“Many international students use the library but some of us feel insecure to ask questions if we don’t understand something.” – Jaewoo Shin, student at the State University of New York at New Paltz.

English language learners (ELLs) at universities in the United States face many obstacles. They must learn a new language while living in a foreign culture and then reach a proficiency to succeed in academic classes. Libraries can be a valuable support system for these students in their academic pursuits. Recognizing this, the authors, a reference librarian and an ESL lecturer at the State University of New York at New Paltz, collaborate to instruct ELLs on information literacy at the library.

At the start of each semester, newly enrolled students in the ESL program take a 3-week orientation course. Specifically designed for students new to both the program and the university, this orientation includes two introductory sessions at the library with the librarian.

Tour of the Library

The first session provides students with an introduction to the library. The librarian starts with a guided tour. Students are introduced to the many services at the library, including the availability of loaner laptops and iPads, individual and group study rooms, and Reference Services, as well as key collections they will use most frequently during their time in the ESL program. Students are also introduced to the library staff who work at service points within the library. This introduction eases students into the library environment and helps them become more comfortable to interact with library staff and ask questions.

After the librarian’s tour, the ESL teacher asks the students comprehension questions to reflect on what they have learned and has the students describe comparisons between this library and libraries in their home countries. They also discuss ways in which they would like to use the library in the future.

Qing Wang, a student from China, said, “At my university in China, we did not have a library lesson like this. It has helped me understand the library in America very well. It’s a nice way to welcome international students.”

Library Catalog and Searching for Books

The second session has two parts. The first half is held in the library classroom and designed to teach students how to search the library catalog for books located in specific collections. Books in the Juvenile/Young Adult Collection are written in an appropriate level for ELLs, so this is a good section to focus on. Each student is then tasked with searching the catalog for a book of his or her choice in this collection, and writing down the collection and call number for the book.

Throughout the librarian’s lesson, the ESL teacher asks questions related to vocabulary and content to ensure that the students understand what is being taught. In the second half of the session, students are taken into the library stacks to find their books on the shelves. Students who locate their books quickly help others who are having difficulty. By the end of this session, students have learned how to search for and locate books in the library.

Databases and Research

Later on in the semester, students return to the library for an introduction to the library’s databases. This instructional session focuses on teaching students how to use a full-text, online reference source database, as well as how to search for newspaper and magazine articles in several of the library’s periodical databases. We collaborated to create an online website with the LibGuides product. This site is dedicated to these English language students and their research needs. In addition to providing easy access links to the library’s databases, the website also provides students with information about plagiarism and the importance of citation, as well as information about the many ways they can receive research help from a librarian.

Peruvian student Alfredo Morano found that “the lessons were really helpful because we learned how to use the library databases easily.”

Coursework and Assessment

Finally, students in the advanced-level ESL class are assigned to use the database for their homework.

Yelim Kwon, a student from Korea, recalls, “Because I got the simple explanation [at the library], I could understand everything. Then when I needed the resources for my [academic] class, I focused and could find the information on my own.”

Students prepare a portfolio of essays for their Reading & Writing class, including a research paper, which is submitted to the chair of the English department for evaluation. They give a final oral presentation in their Listening & Speaking class, drawing from research from the library database. A panel of judges, which includes the librarian, uses a rubric to evaluate the oral presentations on content, comprehensibility, organization, research, and citations.

Conclusion

We have found that this process has proven to be successful for ELLs. By the end of the semester, students have an understanding of the library resources and feel better supported as they prepare to transition to full-time academic coursework.

Haggerty English Language Program students at the Sojourner Truth Library at SUNY New Paltz.

Matthew Laudicina is a reference and instruction librarian at the Sojourner Truth Library at the State University of New York at New Paltz.

Sarah Elia is president of New York State TESOL and lecturer in the Haggerty English Language Program at State University of New York at New Paltz.