Chinese Students in American Libraries: A Survey of Chinese User Satisfaction with U.S. Academic Library Experience
While scholarship has addressed issues around serving international students in U.S. libraries, until recently, relatively little attention has been directly focused upon the library needs of specific ethnic groups. This study surveys 83 Chinese students and scholars after they returned from studying at universities in the United States to measure and document their satisfaction with the library services and resources they used during their study abroad. Results of the survey are analyzed with the goal of benchmarking and improving services for this growing library user population in the United States.
International students and the academic library: A case study
This paper presents a pilot study that examined the experiences of Chinese graduate students in using the University of Alberta Libraries. The findings outline the challenges faced by students with respect to working in a second language and navigating library technologies, with a focus on the students’ information literacy skills. Cet article presente une etude pilote qui a examine les experiences des etudiants chinois de 3e cycle qui utilisent les bibliotheques universitaires de l’Universite d’Alberta. Les resultats mettent en relief les defis auxquels les etudiants sont confrontes lors de l’utilisation d’une langue seconde et des technologies offertes par les bibliotheques, et s’attardent sur les competences en culture de l’information des etudiants.
The Role of Nonclassroom Spaces in Living-Learning Communities.
A body of research suggests that learning communities provide a range of academic benefits by increasing social connectedness. Researchers have also hypothesized that informal learning spaces -- nonclassroom spaces (NCSs) -- can facilitate learning by supporting social connectedness. This study uses qualitative methods to explore the way nonclassroom spaces facilitate learning-related activities within a recently established learning community at State University. Our findings suggest that NCSs function as social hubs, help make intellectual and creative work visible to the larger learning community, and provide access to important resources. More generally, NCSs help to facilitate community formation and identity.