"Most students come in with some apprehension that we are not going to be able to help them because they’ve tried searching on their own and failed. After our sessions, they not only find what they’re looking for, but also have the confidence to search on their own."
"I’ve learned a lot as a first year librarian, the students are not just learning from me in the Book-a-Librarian appointments, I’m learning from them too. As you know, we wear many hats and in those BAL sessions, I’m not just a librarian. I’m a motivator, collaborator, instructor, and sometimes a friend."
"Since attending the Research Engagement Academy (REA) I feel my BAL sessions go better for both myself and the students. I now begin each session by engaging students in a short conversation about their class, the assignment, and how they feel about the assignment, etc. before diving into searching for sources on their topic. Just taking a couple minutes to do this really has improved the sessions because students feel more comfortable and free to ask me more questions while we are searching sources. I now also feel more confident explaining to students how to read and annotate sources in preparation for their writing assignments."
