Library and Learning Center Staff Receive Grant to Attend Workshop in New York

Rockhurst staff members Laurie Hathman, M.L.S., director of Greenlease Library, and Ann Volin, Ph.D., learning center director, have received a grant to participate in the “Learning About Students Through the Lens of Anthropology” workshop from March 20-21, 2012, at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y.

“We are thrilled to have been given this opportunity,” said Hathman. “The Library and Learning Center have already established a collaborative partnership in working with students which provides us with an excellent foundation to build upon. Ann and I hope to use the skills we gain from this workshop to enrich the partnership to better meet student needs.”

The workshop is one of eight within a three-year series titled, “Leadership Through New Communities of Knowledge.” The series offers an array of professional development opportunities for library staff at small and mid-sized private colleges and universities.

This specific workshop will showcase how ethnographic methods, such as observation, focus groups and interviews, can help participants understand the work practices of undergraduate students and how library and information services can address their real needs.

“The focus of this workshop fits perfectly with what we do and hope to do for students in both the Rockhurst Library and Learning Center,” said Volin. “It will help us understand how our students learn so that we can plan programs that augment this knowledge.”

The grant, awarded by the Council on Library and Information Resources, in partnership with the Council of Independent Colleges, covers the entire cost of the workshop, including registration fees, lodging and food. It also provides travel expenses up to $1,000 per person.

Visit Greenlease Library and Learning Center to learn more about these academic resources.