Research Guides: Library Resources for Faculty: Your Students and the Library

Your Students and the Library

Most of your students are eager to learn and to impress you. They will tell you what they think you want to hear. If you ask students if they feel comfortable doing research or using the Library, they will tell you that they are. Be skeptical. Through no fault of their own, students are often unaware of the array of tools and services we offer them.
Most students rely on the research skills they learned in high school, which is based heavily on using Google to locate information and resources.
First-year students in University Seminar and transfer students enrolled in Transfer Seminar receive a 50-minute introduction to the BVU Library during their first semester on campus.
Students will need to be reminded about your expectations and the library tools and staff that will help them meet those expectations repeatedly. Feel free to refer students to us for assistance.
Be prepared to talk about plagiarism, the use of artificial intelligence, properly citing sources, how to recognize authoritative sources, how to read scholarly journal articles in your field, and how to do research. A librarian would be happy to suggest ways to help your students feel more informed in any of these areas.
Students often have difficulty determining if a source is authoritative or scholarly, primary or secondary. Most have never read a peer-reviewed article before arriving in your class.
Be explicit about your expectations in regards to number and type of sources used.
Help your students by setting up intermediate deadlines throughout their research process so that they are less inclined to procrastinate.
If you can make the time, offer feedback throughout the paper-writing process. It is a valuable tool for students and improves the quality of the final product.
Refer students to the writing tutors at the CAE (located inside the Library). Online students should use the Pear Deck Tutor Writing Tutor which is accessed through Canvas.
Be SEEN in the Library. Reserve a group study and have office hours or conferences with students in the Library. Use the Library as your phone-free and email-free zone to get things done outside of your office.