The Charles C. Myers library welcomes over 500 new students every year. Our goal is for students to walk away knowing where the library is and that the people there are friendly and are there to help. Many students come to college not understanding what a college library does, so it is vital to communicate that message to students as soon as possible. This session will cover a successful student orientation model we piloted in the fall. The model consisted of two components; a zine that was part of the online orientation program that students completed before arriving on campus, and an in-person pub-style trivia competition.
The zine goes through a narrative featuring a library cat that ushers students on a tour of the library building and services and addresses some commonly asked questions. In the trivia session students are introduced to library staff members and compete in teams answering questions that review and expand upon information covered in the zine. While we used these materials in an hour-long orientation session, the components could easily be adapted to suit other situations or time constraints.
In this interactive presentation we will discuss our process in creating this new model, lessons learned, and tips for creating a welcoming environment for new students.
