july07b.indd


Rebecca Starkey and Barbara Kern 

The
class
librarian


Putting a friendly face on library service 

Navigating the extensive world of infor­mation today can be difficult, and it can 
be especially challenging for undergraduate 
students attending large research universi­
ties, such as the University of Chicago (UC). 
While the enrollment of the College of the 
University of Chicago continues to grow each 
year, graduate and professional students still 
comprise approximately two­thirds of our 
student body. As a result, our libraries are 
primarily de­
signed to serve 
and support 
the research 
needs of grad­
uate students 
and faculty. 
The size of our 
collections, as 
well as the or­
ganizational 
structure of 
t h e  l i b r a r y ,  
can quickly 
intimidate new 
undergraduates. Where graduate students and 
faculty may delight at the prospect of brows­
ing through our millions of print volumes, 
many undergraduates feel overwhelmed 
and frustrated by just trying to identify a few 
books for the paper they are writing. 

In order to better serve undergraduates 
within this environment, the UC Library 
formed a committee to focus specifi cally on 
improving the library experience of our college 
students. The group, College Instruction and 
Outreach (CIAO), is composed of reference 
librarians and bibliographers (subject special­
ists) from each of our campus libraries. One of 

The Class Librarian Web site can be found at www.lib.uchicago. 
edu/classlibrarians. 

the key challenges that CIAO faced was how 
to reduce our undergraduates’ library anxiety. 
Even though the library can be challenging 
to navigate, we found that our undergraduate 
students are often reluctant to ask staff for 
assistance. The UC undergraduate curriculum 
does not focus on research for the fi rst few 
years. Consequently, most course­integrated 
instruction occurs in upper­level classes during 
the third and fourth years of college, leaving 

students with 
little formal 
library instruc­
t i o n  w h e n  
t h e y  b e g i n  
to use the li­
brary. There is 
no mandatory 
library orienta­
tion for incom­
ing students. 
S i n c e  t h e s e  
training op­
portunities are 

not required, we 
found that students may fail to make the im­
portant connection that is essential for the suc­
cessful use of a large research library—meeting 
a librarian. How do we help students develop 
a relationship with a librarian early on so that 
they feel comfortable to seek assistance? Our 
solution was the Class Librarians Program.1 

Rebecca Starkey is reference librarian and instruction 
services specialist, e-mail: rstarkey@uchicago.edu, 
and Barbara Kern is codirector, Science Libraries 
Division, bibliographer for astronomy, astrophysics 
and technology, e-mail: bkern@uchicago.edu, at the 
University of Chicago Library 
© 2007 Rebecca Starkey and Barbara Kern 

July/August 2007  429 C&RL News 

mailto:bkern@uchicago.edu
mailto:rstarkey@uchicago.edu
www.lib.uchicago


Program origins 
The Class Librarians Program was established 
in 2002 as a way for librarians to connect with 
undergraduates throughout their years in the 
college. The program was derived from the 
successful graduate and faculty liaison model 
currently in place at the UC Library. 

The library has more than 30 bibliogra­
phers who support the research of faculty and 
graduate students, not only through their col­
lection development responsibilities, but also 
by providing reference 
and instruction services 
in their subject areas. 
New graduate students 
are introduced to their 
bibliographer shortly af­
ter arriving on campus, 
providing them with an 
opportunity to build a 
relationship with their 
librarian that often lasts 
long after the comple­
tion of their PhDs. 

The Class Librar­
ians Program provides 
a similar liaison for 
undergraduates. Each 
undergraduate class is 
assigned a librarian, 
who acts as its contact for the UC Library. 
The class librarian volunteers to serve that 
class for four years, so that students have 
a consistent person whom they can ap­
proach with their questions during their 
years at UC. 

Meet your class librarian 
The class librarians are “introduced” to stu­
dents in a variety of ways. First­year students 
receive a welcome letter from their class 
librarian in an orientation package, which is 
distributed the summer before they arrive on 
campus. Even while still at home, incoming 
students can contact their librarian about 
work­study positions, library instruction ses­
sions, and other concerns. 

Upon arriving on campus, students have 
the opportunity to meet their librarian in 

Contact form for the class librarian of 2008. 

person during workshops and tours that the 
library offers during fall orientation. 

Internet services such as e­mail and Web 
pages are another way to build the relation­
ship between students and their class librar­
ians. The class librarian Web site includes pho­
tos and contact information for each librarian, 
as well as information for their undergraduate 
class. The site is updated regularly to guide 
students to the various library resources and 
services they need at each specific point of 

their education. For 
instance, fi rst­year stu­
dents can locate infor­
mation about course re­
serves, while third year 
students can fi nd infor­
mation about how to 
use electronic resources 
when studying abroad. 
Such customized con­
tent is also used in e­
mails to students. The li­
brarians use a university 
electronic list, which 
allows them to easily 
distribute an e­mail to 
their entire class. About 
once a quarter, e­mails 
are sent to remind stu­

dents about library services or to notify them 
of programs or workshops. The Class Librarian 
for the senior class, for example, may notify 
students that research help is available if they 
are writing a BA paper: 

Hi, have you started thinking about 
your BA paper? Let me know if 
you would like some help locating 
resources, conducting searches (of 
the catalog or a database) or even 
just figuring out where to start your 
research. You can contact me via 
e­mail or by phone—or even just 
drop by! 

In addition to serving as reminders, the e­
mails present students with an easy opportu­
nity to ask a question—all they have to do is hit 

C&RL News July/August 2007  430 



“reply.” As one student wrote, “It’s a blessing 
that you emailed. I’ve been having problems 
with how to come up with a ‘research meth­
odology’ when I begin my research . . .” Most 
e­mail solicitations from the class librarians 
result in several immediate questions from 
students on a variety of topics. 

In cases where the class librarian cannot 
answer a question, he or she will forward 
the message to the appropriate staff member 
or bibliographer. Questions about fi nes, for 
instance, would be brought to the attention 
of the library’s Circulation Department. These 
referrals not only ensure that students receive 
the best service possible, but also broaden 
their understanding of the various library staff 
members who are available to assist them. 

For example, a class librarian who was 
helping a student working on a paper about 
teacher assessment in public schools wrote: 
“We also, however, have a librarian who 
specializes in education. If you would like to 
meet with her, I can help you get an appoint­
ment.” The student was previously unaware 
that the library had subject specialists, and 
as a result of this correspondence, quickly 
requested a research consultation with the 
education bibliographer. 

Reaching beyond the Web 
The class librarians’ outreach is not limited to the 
Internet, however. The program is prominently 
featured each year in our annual College Library 
Guide and advertised on bookmarks that are 
distributed at various undergraduate events. 
Library programs for undergraduates are hosted 
annually by the class librarians, including study 
breaks or exhibition showings in our Special 
Collections Research Center. Additionally, the 
class librarians meet with various college depart­
ments and administrators, such as the career 
resources center and undergraduate advisors, 
to build awareness of the program throughout 
the university. 

Conclusion 
Overall, the response to the Class Librar­
ians Program has been very positive. A June 
2006 survey of graduating college students 

revealed that 89 percent of the respondents 
were aware that they had a class librarian. 
While not all of these students contacted their 
class librarian for research assistance, we be­
lieve the program has been an effective and 
innovative way to introduce students to the 
UC Library and their librarian. In the words 
of one graduating student: “The library and 
the class librarian are awesome.” 

We continue to look for other means for 
reaching students and improving the pro­
gram. In the fall of 2006, we began using 
Facebook accounts and instant messaging to 
communicate with our classes. Our hope is 
that by building these relationships early in 
their college years, our students will continue 
to see their librarians as resources—should 
they continue on to graduate programs or as 
they move into their future careers. 

Note 
1. To learn more about the program, 

visit the University of Chicago Class Li­
brarians online at www.lib.uchicago.edu 
/classlibrarians. 

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July/August 2007  431 C&RL News 

http:www.lib.uchicago.edu