Embedded Librarians in the Classroom? Lyda Ellis Goes Underground

First it was embedded reporters with the troops in Iraq, now its embedded librarians in the classroom? One librarian went underground to find out if an embedded librarian could help students get more information for their papers and essays.

As time goes on in college, students eventually figure out how to get information from books, scholarly journals, and other such reference materials for essays and papers. The unfortunate thing is that not all students are willing to figure it out which leads to plagiarism and mediocre papers leading to mediocre grades. And, for all the reasons college students might do badly in college this one is not their fault. The way these databases and library systems work is a mystery to those not seasoned at using them. To say the least this includes incoming freshmen. However Lyda Ellis at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado is working to change all that. She first heard of a idea at a conference in 2006 from some other librarians that had tried the idea at their institutions. The University of Northern Colorado had been having some plagiarism and scholarship problems and that inspired Lyda Ellis to take cover, in a freshmen English class.

Libraries and research databases that institutions now have can be intimidating to modern freshmen that are unfamiliar with formal research and citations that are required in College. Oftentimes a 50 minute tour through the library is all that students get. This lack of training causes huge problems in plagiarism. Lyda Ellis is here to solve all of that.

Although the figures are still being computed and the final word will be available when the study is published next year. Right now however we can tell that several advanced research techniques were able to be taught to the students as well and these freshmen, studied over 3 semesters in two different class sections were able to learn things that sometimes students can only find at the reference desk or if the student takes other library classes. Putting more and more tools in the hands of students is the most important thing that this really accomplishes.The study involved her working with a professor teaching English composition and research. She convinced this professor to open up his syllabus to her research methods and lessons in addition to the regular topics of the class which was virtually unheard of then she was with the class and taught them online and in a few live sessions in the library with quizzes and other teaching methods. She felt like the whole thing was beneficial and she really enjoyed the entire experience.

Lyda Ellis will be doing this study again in coming years after she publishes her first study.

In a wider angle this could be the foundation for institutions to really work with freshmen in a greater way to improve scholarship and help more and more students get through college by empowering them to really learn and learn well.

In conclusion, this is a great foundational study that should be taken stock of by academics everywhere.