Bulletin of the Office for Diversity American Library Association ISSN 1554-494X

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2005 ISSUE

FROM THE FIELD

Outreach Initiatives to Nontraditional Students at Cal State San Marcos
Melanie Chu

College students aren't what they used to be. The demographics at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), like many universities around the country, are indicative of a growing accessibility to higher education for nontraditional students. Nontraditional can mean many things: a person who is of an ethnic minority group, who is low-income, who is a senior citizen, who speaks English as a second language, who is gay or lesbian, who is a recent immigrant, who is an international student, or in some way contextually disadvantaged.

Looking at several library outreach initiatives, the term nontraditional will focus on three specific campus populations, often overlapping: the first generation student, the international student, and the adult learner. Why bother? Inherent in the term nontraditional is the idea a particular student is unlike "typical students" and therefore has a unique library need. Forty-eight percent of CSUSM students are first generation or the first in their families to attend college, commonly of low income and minority households. A quarter of undergraduates are 26 years old and older; almost half of undergraduates are of ethnicities other than white. Of the 102 international students on campus, thirty countries are represented.

Regardless of the label-from minority to international to nontraditional- these students differ in learning styles, familiarity with technology, and expectations of and experience with libraries and research. The most important rule of thumb with library service and instruction is to know the user population, paying special attention to linguistic, social, cultural and technological barriers.

Reaching and teaching these targeted subpopulations of undergraduates is the charge of an outreach librarian; the following are models any academic librarian could adapt for their library's nontraditional users.

First Generation and International Students
At the recognition ceremony of CSUSM's Student Support Services and Education Opportunity Program this past spring, a student's heartfelt speech summed up her challenges as the first person to attend college in the family. The essence was this: "Mom, Dad, thanks for supporting me, and praying for me, and standing by me-even though we all had to work overtime the last 5 years, even though you didn't understand why I had to stay late on campus so many nights, even though abuela kept saying, 'Why don't you just quit school already and get a real job?' I couldn't have done it without all of you."

Traditional students may come from a family that values a college education, one in which parents and other siblings may have degrees. Many first generation students, however, come from families who place priority on work rather than education, contributing to the household income rather than wasting time in school. Other families simply lack the financial means to help their children through school. A low-income neighborhood often translates into less access to Internet and technology at home and at school. First generation students may be lacking technological comfort simply from not having PlayStation as a child.

To remedy some of the "digital divide," a library instruction lab is set aside for weekly study sessions for the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP). The CAMP students, part of a federally funded program to provide higher education to children of migrant farm workers, have come from homes that were often transitory and impoverished. Having a regular, dedicated library space for a few hours a week enables the CAMP cohort of students to gain comfort and expertise with research and computer skills. The outreach librarian serves as a liaison to the CAMP learning community, so that regardless of majors or class enrollment, these first generation students have their very own librarian to turn to for research help, a consistent and friendly face, bilingual skills a plus. At key points during the semester, the librarian offers workshops during the weekly CAMP study sessions-learning how to retrieve electronic reserve readings, using electronic databases, proper citation styles for final papers- giving an extra boost of library outreach and instruction to those first generation students who desperately need it.

With over thirty countries represented on campus, international students add a richness and complexity to the library's user population, with the gamut of linguistic, cultural and learning experiences. Given that confusion can occur in the way body language is construed, questions are asked and answers interpreted, cultural sensitivity is essential to librarians.[1] For example, the use of jargon or slang unknowingly in reference and instruction can be quite baffling to an international student. An instructor from the American Language Cultural Institute (ALCI) is decidedly more familiar with the English language capabilities of his or her students than the librarian; a kind interjection during library instruction is invaluable: "Class, the American slang word for the day is [fill-in-the-blank with whatever colloquial word the librarian has just unwittingly used]... Can everyone repeat after me? And who can tell me what this means?" And remember, use of humor can break the ice... but does not always translate well.

A collaborative semester long relationship with ALCI's international students begins with name tags (to facilitate a quick learning of the student names, particularly ones difficult to pronounce but easier to read) and a library tour. While many librarians question the value of giving library tours-and for good reason!-a personalized introduction to the physical space of the library is absolutely indispensable with nontraditional students. For the majority of international students, even those with higher education in their native countries, an American academic library is a whole new experience.[2]

A thirty minute tour can efficiently expose the target population to the layout, types of materials and services offered in a university library. Journeying through the stacks can indicate the overall accessibility of the library far better than a librarian simply speaking of the alphanumerical Library of Congress system. And perhaps most importantly, a tour allows a fresh perspective for the librarian: how do international students see the library? What questions come up? What physical areas or services offered elicit the most confusion? There is much to learn from a new viewpoint.

Further drawing on their knowledge and experiences, using culturally relevant examples in library instruction can make information literacy much more interesting and meaningful to international students. American pop culture examples, like a demonstrated search in the library catalog for Elvis or Hollywood, can bring smiles of recognition to the classroom. International students, like many library users, may have a respect for authorities and a reluctance of admitting ignorance, which may hinder asking them from asking for help from a librarian. To alleviate reluctance as the librarian displays his or her expertise in research, try asking students to share their hobbies, their area of expertise, to use as search examples.

Whether a student is first generation or foreign born, nurturing an ongoing relationship can make a difference in academic success.

Adult learner
An ever growing population on campus is the adult learner. As with other nontraditional students, a librarian should be conscious of outside responsibilities (full-time jobs and families) and varied learning styles. The adult learner, twenty-five years and older, is often less technologically savvy than younger students, possibly not as comfortable at a computer keyboard as the traditional student whose generation has never lived without the Internet. They bring abundant real world experience with them, their goal oriented motivation and pursuit of higher education often to improve their own career opportunities.

With the characteristics of adult learners in mind, a librarian can work closely with disciplinary faculty to design an integrated library research component for an upper division class. Over a few semesters, one such research intensive class has been carefully developed and adapted to facilitate the information literacy skills of the nontraditional student. Collaboration is key: in-class library instruction throughout the semester and out-of-class meetings required, in person or via email and telephone. Flexibility is favorable with adult learners' busy schedules, whose availability can be limited to late afternoons, early evenings and Saturday mornings. Adaptability and accessibility enables the nontraditional student to fully benefit from library outreach and instruction.

Sections of the research process, detailed in the syllabus, are due every few weeks with regular feedback given by professor and librarian. These include research topic selection, background information, literature review, rough draft for peer review, and final packet to determine progress of students' work through the research process. Feedback from adult learners enrolled in this class has been consistent. While there is admitted pressure of frequent assignments, students report an appreciation for the methodical breakdown of the final paper; the regular opportunities to adjust and refine the research problem; and the constructive criticism from peers, professor and librarian. Many nontraditional students confirm gratitude for the structure and rigor of the class and its integrated library component. [3] A more traditional course, where the paper is assigned at the beginning of the semester and not mentioned again until it is due, can be immensely frustrating for the motivated adult learner. Setting achievable goals in frequent, smaller "pieces" enables an older student to adjust to being back in school and feel in control of their academic progress.

A common grievance in the literature and in libraries across the nation is that there is simply not enough in the budget to allocate services to those with nontraditional needs. Without doubt, funding in many institutions is already stretched thin. The outreach initiatives detailed here are simple, practical ways to re-evaluate and re-work existing services and instruction. Nontraditional college students-like first generation, international and adult learners- are quickly becoming the majority on campus and in the library. Targeted efforts are vastly beneficial to students and librarians alike.

Works Cited

[1] Peter Jordan, The Academic Library and Its Users.  (England: Gower Publishing, 1998), 44.

[2] Diane DiMartino and Lucinda R. Zoe, "International Students and the Library: New Tools, New Users, and New Instruction," in Teaching the New Library to Today's Users: Reaching International, Minority, Senior Citizens, Gay/Lesbian, First Generation, At-Risk, Graduate and Returning Students, and Distance Learners, ed. Trudi E. Jacobson and Helen C. Williams (New York: Neal-Schuman, 2000), 19.

[3] Robin E. Veal, "Understanding the Characteristics, Concerns, and Priorities of Adult Learners to Enhance Library Services to Them," from Reference Services for the Adult Learner: Challenging Issues for the Traditional and Technological Era, ed. Kwasi Sarkodie-Mensah (New York: Haworth Press, 2000), 117.

Melanie Chu is Outreach/Multicultural Librarian at Cal State San Marcos.

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