Month: January 2013

Posted in Teachable Moments, Teaching

Adventures in Teaching Legal Research

Posted on by ashleyahlbrand

Is it odd to walk away from a lecture and feel that it was simultaneously disastrous and highly successful?

Today I gave my last lecture for the year on basic legal research.  The structure of the 40-minute lecture was to spend the first half discussing legal periodicals and the second half reviewing statutory and case law research.  I gave this lecture to two sections of students, back to back.  In the first section, my colleagues (giving the same lecture elsewhere at the school) and I realized that the indexes and databases we were showing were inexplicably inaccessible from our students’ laptops, problematic since they were to use these resources tonight in an assignment due tomorrow!  Disaster #1.  Because it took so long to try and resolve this problem in the first lecture, my review of primary sources was cut abruptly short.  In the second class, I was prepared for the problems with the databases, but my students – quiet in all of my other lectures – unexpectedly asked many questions about legal periodicals, thus again cutting drastically into my review time (I was actually thrilled by the questions!  See below.).  Disaster #2.

So how could I possibly walk away from these lectures with a positive feeling?  To be sure, I am disappointed that I didn’t get to do the review justice; primary source research is critical, and a thorough review would have been very helpful for the students.  And yet I ultimately walked away feeling successful because the first half of the lecture, discussing legal periodicals, went so well.  It’s true – it didn’t really go that well.  After all, the students couldn’t access the databases!  But that was a technical glitch that was quickly resolved after the fact, and on my classroom computer the databases worked fine, so the students still got to see how each operated and the purpose each serves.  Furthermore, I was able to convey the information I wanted them to have thoroughly, clearly, and efficiently.  In fact, watching the clock, I was making really good time on my lectures, were it not for the technical glitches and the curiosity of the students!

I think what I found most thrilling, to be perhaps a little dramatic, was that the students were so inquisitive.  I love that they asked me questions!  It showed that they were paying attention and that they were engaged.  For the most part, these weren’t questions born out of confusion, but curiosity, a yearning to learn a little more.  As an instructor, you always wonder if you’re getting through to the students (especially when they don’t ask you any questions!), and today I walked away from each section knowing that I had at least gotten through to a few students in each class.

To make me feel even better, this is the first time that the students have really taken me up on my suggestion that they come to me with research questions.  After the last lecture, a couple of students came to me with questions about their assignment.  After today’s lecture, students came to me, both with continued database problems (that have now been resolved) and with further questions about the resources I have shown them and how they work.  I even had a student ask if we offer any more lectures on legal research!  He said he really got a lot out of my lectures (what a relief to hear, let me tell you!), but because they were over so quickly, he often felt like he needed something more in-depth that reinforced these principles.  I immediately told him about a few different opportunities we have coming up, and he seemed very interested.  (I’ll admit that he, in particular, made my day today.  He even complimented me on my handouts – seriously, he knows the way to my heart!)

So yes, despite the disasters I encountered, I cannot help but feel that today’s lectures were a success.  I handled a technological crisis well, I seemed to really reach my students, and I finally reached the point that at least some feel comfortable coming to me with questions.  It wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely a good experience.

Posted in Outreach, Social Media

Fun, Useful, or Ridiculous? Perceptions of Social Media Use by Libraries

Posted on by ashleyahlbrand

As you may have noticed from many of my other posts, I truly enjoy research.  Whether because of my job, the courses I have taken, or simply because of my general interest in the subject, much of my recent research has revolved around social media use in various types of libraries.  Two projects I am currently working on have involved surveys of librarians about social media and other emerging technologies, how they are (or are not) used by their libraries, and the librarians’ general perceptions about the use of these technologies by libraries.  What amazes me is the dichotomy of responses I encounter in these surveys, no matter what type of librarian I survey.

Although certainly not all libraries are involved with social media, the profession is no stranger to it either.  Many libraries have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts; some have YouTube channels and GoodReads libraries; others are even branching into Pinterest.  As evidenced by much of the positive feedback in these surveys, many librarians praise social media as another means of connecting with patrons and the community, through avenues many of their patrons already frequent (ex: Facebook Newsfeeds).

Yet for every positive comment I come across in these survey responses, I also find many opposed to libraries’ use of social media.  Often these comments refer to the uselessness of social media generally, not just for libraries.  Some see it as too time-consuming.  Others see it as a separate sphere of existence, that the social sphere and the professional sphere should not overlap.

Clearly, I am a proponent of social media use by libraries.  My favorite aspect is the bridging of formal and informal; I can post library announcements and links to pertinent news articles and research, but I can also post historical pictures of the library, fun and informative infographics I come across, etc.  For instance, here is an image (of my dog) that I made first as a slide for our digital sign and later posted to our Facebook page: relax copy

Like so many proponents of social media use by libraries, I appreciate the ability to reach our patrons where they already spend regular amounts of time.  With the interconnected abilities of various social media outlets (ex: I can pin something on Pinterest and have it automatically post on Twitter and Facebook as well), I can hopefully reach patrons through their social media of choice — some may prefer Facebook over Twitter or vice versa.  Of course, I realize that not all patrons use any social media, and that’s fine – I think it is important to note that our use of social media does not replace any other services of the library; non-social media users can still receive information about the library in other ways, such as email and print announcements.  I’m not sure that I would support replacing social media with any other library service, because I think you risk isolating a significant patron base that does not use social media.

Social media use by libraries is by no means without flaws.  I think you have to know what you’re getting into when you sign up for social media accounts of any kind.  Social media is unlike static web pages; the content is always changing, fluid.  If your library doesn’t have the time to regularly, at least daily, add a new post or tweet, then now is probably not the time to get involved with social media.  As social as it is, it’s still a real responsibility.  That said, I think it can also be an excellent outreach tool and creative outlet for libraries, and I think its use by libraries will only continue to expand and improve.