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How do college students really conduct research for classroom assignments? In 2008, five large Illinois universities were awarded a Library Services and Technology Act Grant to try to answer that question. The resulting ongoing study has already yielded some eye-opening results. The findings suggest changes ranging from simple adjustments in service and resources to modifying the physical layout of the library. In this book Duke and Asher, two anthropological researchers involved with the project since the beginning,

Summarize the study's history, including its goals, parameters, and methodology Offer a comprehensive discussion of the research findings, touching on issues such as website design, library instruction for faculty, and meeting the needs of commuter and minority students Detail a number of service reforms which have already been implemented at the participating institutions

This important book deepens our understanding of how academic libraries can better serve students' needs, and also serves as a model for other researchers interested in a user-centered approach to evaluating library services.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Acknowledgments(p. ix)
• Erial Project Research Teams(p. xi)
• 1 Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries: The Erial Project(p. 1)
• 2 Pragmatism and Idealism in the Academic Library: An Analysis of Faculty and Librarian Expectations and Values(p. 15)
• 3 Marketing the Library's Instructional Services to Teaching Faculty: Learning from Teaching Faculty Interviews(p. 31)
• 4 Why Don't Students Ask Librarians for Help? Undergraduate Help-Seeking Behavior in Three Academic Libraries(p. 49)
• 5 Searching for Answers: Student Research Behavior at Illinois Wesleyan University(p. 71)
• 6 Supporting the Academic Success of Hispanic Students(p. 87)
• 7 First-Generation College Students: A Sketch of Their Research Process(p. 109)
• 8 Seeing Ourselves As Others See Us: Library Spaces through Student Eyes(p. 127)
• 9 Transformative Changes in Thinking, Services, and Programs(p. 143)
• 10 Conclusions and Future Research(p. 161)
• Appendix: Erial Interview Guide Questions(p. 169)
• Bibliography(p. 173)
• Contributors(p. 285)
• Index(p. 187)

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Booklist Review

Academic librarian Duke and anthropologist Asher have assembled a well-organized and insightful work that reveals how academic libraries are viewed and utilized. The findings are the result of a two-year study conducted at five Illinois universities. The Ethnographic Research in Illinois Academic Libraries Project drew information from 700 research activities involving hundreds of students, faculty members, and librarians. Among the topics covered are attitudes toward the physical surroundings of libraries, faculty expectations of libraries and librarians, and student research habits. Those interested in keeping pace with the rapidly evolving world of academic libraries will find numerous points of interest to contemplate in these pages.--Frutchey, Jim Copyright 2010 Booklist