Presented by Melanie Sellar, Marymount College, at the ACRL Science and Technology Section's Research Forum, American Library Association Conference, July 12, 2009.
It's Just Rocket Science: Academic Libraries as Faculty Outreach Partners
1. It’s Just Rocket Science
Academic Libraries as Faculty Outreach Partners
Melanie J. Sellar
Education Services and Reference Librarian
Marymount College, California
Jeanine M. Scaramozzino
College of Science and Mathematics Librarian
California Polytechnic State University
2. Overview
• Prioritizing STEM education
• Why we should care as librarians
• What we can contribute as librarians
• SPIRIT program case study
3. Prioritizing STEM Education
Documenting a STEM Shortfall
• National Academies 2005 Report
• Business Higher Ed Forum 2005 and 2007 Reports
• National Science Board 2007 Report
• International assessments of student achievement in science
Governmental Imperatives
• NSF Broader Impacts [BI] Merit Criterion (1996-)
• NSF Math Science Partnerships [MSP] Grants (2001-)
• America COMPETES Act 2007
4. Why do we care?
Aligns with professional priorities and competencies:
• Contribute to institution‟s learning mission
• Support institution‟s research mission
• Assist in securing federal grant money
• Expand our burgeoning role as educators
• Leverage our expertise as collaborators
5. What can we do?
Partner with faculty to help meet these imperatives…
• Design and execute outreach programs
• Assist in identifying and arranging audiences
• Help translate research for audience
• Provided academic and logistical support
• Cultivate appreciation of research
6. Outreach to Who?
The K-12 students/teachers audience provides the opportunity to…
• Excite children about science and college
• Connect/improve the K-12 to college pipeline
• Help fulfill K-12 science education standards
• Provide teacher professional development
• Begin teaching science information literacy
• Lay a foundation for science-educated voters
7. Case Study: SPIRIT
What?
• School Partnerships in Research & Information Technology
• Community outreach program at UC Irvine
Who?
• K-14 students and teachers
• 5,000 students over last 5 years
Why?
• Facilitate transfer of students into UC system
How?
• DACE: Day at College Experience
• TILI: Teachers Information Literacy Institutes
8. SPIRIT: ‘NanoWorld’ Program
NSF Broader Impacts Pilot Program: „The NanoWorld‟
• Partnership with Associate Prof. Siwy of Physics & Astronomy
• Nanotechnology for biomedical and engineering applications
• Broader impact component for NSF Early Career proposal
• Day at College Experience (DACE) Program
• Morning library instruction session (e.g., http://tiny.cc/9Yxcz)
• Afternoon nanotechnology laboratory visit and hands-on activities
• Received $45K through NSF grant over 5 yrs…
10. SPIRIT: Successes
NSF Applications:
• 3 of 6 NSF funding proposals in 2008-09 (beats rate of ~20%)
• SPIRIT to receive up to N $$ to support N students
Student Experience:
• “It‟s amazing learning about what college students are learning
here. I found out many things doing this research that opened my
eyes about nanotechnology.”
• “I learned a lot about nanotechnology because I did not know we had
micro things that help us with our everyday life.”
• “The things I read about today I have never read about before.”
• “Everything today was new. So I had a great experience and learned
about something new in our micro world.”
11. Advice/Best Practices
• Identify and target grant recipients/potential applicants
• Pick faculty you want to work with
• Start small to get department/faculty buy-in
• Time your pitch (with grant cycles)
• Utilize existing campus infrastructure
• Use existing nat‟l and int‟l science program materials
• Scale scope of collaboration to suit your library
