class as 
a whole. Some eye-opening discoveries include: 
freshman students are typically unaware o f the 
amount o f time and effort they will need to 
invest in pursuing a college education; 96-99% 
expect to earn a B average in their first year of 
college, but less than 40% actually do. Students 
also tend to underestimate the time they will 
need to study to maintain a B average. Most 
students assume they will only need to study 
11– 20 hours per week, when in reality they 
will need to study 30-40 hours a week. With 
an instrument as significant as the EPS, one can 
only imagine what could be done if questions 
related to library and research experience and 
skills could be added to the survey. While the 
Penn State survey is one o f the most extensive 
surveys in the country, most universities do 
gather data on their students that can be used 
by libraries to create programs addressing stu­

dent needs. In addition, based 
ar . . . on data taken from admissions 

surveys, outreach programs to 
specific schools or school dis­

ement, tricts could be created.
 skills Informal interactions with students or other university fac­
ity for ulty and staff are also an excel­

ians.
lent source o f data on the stu­
dent population. Reference 
interviews provide librarians 

with information on students’ abilities and 
needs. Often, when many students are work­
ing on a particular assignment, it is possible to 
form a picture o f the class as a whole. Biblio­
graphic instruction sessions and library tours 
offer another opportunity for librarians to learn 
more about students. In addition to providing 
information about library systems and resources, 
the librarians should also take the time to find 
out what library experience the class has had 
(for example, how many students went to a 
high school that had CD-ROMs or an online 
catalog) and what their plans are for the future. 
Asking students about their majors or goals can 
help to develop a relationship between that 
student and the library, as well as demonstrate 
that the library is a caring and involved place. 
Finally, networking with other university de­
partments and staff can help librarians develop 
a better understanding o f the functioning and 
services available in the university system. Who 
and where are the advisors and counselors? 
What are the drop/add periods? These ques­
tions and others like them have answers that



December 1995/759

may help librarians understand 
the university, and possibly help 
students who may be confused 
about where they are headed in 
their college careers.

Getting involved
While it is often hard to juggle 
the varied and time-consuming 
responsibilities that many librar­
ians have, it is imperative that 
academic librarians develop pro­
grams or become involved in 
program s on a cam puswide 
level. At UIC the library has been 
asked to participate in a fresh­
man seminar aimed at reducing 
the attrition rate o f UIC students. Doug Deckert, a student, and Melissa Koenig, a reference 

rk together at the Univ. of Illinois at Chicago.

consider whether or not to make it permanent 
and required.

Conclusion
Libraries, by function, are an integral part o f 
the college experience. More important, it is 
vital that librarians, as representatives o f the 
library, work with other campus units and com­
mittees and participate in campuswide programs 
to promote this ideal. To reach more students, 
librarians should participate in freshman orien­
tation, freshman courses, and introductory semi­
nars. Becoming part o f a campus committee or 
program will not only reflect well on the li­
brary, but will also help broaden the experi­
ences o f the librarians and deepen their under­
standing o f student issues. Outreach programs 
can be developed with academic affairs or ad­
vising units on campus. Promoting the use and 
services o f the library through letters and inter­
actions with faculty and through announce­
ments in student newspapers will also demon­
strate the commitment the library has to the 
student population.

The successful completion o f a degree is 
the goal that every university has for each o f its 
students. As part o f a university community, 
the academic library and the academic librar­
ian are important partners in this process. By 

 understanding the needs and abilities o f stu­
dents, librarians can increase the importance 

 o f their role in the lives o f those students and 
the success o f the university. In doing so, the 
value o f the library, its staff, and its resources 
will only continue to increase.

The Freshman Success Seminar librarian, wo
is one o f the results o f several 
task forces set up by the chancellor to examine 
the causes and possible solutions for UIC’s un­
usually high attrition rate. One o f these task 
forces, the Student Retention Task Force, looked 
at the problems with student retention on many 
levels: the lack o f a central advising unit or 
other centralized units that perform similar func­
tions; the lack o f availability o f core courses; 
and the difficulty in using computing resources 
were some o f the elements examined by the 
committee. It was the committee’s recommen­
dation that a student seminar, a required course, 
be designed. In the discussions that preceded 
the final report it was found that for this semi­
nar to succeed the library must be a significant 
participant.

The Freshman Success Seminar that resulted 
from the work o f the committees was imple­
mented as a pilot program during the fall se­
mester o f 1995. Its goal is to assist entering stu­
dents in the transition from high school to 
university life. The course includes segments 
on time management, money management, 
writing, and library research skills. The library 
research component is expected to be a hands- 
on look at some o f the library systems and an 
opportunity for students to bond with the li­
brarians. The format o f the seminar is based on 
a combination o f ideas. The team putting the 
seminar together looked at books such as The
Master Student, articles, and other active fresh­
man seminar programs and adapted some o f
these ideas. The Freshman Success Seminar will 
go through the pilot stage in 1995. Based on 
the success o f the seminar, the university will