Letter to a Future Library Science Student

Dear Future Library Science Student,

            First and foremost, enjoy yourself in this course! Library Science isn’t meant to be boring and stressful; have fun, and appreciate being in an learning environment that you love.

            In my opinion, the most important part of Library Science is learning how to upkeep and maintain a library. A lot of work goes into running it, and you really don’t appreciate that until you get the chance to see behind the scenes. It was fascinating to see how organized and efficiently run our library is, and I think it’s very important for students to see this process.

            My experience in the course mainly consisted of checking resources in and out of the library, and helping students with miscellaneous tasks. I signed the laptops/macbooks out to teachers, and helped students when they came to collect or drop off the carts. I also helped students find the books that they wanted, helped them with minor computer problems, and taught them how to use certain programs. Some problems were a little more unique, and I had to get a little more creative! One student was trying to copy a piece of work onto a Word Document so that she could print it out, but the website wouldn’t let her. I ended up taking a screenshot of the page, and pasted/cropped it in a separate file so that she was able to print it.

            Our assignments focused on a lot of different topics related to library science, and I really enjoyed this. I was a bit hesitant in taking this course because I was afraid that it would be quite boring, but there was a lot of variety in the assignments. I learned a lot of new skills that I wasn’t expecting to gain, and I got to try a lot of new things. I used new programs, such as Powtoon, and I even got to 3D print a design of my choice.

            I was probably best at the customer service aspect of this course; as someone who works in the customer service industry, this was second nature! I had no problems asking students if they needed assistance, and I found it very easy to interact with staff as they came through the library. I was also a very dependable student; I attended all classes (except for the blocks that I was excused from), and I also learned very quickly. It didn’t take me long to get the hang of the cataloguing system, and I soon became confident in its use.

            On the other hand, I probably struggled the most with using class time for library science assignments. I have a very full course load, and I typically found myself choosing to do physics or chemistry assignments over library science ones. I always got the assignments in on time, but I did most course work at home/out of class, which shouldn’t have happened.

            I really enjoyed the freedom and flexibility that we had in this course. We were given a lot of creative freedom with the assignments, and it made the course a lot more lively and exciting. The course was less structured than the typical academic course, but I really enjoyed it. I sometimes don’t like having very little structure, because I like having a bit of guidance when doing assignments, so I was surprised when I found myself enjoying this style of learning. However, I found that I didn’t enjoy the flexibility of the due dates. I’m the type of person who needs a deadline to make sure that I get things done, so I was a little nervous upon starting the course. I was told that as long as I got my assignments posted before marks cutoff, I would be fine, and I was afraid that I’d fall behind on the assignments. I’m pleased to say that I stayed on top of the assignments for the most part.

           

So what does it take to be a good library science student? As someone who has completed the course, I’m here to offer you some tips. The most important one, is to be willing to learn. Keep an open mindset, and show up each day prepared to learn something new. It’s impossible to succeed in a course if you’re not willing to discover new things.

            Cultivate your interest in the library/surrounding fields. You won’t enjoy this course if you have absolutely no interest in library science. This will make you a better student, because the assignments don’t seem like chores anymore.

            Make sure you’re knowledgeable on all library systems. Know how the FH Learning Commons is run. It’s impossible to be a good student if you don’t even know how to check out a book. Familiarize yourself with how to check out laptops/macbooks/ipads, and how the books are organized.

            Hold yourself accountable; do not let yourself fall behind on your assignments. Even though there is no strict due date, you still have to complete all your assignments. If it helps, get a friend to remind you to do your homework. Stay on top of all assignments!

            Be polite and confident when interacting with students or staff. You are in charge of the library in that moment; act like it! The way you behave also reflects on the library. If you’re rude and mean, people won’t want to come back to the library. Ensure that everyone in the library has a positive experience.

            Make sure you’re staying on top of the schedule. If there are multiple people in your block, make sure you know when people are going on desk. If it helps, create a schedule so that people know exactly when they’ll be on.

            Ask questions if you’re confused!

            Try using a planner to plan and organize all upcoming assignments. This will also help you stay on top of your work.

            Be alert and conscious when you’re on desk. Don’t ignore waiting customers because you’re too caught up in your homework.

            Be technically competent. Being a good library science student sometimes requires you to know how to use various devices. You also need to have some form of competency to be able to help someone else.

For next semester if there are enough people in a block, they could make a short skit/film about what library science is, and how it can help improve a student’s future. They could also create a song/rap/poem about the Fraser Heights Learning Commons/any topic related to library science, write a diary entry reflecting on their entire library science experience, or even write a diary entry to their past self, telling them how to improve their experience in this course, now that you have completed it.

As for things that the library could improve on, I think the printing station could definitely use some work. I always see students either printing more than 3 sheets at a time, or editing at the print station. Enforcing these rules would also help reduce the lineup that often forms, and it’s easier than adding an entirely new computer.

Creating a designated silent study space might also be a good idea. Even if it’s only during finals month, I personally think it would be an amazing addition. Many students use the library as a social space, so creating a separate quiet study space for those students who really need the quiet would be a fantastic idea!

Introducing small contests might also be a great way to attract traffic to the library. It adds an element of fun to the library; even simple contests such as “guess the number of M&M’s” or “solve the library riddle” may be entertaining!

I picked up a lot of useful skills from this course; self discipline, organization, and many more. I learned that there are a lot of amazing programs out there for my own use, and I definitely plan on enhancing any future tasks in other classes with the resources that I discovered in this course. Forcing myself to complete the assignments on time also helped improve my self discipline. As someone who often procrastinates, this was certainly something I needed. I also learned how important staying organized is, and how much easier life is when you have system and order.

You may find yourself start to fall behind on assignments, because there is nobody there to remind you. This is a precursor to university! Practice good habits, and don’t procrastinate.

            All in all, enjoy yourself in this course. Library Science is a very unique course, and you will likely never encounter anything quite like it again. So make the most out of this time, and have a good time!

Sincerely,

            A Past Library Science Student