Volume 120 Issue 15 Friday, January 22, 2016
OrbitMediaOnline.com
Student reference assistants search for answers Brenna Busby Editor-In-Chief The Roberta A. Smith Library is a new addition to the Muskingum University campus. Inside the walls of the Library is also a new kind of student library worker. The Student Reference Assistants (SRA) can be found in the basement of the Library at a reference desk between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. during the week. According to Reference Instruction Librarian, Nicole Arnold, these student assistants have a special knack for research and a talent to evaluate sources in a way to better assist their peers. The seven Reference Assistants were hired in early Decem-
ber 2015 and can answer a variety of questions from giving basic directions to people still exploring the building to questions more research and citation oriented. They can also help with the collaboration stations. Research and information focused questions can be answered by the Student Reference Assistants whether it be through the method of finding a book or searching a specific database. If a Student Reference Assistant is unable to answer a question then he or she is able to serve as a link to a Reference Librarian. “Even if they do have to come up and ask a Reference Librarian they’ve already made that first contact with a student,” said Arnold.
Brenna Busby/ Black & Magenta Student Reference Assistant Mary Moody works at the Reference Desk in the Margret M. Erbey Lounge and Librarian Hub.
This new position is one that Arnold expects to keep. “I think [the position will stay] but the building is new and we don’t know quite how students are going to use it yet,” said Arnold. The motivation behind creating this new reference position came from the need for additional staff to be on hand. There are three reference desks in the Roberta A. Smith Library, which is two more than the lone desk in the two room Library in Cambridge Hall. Arnold’s other incentive to create the position was the possibiliLindsey Kreamer/ Black & Magenta ty that students could be easier to Muskingum Alumna Danielle Crown is a new Admission Counselor talk to than a librarian. for the University after leaving Ohio University’s Admission Office. “That’s one of the benefits of the [new] position,” said Arnold. “It is not just that we have some- Lindsey Kreamer school atmosphere and experience body staffing all the areas [need- Arts & Entertainment Editor that Muskingum could provide. ed], it’s that we have a student When a position in the Admiswho is a friendly face and maybe Danielle Crown, a recent sion Office opened, Senior Direcslightly more approachable.” Muskingum University 2015 gradu- tor of Admission and Financial Arnold said that when they ate, just became the newest mem- Services, Beth DaLonzo, called were in the hiring process they ber of the Muskie Admission team asking if she would be interestlooked at candidates who were as an Admission Counselor. ed in the opportunity to return to thought to possess sound research Crown joined the long magen- Muskingum in the form of an Adskills by their professors. ta line with an Early Childhood mission Counselor. Also, the Library staff put a Education degree but soon found The role of an Admission sign up in the two room Library that teaching was not what she Counselor at Muskingum is to in Cambridge Hall that said they was most interested in pursuing. talk to prospective students about were accepting applications and “Towards the end of my class- the university, process applicatook several of those applications es [at Muskingum] I wasn’t so tions, network at high schools into account. sure about teaching, I had always and college fairs to find potential “We went through and chose worked in the Admission Office Muskies and help students apply who would be a good fit for this and been involved around campus to Muskingum. position,” said Arnold. and really enjoyed the higher edThey also work various AdThe Student Reference Assis- ucation aspect and being involved mission events including Scholartants went through training the with the high school and college ship Days, Open Houses, and onefirst week of classes and worked students,” said Crown. “The op- on-one interviews to get to know through what Arnold called an posite [path] of Early Childhood the students as well as possible to “extensive training checklist.” Education, and so I took a risk to determine if they would fit in well After completing training each say hold off on teaching.” at Muskingum University. Student Reference Assistant will Crown worked for a short stay have at least 10 hours of in person at Ohio University as an AdmisSee CROWN, training time with one of the ref- sion Counselor after graduating. On Page 2 erence librarians. But, she missed the small
Former Muskie returns to the pond