Drexel University, Drawing on Yale Example, Implements Personal Librarian Program
By Norman Oder Sep 15, 2010Drexel University, Philadelphia, has joined the small but growing group of libraries that are assigning incoming students a "personal librarian" to provide guidance and a direct link to the library.
The Personal Librarian Program, Dean of Libraries Danuta A. Nitecki, told LJ, was inspired by her experience at Yale University Library, where she was Associate University Librarian until this past January.
"We started a program in our Medical Library and then about two years ago for all incoming undergraduates," she said. "I was first made aware of the idea from a staff member and a candidate interviewing with us from the University of Chicago Library where it had been implemented earlier."
At Drexel, more than 20 librarians will each be responsible for a group of at least 100 students. The role is introductory; once students "become more involved with their academic research," their primary contact is expected to be a subject specialist or a librarian with added expertise in a specific discipline.
The Yale example
Yale's Personal Librarian Program works with students through their freshman and sophomore years, or until they declare a major, at which point they will be handed over to a subject specialist:
Your PL serves as a single point of contact for the Library - a resource person for all of your research needs. He or she will contact you occasionally throughout the year to let you know about new databases and tools, upcoming tours of collections, or research methods strategies. You are also encouraged to contact your PL with any questions you have about your research or the Library.
The web site explains what a Personal Librarian can do (highlight new resources, answer questions about library policies, etc.) and not (set up your computer, do your research).
This report on a conference presentation explains that the average librarian spent just 3.86 hours answering questions, with 11.75 reference questions per librarian and nearly all students saying they appreciated the monthly emails as the "just right" amount of communication.
Workload questions
At Drexel, Nitecki said it was hard to estimate the amount of time each librarian would spend, but it's not expected to be burdensome.
"We anticipate mostly online contact via email and chat," she added. "For starters, we offer a token flashlight for any students that come to the library with a business card we inserted in their letter notifying them of their Personal Librarian."
She said the announcement has already generated not only good press coverage but also interest among library colleagues-"another institution in town thought it was a great idea and will do it themselves next year."
Other programs
The American Library Association's Advocacy page cites The University of Richmond's Introducing the Library program-one library for every 70 first-year students-as a good example of outreach.
The University of Chicago offers Class Librarians, one per each incoming class. In the July/August 2007 issue of C&RL News, two librarians explained how the program, established in 2002, helps introduce a library geared to graduate and professional students can be made accessible to undergraduates. In 2006, they began using Facebook accounts and instant messaging for communication.
In the June 2010 issue of AALL Spectrum, the publication of the American Association of Law Libraries, Yale Law School Librarian John B. Nann describes how, in the mid-1990s, librarians at Yale Medical School's Cushing/Whitney Medical Library developed a personal librarian program. It has since been adopted by several other medical libraries, as well as by the Yale University Library and the Yale Divinity School.
His argument: law librarians and many others should do similarly.
