Library Assistant - improving the student experience of Oxford libraries through a mobile library induction

A student’s first week at University is an overwhelming experience with important information being delivered by many different parts of the institution. High student numbers and severe time constraints on contact time between librarians and students means that libraries struggle to effectively comm...

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主要な著者: Bridle, O, Carritt, A
フォーマット: Conference item
言語:English
出版事項: 2014
主題:
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author Bridle, O
Carritt, A
author_facet Bridle, O
Carritt, A
author_sort Bridle, O
collection OXFORD
description A student’s first week at University is an overwhelming experience with important information being delivered by many different parts of the institution. High student numbers and severe time constraints on contact time between librarians and students means that libraries struggle to effectively communicate advice about services and resources. This issue is further compounded at the University of Oxford by the complexity of the local library system; the second largest in the UK. Research undertaken with Oxford students to ascertain their views on library inductions revealed that, although inductions were valued, they could be poorly timed and leave students overloaded with information they subsequently failed to retain. It was decided that a mobile-friendly website which provided key information about libraries in Oxford could address these difficulties by enabling students to get timely access to concise information using smartphones and tablet devices. The aim was to encourage students to use the library and ensure that they get the maximum benefit from library resources across the institution during their studies. Funding from JISC allowed the development and rollout of the ‘Library Assistant for Oxford Freshers’ website. This paper discusses the motivations for creating Library Assistant, how the website was developed and what the response has been from new library users. This paper shows that Library Assistant provides an example of how libraries can exploit mobile technology to enhance the patron experience and use of library services.
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spelling oxford-uuid:d2608eae-2ad4-4aae-a37b-de391b9275612022-03-27T08:03:29ZLibrary Assistant - improving the student experience of Oxford libraries through a mobile library inductionConference itemhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_5794uuid:d2608eae-2ad4-4aae-a37b-de391b927561Library & information sciencee-LearningEnglishOxford University Research Archive - Valet2014Bridle, OCarritt, AA student’s first week at University is an overwhelming experience with important information being delivered by many different parts of the institution. High student numbers and severe time constraints on contact time between librarians and students means that libraries struggle to effectively communicate advice about services and resources. This issue is further compounded at the University of Oxford by the complexity of the local library system; the second largest in the UK. Research undertaken with Oxford students to ascertain their views on library inductions revealed that, although inductions were valued, they could be poorly timed and leave students overloaded with information they subsequently failed to retain. It was decided that a mobile-friendly website which provided key information about libraries in Oxford could address these difficulties by enabling students to get timely access to concise information using smartphones and tablet devices. The aim was to encourage students to use the library and ensure that they get the maximum benefit from library resources across the institution during their studies. Funding from JISC allowed the development and rollout of the ‘Library Assistant for Oxford Freshers’ website. This paper discusses the motivations for creating Library Assistant, how the website was developed and what the response has been from new library users. This paper shows that Library Assistant provides an example of how libraries can exploit mobile technology to enhance the patron experience and use of library services.
spellingShingle Library & information science
e-Learning
Bridle, O
Carritt, A
Library Assistant - improving the student experience of Oxford libraries through a mobile library induction
title Library Assistant - improving the student experience of Oxford libraries through a mobile library induction
title_full Library Assistant - improving the student experience of Oxford libraries through a mobile library induction
title_fullStr Library Assistant - improving the student experience of Oxford libraries through a mobile library induction
title_full_unstemmed Library Assistant - improving the student experience of Oxford libraries through a mobile library induction
title_short Library Assistant - improving the student experience of Oxford libraries through a mobile library induction
title_sort library assistant improving the student experience of oxford libraries through a mobile library induction
topic Library & information science
e-Learning
work_keys_str_mv AT bridleo libraryassistantimprovingthestudentexperienceofoxfordlibrariesthroughamobilelibraryinduction
AT carritta libraryassistantimprovingthestudentexperienceofoxfordlibrariesthroughamobilelibraryinduction