Subtitle: Peer Reference in the Residence Halls Presenters: Holly Flynn, Ben Oberdick Presented At: First Year Experience, Cleveland, OH Date: April 7, 2014

1. Providing Research Help
Where Students Live:
Peer Reference in the Residence Halls
Holly Flynn, Outreach Librarian
Ben Oberdick, Info. Literacy Librarian
Michigan State University

2. Michigan State University
• 37,988 undergraduate students
• Largest single-campus residence hall system in the US
• 27 residence halls grouped into 5 “neighborhoods”
Michigan State University Libraries
• ~6 million volumes
• 76 librarians

3. University Initiative – Bolder By Design
Framework of 6 imperatives that commit us to delivering distinctive,
high-value impact and experiences in everything we do:
 ENHANCE THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE by expanding
opportunities for where, when, and how students learn and
increasing the value of an MSU degree.
 ENRICH COMMUNITY, ECONOMIC, AND FAMILY LIFE through
research, outreach, engagement, entrepreneurship, innovation,
diversity, and inclusiveness.

4. MSU “Neighborhoods”
A neighborhood is a cluster of adjacent residence
halls where:
 Students from different backgrounds and different
academic interests live
 There are on-site resources to promote healthy living
 There is an “engagement center” to support
academic success
 There are peers, grad students, and professional staff
to answer students’ questions
 There are expanded opportunities for student
leadership

5. MSU “Neighborhoods”

6. Neighborhood Engagement Centers

7. Library Services: Fall 2011-Spring 2012
 Drop-in Reference services offered in 3
Engagement Centers
 18 librarians used iPad and large sign
 Sat in Writing Center or other high traffic area
Results: 32 questions in 16 weeks

8. Fall 2012-Spring 2013: Appointment System
 Librarians only visit Engagement Centers when
student makes an appointment
 Very few appointments and reference questions

9. Fall 2013-present: Peer Research Program
 Students provide basic reference and research
assistance in 4 Engagement Centers
 Soft rollout during last 5 weeks of Fall semester
 Provided service Sun. to Wed. from 6:00-9:00pm
 No advertising/promotion
So, why students?

10. What does WITP mean?
A. What’s the problem?
B. Walk in the park.
C. What’s the point?
D. War in the Pacific.

11. Peer (assisted) Learning
“There is no aspect of the collegiate experience...that cannot benefit
from the involvement of a peer who explains, in language often more
accessible, a difficult concept. A peer can talk with students about
relationship violence, parking tickets, study skills, self-advocacy,
library resources, and motivating a resistant student organization,
in ways even the most knowledgeable professionals cannot.”
--Lee Williams, as quoted in:
Bodemer, B. B. (2014). They can and they should: Undergraduates providing
peer reference and instruction. College & Research Libraries, 75(2), 162-178.

12. Benefits
 Differential between helper and helped is small
 Understand each other
 Can serve as role model, teacher, encourager,
and counselor in a way adult may not
 Approachability
 Speak the same language
 Library anxiety

13. How It Began
 Idea proposed by Head of Reference
 Asked to manage project as part of Secondary
Assignment in Reference
 Began designing training program
 Met with Outreach Librarian
 Met with Engagement Center Directors

14. Hiring
 Began identifying potential student employees
right away
 Targeted students currently working for Libraries
 Asked student supervisors for student worker
recommendations
 Diplomacy rules

15. Expectations
Provide basic reference and research assistance
to students on drop-in basis through:
 Library Catalog
 ProQuest
 Pointing to other resources (specialized databases)
 Making referrals to:
• Subject Specialist Librarians
• Other Reference Services (Reference Desk, 24/7 Chat…)

16. Peer Research Assistant (PRA) Training
 Held meeting before program began
 Focused on Reference Interview, using the Library
Catalog and ProQuest, and making referrals
 Reviewed/shared common FYW assignments
 Policies and procedure (statistics, shift report, etc.)
 Created program guide and LibGuide
(http://libguides.lib.msu.edu/pra) student workers
 Continued training by drop-in and periodic
meetings

17. Statistics
 PRAs used Desk Tracker to log all questions
they received
 Categorize each question as directional or reference
 Provide text of question asked and answer given
 Daily Shift Report (in form of email at end of shift)
 Time worked
 Number of questions asked
 Any observations

18. So, how did the soft rollout go in
the Fall (with zero advertising)?

19. 26 questions in 5 weeks!

20. Fall Schedule (10 of 16 shifts covered)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Brody Katie Katie Courtney
South Adalise
East Maggie Yadira Josh Maggie
River Trail Josh Morgan

21. Fall Questions by Type
Reference Questions Directional Questions Total Questions
Week 1
(11/3-6)
4 3 7
Week 2
(11/10-13)
2 1 3
Week 3
(11/17-20)
4 1 5
Week 4
(11/24-27)
4 2 6
Week 5
(12/1-4)
3 2 5
Totals: 17 9 26

22. Fall Questions by Location
Brody South East River Trail
Week 1
(11/3-6)
3 0 4 0
Week 2
(11/10-13)
1 0 2 0
Week 3
(11/17-20)
3 0 1 1
Week 4
(11/24-27)
1 0 3 2
Week 5
(12/1-4)
2 0 3 0
Totals: 10 0 13 3

23. Peer Research Program: Spring 2014
 Lost 1 student to graduation and hired 4 new
students to fill out schedule
 Provided training for new students
 Started second week of classes
 Provided service at four Engagement Centers,
four nights a week (Sun. to Wed.), from
6:00-9:00pm

24. Spring Schedule (all 16 shifts covered)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Brody Hajr Morgan Hajr Morgan
South Adalis Christine Ashley Athena
East Maggie Athena Yadira Josh
River Trail Christine Josh Josh Courtney

25. Advertising and Promotion for Program
 Info/flyers for email lists
 Bulletin board info. for RAs
 Electronic signs in E.C’s
 New signs for PRAs
 Ask a Librarian page

26. How many questions do you think
we’ve received so far this semester?
A. 30
B. 40
C. 50
D. 75

27. Spring Questions by Type (so far)
Reference Questions Directional Questions Total Questions
Week 1
(1/12-15) 2 1 3
Week 2
(1/19-22) 0 1 1
Week 3
(1/26-29) 0 3 3
Week 4
(2/2-5) 4 6 10
Week 5
(2/9-12) 4 2 6
Week 6
(2/16-19) 6 1 7
Week 7
(2/23-26) 8 1 9
Week 8
(3/9-12) 2 1 3
Week 9
(3/16-19) 4 1 5
Week 10
(3/23-26) 1 2 3
Totals: 31 19 50

28. Spring Questions by Location (so far)
Brody Hall Holden Hall Hubbard Hall McDonel Hall
Week 1
(1/12-15) 0 0 1 2
Week 2
(1/19-22) 0 0 0 1
Week 3
(1/26-29) 0 0 3 0
Week 4
(2/2-5) 0 3 3 4
Week 5
(2/9-12) 0 0 3 3
Week 6
(2/16-19) 1 0 4 2
Week 7
(2/23-26) 1 1 4 3
Week 8
(3/9-12) 0 0 2 1
Week 9
(3/16-19) 1 0 1 3
Week 10
(3/23-26) 0 0 0 3
Totals: 3 4 21 22

29. So, what questions are we
getting?

30. Question Example #1

31. Question Example #2

32. Question Example #3

33. Challenges
 Quantity of people to work with
 Each Engagement Center is different
 Student workers are key
 Advertising and promotion for program
 Language/branding
 Maintaining consistency

34. Future
 Will continue program during Fall 2014
 Will participate in ongoing assessment project
being done in Engagement Centers
 Possible Assessment in Action (AiA) project
through ACRL (with User Experiences Librarian)
 Additional advertising/promotion
 Hiring and training additional student employees

35. Thank you!
Any Questions?
Contact Information:
Holly Flynn – flynnhol@msu.edu
Ben Oberdick – ob1@msu.edu