This whole problem of "resistance" is so multifaceted, it's hard to know
where to begin.
One thing I do agree with wholeheartedly is that, as someone mentioned,
you have to be seen as essential to the team. I will be teaching a
required course for studio Art Grads ( a 7-week mini) after years of trying
to convince faculty that this would be useful. Part of it was luck, openess
of a few art faculty, and part of it continually seeking where I could get
in as a team player. Needless to say, I often felt like a butinsky- and I
hate that feeling, but I kept on because I saw that you can't teach
responsible lifelong research skills in a one or two hour session here and
there. Also I knew the experience of approaching information both as an
artist and art historian, knowing how frustrating research can be, and felt
I would have something to offer in the way of content, if only....
It so happens that in the last 3 years, the School of Art (I am the
library faculty liasion for the School) realized that students were not
getting a broad enough academic education and sought new ways to address
this. Faculty were also beginning to get a little frantic about the
increasing onslaught of information sources - databases, web, etc.
Anyway, because I was finally allowed to serve on art committees, and also
went to faculty meetings etc, (this was also a large struggle at first) I
kept bringing up ideas about how the library might be involved in the
initiative. People started getting used to the idea. Then, came the
opportunity to put in a formal proposal for a library course that would fit
in appropriately with the initiative of the school, and they accepted it
last year. I won't teach the course until Fall of 2002. We'll see how it
flies.
One thing that seems to be widespread is the lack of administrative support
for librarians as teachers. A lot of us have to go out on our own against
all odds... do or die
It would be interesting to hear from people whose environments are
supportive both on the library and university/institutional levels so that
some of us can get an understanding of how librarian/teachers can be
successfully integrated within curriculums rather than being on the
periphery.
One other thing that really stands in the way of support, I'm certain, are
outmoded ideas about what librarians do and what they are capable of, as
others have pointed to. But that's another conversation. YAK!
Mo
Mo Dawley
Art and Drama Librarian
Carnegie Mellon University
[log in to unmask]
412-268-6625
(fax)412-268-7148
http://www.library.cmu.edu/bySubject/Art
http://www.library.cmu.edu/bySubject/Drama
http://www.greenarts.org
--On Monday, February 11, 2002 9:21 AM -0500 Sandra Rothenberg
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hello All,
> I was hoping that some of you in academic libraries might have some
> thoughts on this question. Do you actively do library instruction
> sections for students doing research in master's and Ph.D. level courses?
> Is there a resistance from the professors for bringing their upper level
> students in because "Their students already know how to do research" or
> "There is not time for this in the course schedule." If so, is their any
> ways in which you counter this thinking to get these user groups in for
> instruction. Any thoughts on the subject? Thank you in advance,
> Sandra Rothenberg
> ARLIS/NE
>
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__________________________________________________________________
Mail submissions to [log in to unmask]
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to [log in to unmask]
ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance:
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