More than ESL

Abstract

International students are frequently consolidated into a monolith of students with language needs and information poverty, constituting a disservice to both students and the library staff who seek to better serve them. In this study we interview international students to better understand the potential for cultural collaboration in programming in an academic library setting, and the barriers that keep students from participating. Our findings broaden the view of international students from remedial library users in need of catch-up information literacy and language education, and position them more holistically as potential full partners in programming efforts moving forward.