ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 704/C&RL News Helping students d elve d eep er into books By Ellie A. Fogarty and Nelson H. Evans An elective course that brings librarians and students together S ince 1974 the Trenton State College (TSC)Library has been offering a Library Read ing Program (LRP), a two- to three-credit course offering students the opportunity to read in in terdisciplinary areas o f their interest in consul tation with a librarian. The primary purpose o f the course is to allow third- or fourth-year stu dents to spend time exploring and discussing variety o f books or articles that they “always wanted to read but never had the time.” A student contacts the LRP coordinator a month before registration with a list o f books to read. By reviewing this list, the coordinator matches the student’s interests with those of a librarian. The librarian and student go over the list, perhaps adding or deleting a title. Alterna­ tive selections are included in case other titles are found to be unsatisfactory once the course begins. Field trips, when appropriate, can also enhance the readings. When the librarian and student feel comfortable with the agreed-upon design, the student is given written permission to register for the course. In addition to the reading, the student agrees to meet once a week for one or two hours in order to demonstrate, through the discussion, that the w eek’s material has been read and thought about. At the end o f the course, the student must write up, in a page or two, the experience in the course and how he or she has benefited from it. The idea is to provide as much time for reading as possible; all other considerations are kept to a minimum. ­ ­ ­ ­ a It is best not to try to imagine the readings in terms of subjects like modern art, child study, or capital punishment. Since each list grows out o f the student’s interest, it is unique and seldom falls within a single, well-defined sub­ ject. Focusing on subject areas tends to pro­ duce bibliographies that are better met by de­ partmental courses or a reading list that can be better handled in a department’s independent study course. Selecting students Quality control is built in since the students who find their way to the course have high motivation. They have demonstrated the level o f their interest by the books they have selected to read. Often an academic advisor will en­ courage a worthy student to contact the LRP coordinator. Among the variants o f this has been a department chair sending a student with a prepared bibliography when the department has been too busy to take on another student. This, too, has worked out well. In addition to being selective as to the students, enrollment is limited to the number o f available librarians. No librarian is obliged to participate, since schedules and duties vary widely from semes­ ter to semester. To date, 95 students have com­ pleted this course. G rad in g participants The student receives a grade based on how well he or she can demonstrate that the mate­ rial has been read and comprehended. This is done through a discussion between the librar­ ian and the student. The librarian’s main pur­ pose is not to teach but to verify that the course requirements have been completed. The librar- Ellie A. Fogarty is business/economics librarian at Trenton State College (TSC); e-mail: EFOGARTY@TSCVM. TRENTON.EDU. Nelson H. Evans is government documents and philosophy/religion librarian at TSC; e-mail: EVANS@TSCVM.TRENTON.EDU. He initiated the LRP a n d has been its coordinator since its inception. mailto:EVANS@TSCVM.TRENTON.EDU November 1995/705 ian is free to discuss and ask specific questions about the reading, but essentially the student should be able to talk about the w eek’s read­ ing without any prompting by the librarian. How well this is done determines the grade. If some o f the agreed upon items are not read, it is an automatic failure. This has never happened. If the content is summarized without demonstrat­ ing any thought, that would be a C. If the read­ ings are discussed fully, related to other books, and/or to coursework or life experience, that would be a B. “A ” students are those who are so enthused that they will read beyond the agreed list, critically analyze the works, or fol­ low up on a newly encountered idea. It should be mentioned that a student does not have to be a fast reader; indeed, the opportunity to read can be more beneficial for a slow reader who finds it difficult having enough time to pursue personal reading interests. A fe w e x a m p le s The following are a few examples o f recent courses: A senior accounting major who was serving as the accountant for the college theater devel­ oped a list o f 12 titles including biographies and autobiographies (with two alternative tides) o f performers such as Charlie Chaplin, Groucho Marx, Buster Keaton, Lawrence Olivier, and Will Rogers, and was paired with the business/eco nomics librarian. The student carried This course is most o f the conver­ sation each week, for motivated tracing a sketch o f for a self-desig the p e rfo rm e rs ’ early lives, struggles, w ill be enjoya and successes. tivate their co Many o f these en­ tertainers w orked communicatio together or com ­ peted for audiences so there was a sense o f continuity throughout the entire course. The student was able to compare and contrast the lives o f each performer as the course pro­ gressed, and discovered a fascinating history o f the early immigrants woven throughout the biographies. He also discussed stage perfor­ mances and films he had seen and other infor­ mation he had read regarding the entertainer. Sharing an interest in business allowed the li­ brarian and student to discuss much o f the busi- ness-related activities o f the stage and early film industry. s n b m n One woman read in the area o f early Ameri­ can architecture and furniture. In addition to reading books and articles, she went on a field trip to Winterthur Museum, which is about 90 minutes from TSC. Winterthur is a museum started by the Du Ponts composed o f rooms taken from buildings and houses to depict vari­ ous architectural periods and furnishings. She discovered that for a fee, the museum gives guided tours catered to an individual’s inter­ ests. Being able to see many o f the things she had been reading about provided a very enjoy­ able and educational experience. Another student read in an area o f an East­ ern religion. As part o f the course she visited one o f its centers. She was amazed to find the wide difference between what the members with whom she spoke believed and what schol­ ars she had read reported they believe. Conclusion The benefits o f this program extend beyond the opportunity to read interesting books. Stu­ dents can polish their ability to read, under­ stand, synthesize, and orally convey the sub­ stance o f the readings in a clear and concise manner. Their critical thinking and articulation skills, which so many employers desire and so few courses are able to develop in students, will serve them throughout their professional lives. It is hoped that their enjoyment o f read­ ing and apprecia­ an opportunity tion o f the book will tudents looking last a lifetime. This course is an oppor ed elective that tunity for motivated le and will cul­ students looking for a self-designed elec­ prehension and tive that will be en­ skills. joyable and, even though it is not the prim ary purpose, will cultivate their comprehension and com­ munication skills. It provides an occasion to discuss what is learned with a responsive per­ son and the chance to read about interests which may otherwise be frustrated, postponed, for­ gotten, or never pursued. As far as w e know, there are no other read­ ing programs offered to college students for credit by an academic library. If the reader does know o f any, please contact the coordinator, Nelson Evans, at Trenton State College Library, Trenton, NJ 08650-4700; phone (609) 771-2421 or e-mail: EVANS@TSCVM.TRENTON.EDU. mailto:EVANS@TSCVM.TRENTON.EDU 706/ C&RL News