Guest Post: Welcome to the Suffolk County Community College Libraries

by Krista Gruber, Mentor, New Member Mentoring Program

Do you find yourself frustrated by students’ heavy reliance on Google for research?  Do you wish your students would seek out and gain confidence using consistently reliable sources?  Would you like some reinforcement when it comes to teaching citation and attribution?  Call us! Librarians are available for instruction sessions tailored to projects or papers you assign during the semester.  Your students will learn basics, such as how to locate a book on his or her topic, the ideal databases to consult for magazine, newspaper, and academic journal articles, and how to cite the resources they find.  More advanced concepts, such as critical evaluation of websites, can also be incorporated into the discussion.  In addition, we can work together to design customized electronic guides specifically geared toward your coursework.

 

Super new library on the Eastern campus.
Super new weather, too!

We also hope you will consider making a copy of your course textbook available for student use at the library.  The cost of some textbooks is exorbitant and purchasing them can become a financial hardship for many students.  Each campus library maintains a reserve collection of textbooks.  Often professors or departments have extra copies of the current class texts.  If this is the case for you, please bring the item(s) you would like to place on reserve to your campus library and ask staff for assistance.  Once the materials are processed, students will be able to use them within the library for an hour or two.   I can personally attest to the popularity of this collection.  Students repeatedly express relief and appreciation that they found the right textbook here in the library.

 

Please feel free to stop by your campus library, take a look at our collections, and say hello.  We look forward seeing you soon and welcome you to the college.  Visit the Suffolk County Community College Library website for more information.  Also, do not hesitate to contact me at gruberk@sunysuffolk.edu with any questions or concerns you may have.