Libraries and General Education: New Strategies to Enhance Freshman Orientation, Faculty Collaboration, and Curriculum Development

Abstract

My research will attempt to re-evaluate the academic library’s role in supporting a general education program. The emphasis will focus on student centeredness, faculty collaboration, outreach and curriculum support. In the short time that I have worked in academic libraries I have learned that quality customer service and reference desk work is far from the list of priorities in some settings. Coming from the public library I found this to be unacceptable. We are service providers and the way in which we communicate with students and faculty is important. As professionals we should do more in the way of making the transition to college as seamless as possible for freshmen and continuing education students. It is imperative of us to adapt to the changing ways in which students interpret, process, and evaluate information. This involves embracing Web 2.0 and the social networking tools that students are using. Libraries will increasingly need to work at staying ahead of the information curve if we are to be an essential resource for today’s college freshmen.