1. The librarian and study abroad coordinator collaborated to provide research support for students studying abroad through print and electronic guides and in-person meetings. 2. The library aimed to support student research abroad, provide general travel information, and offer specific country information. 3. Initial feedback from faculty and students was very positive, praising the guides as brilliant and a great resource, but some challenges occurred around meeting with students in person and guides arriving late that will be addressed going forward.

1. e W o rld is The Supporting Our
Th irs: Students as They
Study Abroad
Tammy Ivins
Introduction 2. Provide general information about traveling abroad Results
In the fall of 2011, Francis Marion University’s new Study Abroad Why Support Study Abroad? Enthusiastic feedback from faculty and students
Coordinator and the newest reference librarian began a collaboration. Study abroad is the future:
The goal was to leverage the library’s resources to help students “Colleges increasingly emphasize study abroad as a means I just wanted to say thank you SO
prepare for and feel more confident before going abroad. to create the global citizen... without internationalizing our
campuses, North American colleges and universities are in much for creating this resource for
To support students, the library decided to provide: danger of failing to prepare our graduates for the global This Libguide is BRILLIANT! International Students. I am so excited to go abroad
1. Research support, World” (Cohen, 2010)
2. General information about studying abroad, &
And I couldn’t have done any- . . . but definitely feel more at ease knowing I have
3. Specific country information. But it needs support: thing like it in a million years. this connection to you and the electronic resources
“[F]oreign study students have a myriad of information even though I won’t be at FMU.
Three chosen methods were: needs. Drawing on their own broad understanding of
1. Acquisition of print travel guides, information, librarians can assist.” (White, 2009) - Teaching faculty member - Study abroad student
2. Construction of electronic guides, &
3. In-person meeting with the students. The library’s support is unexpected:
“Notably absent in the study-abroad higher education
literature is mention of the potential role of the home
institution library in supporting the research needs of Respectable amount of traffic to Electronic Research Guides…
study-abroad programs.” (Kutner, 2010) Direct contact with patrons = increased usage
1. Support student research while abroad
3. Offer specific country information
Rolling With the Punches… what went wrong in the first year
Challenge: Quick
Fix: Longterm
Fix:
Missed
the
opportunity
to
Increase
communica:on
with
“Met”
the
students
digitally
meet
with
students
in-­‐ study
abroad
coordinator
next
through
email.
person. year.
Order
new
guides
at
least
3
Print
travel
guides
didn’t
Increased
the
number
of
months
before
students
leave
arrive
in
:me. web
travel
guide
links.
campus.
Conclusions
I consider this program to be an initial success. Qualitative feedback illustrates that students & faculty were very impressed,
while quantitative usage stats were good for a first semester. For the minimal expense of few travel guides, the Rogers Library reached out to
our student patrons, demonstrated our value, and strengthened the campus community.
What’s Next?
• Talk to the students as they get back. • Add a new service: electronic document delivery for Ecuador
program.
• Meet with students before they leave next year.
• Add country guides for Japan & Australia.
Works Consulted
Cohen, S. F., & Burkhardt, A. (2010). Even an Ocean Away: Developing Skype-based Refer- Kutner, L. (2010). Study-Abroad Programs as Information Producers: An Expanding Role for
ence for Students Studying Abroad. Reference Services Review, 38(2), 264-273. Support of Our Students Studying Abroad. Journal of Library Administration, 50,
doi:10.1108/00907321011045025 767-778. doi:10.1080/01930826.2010.488962
Connell, V. (2009). Getting to Know the Neighbors: Library Support for Study Abroad Programs. Kutner, L. (2009). Think Locally, Act Globally: Understanding Home Institution Library Engage-
Library Philosophy and Practice,. ment among Study- Abroad Students. College & Research Libraries, (June), 158-177.
Kendrot, N. J. (2011). Academic Library Support for Study Abroad Students. A Master’s White, A. C., Ye, Y., & Guccione, M. (2009). Study Abroad Students: Designing Library Services
Paper for the M.S. in L.S degree. School of information & Library Science, Uni- to Meet Their Needs Study Abroad Students: Designing Library. Journal of Library
versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved from http://dc.lib.unc.edu/s_ Administration, 49, 187-196. doi:10.1080/0193082080231297
papers/?CISOROOT=/s_papers
PO Box 100547, Florence, South Carolina 29502
www.fmarion.edu FRANCIS MARION UNIVERSITY Tammy Ivins
tivins@fmarion.edu • 843-661-4677