Self Learning Zone and Reference Desk at UWC is combined. It works for me as the reference librarian because I can help or rather assist more than on user at a time. The PCs in the self learning zone I use as my aid to facilitate the learning process.
The users that knows about the catalogue and how to search I just guide them when they need assistance. The users that have to learn the basic search skills I can sit with them and take them through the process. On the the other hand I can ask the more advance users to follow the power point presentations and the you tube videos.
It gives me the opportunity to promote the social media networks applications that I feel they can use to get the articles they needed. The reason is because the users cannot print articles in the self learning zone.
The other thing that I notice is that the students users their phones if they need to write something down from the screen not as the older days that the librarian has to make pieces of paper available for the users to write on.
The other thing is that the users ask for online articles. That clearly shows the shift in the formats and ways how users want their information.
Things had change in the library. I just realise how I can use the social media networking tools at the reference desk and self learning zone to help the users.
ReplyDeleteThe pc's in the self learning zone are not setup for the users to print or safe their work. I ask them whether they have any social media network account and if they have ask them to share the link or page on their accounts.
The result is that they will still have the information they need if they left the self learning zone after the instruction period.
The self learning zone and reference section must become a knowledge commons. The idea strike me when my library director pass by the self learning zone and reference desk and said that the library is a place for learning, the self learning zone and reference section was once a quiet place in the library but it becomes busy. Yes it is a place where the users can get instruction on how to search, but it is also a place where the user can learn on his or her own on how to do a search. If they experience any problems they can speak to the librarian onduty what I also see is that they ask their peers.
ReplyDelete