Library Services Making a Push to Attract Users

The CSUDH library hosted a workshop to help students know how to use the library resources. Photo by Alex Avila

By Alex Avila, Staff Writer

In order to increase the visibility of their resources in line for students this semester, the CSUDH library hosted their first  “Library Resources for Student Researchers” workshop held on Sept. 15. The workshop was facilitated by Maggie Clarke, the Reference Services Coordinator, and Hannah Lee, the Discovery & Systems Librarian at CSUDH. The facilitators introduced and walked participants through the website, which students are able to use for most of their research purposes, such as finding sources, citations, and academic databases. 

According to Lee and Clarke, the workshop was a success. “We were excited to see people show up and ask questions, being able to help students and answer questions meant it went well,” said Clarke. “We wanted to let students know that there are people to help and that we have a lot of resources to help them,” said Lee. “Students may be anxious to ask for help but we all enjoy answering questions.”

Other tips such as using the librarian chat which is accessible all day, is something the facilitators suggest students take advantage of. They also recommended to try looking around and keep researching, to not be discouraged if what students are looking for isn’t initially there; the website changes and gets updated all the time. They recommended students know where to start and to start researching as early as possible. “Knowing where to begin and starting early, so students can ask for help sooner than later, with things being added all the time, they might be able to find what they are looking for,” said Clarke.

 In the workshop, library faculty announced students are able to access the library in person and check out physical books. However, due to COVID restrictions, study rooms are still currently not available.