The way students learn to access library resources will look a little different this year, due to COVID, said the director of AHEC Academic Scholarship in support of the Army War College. In support of student learning, staff are using multiple tools to set students up for success in their research projects with tutorials, one-on-one assistance, and a wide range of research databases.
Those who are there to help
Greta Braungard is herself an experienced research librarian, who manages the academic research staff in Root Hall and Army Heritage and Education Center — academic references and a vast military history collection. Her team includes research librarians, circulation staff, and library technicians, catalogers, and archivists.
Thomas Moss and Megan Casey are both research librarians familiar with the curriculum and the individuals with whom students will interact with the most.
Through Spring, their services were never entirely remote. They maintained staff at Root Hall to give direct support to students and faculty. Tom Buffenbarger and Justine Melone, library technicians working in circulation support, filled the roles. “[They] stepped in to support a location that they were not as familiar with,” said. Braungard.
DiAnne Evans has done an excellent job of keeping the Root Hall circulation desk running smoothly, said Braungard, training the whole staff to step in as needed.
“The team very quickly put together a remote learning webpage to compile information for students and faculty,” said Braungard. To access the content, follow the link. https://usawc.libguides.com/current
“They answered almost 600 electronic questions since March while teleworking.”
The USAWC has an established reputation offering professional and personalized research assistance. The phrase ‘Please disturb’ reflects the staff’s commitment to the students and faculty of the Army War College.
“It is not just showing them how to do things, It’s showing them that there are people to help them,” said Braungard. “The sign is a reminder that we are there to help.”
How to access the library’s resources
The library staff put together tutorials that are specific to database searches. The videos are designed to introduce students to the basics of research, and orient faculty and students to the databases that the war college subscribes to, enabling access. Students can find the multiple tutorials available on the AHEC YouTube page under playlists.
The library staff put together tutorials that are specific to database searches. The videos are designed to introduce students to the basics of research, and orient faculty and students to the databases that the war college subscribes to, enabling access. Students can find the multiple tutorials available on the AHEC YouTube page under playlists.
The specific video tutorials available include a wide range of topics applicable to students, staff, and faculty:
“How to get the most out of your government databases”
“How to use Google Scholar”
“Arena: Search the USAHEC Collections.”
Some of these are step-by-step guides and some are a broad overview, depending on the topic.
As of October, when students are refining ideas for the Strategic Research Project, the team will offer one-on-one research sessions. Each 30-minute session will focus on the student’s specific topic, as a member of the team will help the student navigate specific databases and create searches for her or his chosen topic.
The Academic Scholarship Directorate has already rehearsed how they will execute these sessions in a virtual environment. These are popular, about 2/3 of students take advantage of these individual sessions in a typical year.
Summary of the databases available
Through tutorials and one-on-one research sessions, the librarians are the ones who help students understand the databases and learn how to use them.
The staff’s expertise with a multitude of databases enable students to complete searches with amazing precision, said Braungard.
These databases include general academic resources, specialty resources, and The Army Heritage and Education Center’s collection.
1. JSTOR: 12 million academic journals and includes a thematic collection “Security Studies,” which is particularly relevant for our students.
2. ProQuest Central: the most recent scholarship on a wide range of topics in the forms of dissertations, theses and newspapers.
3. EBSCO Omnifile: corresponding online resources, such as e-journals, magazines and e-books.
4. NexisUni: many news, business and legal resources.
5. Arena: AHEC resources, including books, archives, museum artifacts and other primary and secondary resources at the center.
6. Europa World Plus: political and economic information over 250 countries and territories, functions as an excellent comparative tool.
7. Inside Defense: news, newsletters, reports and memos about the ever-changing information on defense topics.
8. Praeger Security International: international affairs, foreign policy, and security with a wide range of e-books, references and scholarship.
9. Stratfor Worldview: a geopolitical intelligence database that includes information global issues and how those influence businesses, economics, military.
| Date Taken: | 08.25.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2020 10:49 |
| Story ID: | 376813 |
| Location: | CARLISLE BARRACKS, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 137 |
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This work, USAWC library team streamlines access to research resources, help, by Elena Patton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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