Musings of an Academic Librarian

I have always become anxious when students ask me to help them find articles in a database on a certain topic.  I'm much more at ease when I get asked if the library has a certain book, then it is a simple yes/no answer.  Searching databases effectively is hard.  I have had a lot of practice at it but what I have realized is that I don't make it easy for myself.  For example, when I'm with people, I rush.  I want a quick answer.  Part of me just wants to quickly get rid of the person, another part of me really wants to help. This week a student asked me that she wanted to search articles for references in EBSCO on "adult-run teaching models."  I knew straight away with such vague sounding terms this was not going to be a good search.  I asked the student the right questions like, what do you need this information for?  And what exactly do you mean by "adult-run teaching models?"  Her answers were not very clear so I went and asked one ...

In October of last year (2017), new improved shelving was installed for the children's picture books.  Previously the children's books were shelved at the back of the library.  I moved them as well as the puzzles and games to the front of the library and with the new sloping shelves they have become much more visible to borrowers as they walk into the library.  What I am not surprised to find is that circulation has increased dramatically this year, in particular with the Maori myth and legend picture books.  And forgotten about resources like the jigsaw puzzles are being borrowed again.  Here is a sample of items with their borrowing history over the past 2 years Resource 2016 2017 2018 We're going on a bear hunt 0 2 5 Pania of the Reef 0 0 8 Paikea 0 0 4 The Fish of Maui 2 5 15 How Maui Found his Father and the Magic Jawbone 0 3 7 How Maui F...