By: Erin Orona
As the end of the school year approaches, I find myself looking back at my high school years. Namely, I recall just how stressed I was! Finals, projects, papers, SATs, trying to get into colleges; everything piled up and as a teenager, I felt ill prepared and anxious with just how much work I had to do. In retrospect, I know my main issue was one I’m sure many other young adults have experienced themselves – not being taught the proper skills in how to prepare for all these. School may have given me the base knowledge, but it did little in how to actually navigate the end of school year waters. Researching, test taking, and college prep are all skills that students need to truly thrive, and I firmly believe that the library, whether public or school, are the perfect place to teach these skills. But, what would be the best way for libraries to do this?
Well, workshops, of course!
Many libraries offer tutoring services for students in need of a little extra help in their studies, but what if your local librarian was able to aid more? Take Cornell University, for example. In Repackaging Library Workshops into Disciplinary Bootcamps, we learn how their library took existing library workshops into a multiple day workshop to better improve not only their graduate student’s research abilities, but to also foster their learning and networking opportunities and create learning communities amongst the students. Now, a four-day, immersive bootcamp dedicated to studying may be too intensive for a high school crowd. But, bits and pieces of these ideas can be used with these students to help them with their success. Here are a few ideas for programs and workshops, all to promote student success:
Researching Workshop: Host an hour long workshop dedicated to teaching young adults how to properly use databases and access information. With misinformation on the rise, this is an important skill for students to have not only for their future in college, but to realize when “fake news” is being spouted on social media.
Tutoring turned SAT Prep: Have a successful tutoring program at your library? Try dedicating certain days of it to SAT prep during testing season for students to feel more prepared for upcoming exams.
College Representatives: If your library is near any colleges, find a way to bring them to your library through a college fair or simply hosting a lecture about the school on a random day. Not only does this give students the opportunity to learn more about college, but it gives them the opportunity to network with other students and the staff.
These are simply a handful of workshop ideas, but there are countless more a library can provide! Time management seminars, group studies, digital literacy classes – there are countless ways in which your local library can aid in student success.
Eldermire, Erin R. B., et al. “Repackaging Library Workshops into Disciplinary Bootcamps: Creating Graduate Student Success.” College & Research Libraries News, vol. 80, no. 7, July 2019, pp. 394–410. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.palomar.idm.oclc.org/10.5860/crln.80.7.394.
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