The College Library has everything to do with College Wide Learning Outcomes.  Providing a broad coverage of current topics, a comprehensive library collection is critical to informing and updating students and faculty with the latest knowledge in their fields.

Libraries are not mere warehouses for books and other materials.  Through the teaching efforts of Library staff students learn information and digital literacy. These skills may not be taught explicitly in classrooms yet are necessary for students to be able to research and write papers, think independently and critically, and in general, be academically successful. Information competencies benefit students in the long run as they continue on with their future education and careers.

Like many other skills, information literacy must be learned and practiced, even in an age where large student populations own electronic devices, if not more so. On a daily basis, students who come into the Library or visit us online are introduced to a plethora of information resources including electronic books and streamed videos.  They learn how to access the electronic databases to do faceted searches, to narrow down or broaden the focus of their search, and evaluate resources.  And they learn to appreciate that even though Google is a powerful tool it is not the only search engine and it does not always give good results.

By solving technical problems in the computer lab and explaining to students the likely causes and steps to take to troubleshoot, our staff members are often lifesavers to students, teaching them to find the answers and solutions for themselves and giving them the confidence to explore and hence grow their own skills.

Authors: Can Li and John Mark Allen  – Red River College Library, Notre Dame Campus