Abstract
Student confusion regarding the use of library jargon on websites, during instruction sessions, and in conversation is nothing new; however, four commonly used terms have recently lost context both inside and outside of the library setting. Coincidently, all four words begin with “RE”: research, reference, resources, and reserves. By asking our students what they believe these “RE” words mean, we were able to get a clearer indication of their perceptions and specific information needs. We believe that finding a common linguistic foundation with limited library jargon reduces barriers and promotes student comprehension and satisfaction.
Highlights
The motivation for examining these four terms arose from anecdotal incidents with Penn State University students at the Altoona and Hazleton campuses
Our library websites contain the four “RE” terms, and they are used during instruction sessions and reference interactions; we structured the paper-based study to reflect these words as they appear on our websites
The literature and our simple study indicate that students struggle to understand library terminology
Summary
The motivation for examining these four terms arose from anecdotal incidents with Penn State University students at the Altoona and Hazleton campuses. Paper and project assignments lack the introductory phrase “research this topic;” the word “research” has been replaced with the verb “find.” “Reference” has lost its library-centric definition as our Reference Desks have become Ask Desks or have been subsumed into our Circulation/Service Desks. “Reserves,” in the sense of “course reserves,” is such an unfamiliar term that even a 20-minute observation at a service desk showed that most students stated, “My professor has something here at the library for my class.”. New articles in this journal are under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 United States License. Pennsylvania Libraries: Research & Practice Librarian Fascination and Student Confusion with “RE” Words palrap.org
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