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Vol. 7, No. 1: September 15, 2000

Developing Library Services for the Distance Education Student

by Cleo J. Powers, Circulation and Center for Reserve and Instructional Media Center Librarian,
and Jill S. Markgraf, Distance Education and Reference Librarian,
UW – Eau Claire

The Association of College and Research Libraries in its ACRL Guidelines for Distance Learning Library Services states, "Library resources and services in institutions of higher education must meet the needs of all their faculty, students, and academic support staff, wherever these individuals are located, whether on a main campus, off campus, in distance education or extended campus programs, or in the absence of a campus at all; in courses taken for credit or non-credit; in continuing education programs; in courses attended in person or by means of electronic transmission; or any other means of distance education." In the organization's Standards for College Libraries (2000 edition), it is stated, "Furthermore, distance learning programs should be supported by equivalent means such as remote electronic access to collections, the provision of reliable network connections, and electronic transmission or courier delivery of library materials to remote users."

It is in meeting these stated guidelines that universities -- and their libraries in particular -- face some of the greatest challenges related to distance education. Every UW System library has struggled with service issues surrounding access to electronic databases from remote sites, bibliographic instruction, and delivery of materials to DE participants.

At the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, McIntyre Library staff became peripherally involved early on with some aspects of providing service to distance learners as a result of the School of Nursing’s satellite nursing program in Marshfield. Initially, this meant we shuttled videotapes back and forth between Eau Claire and Marshfield. But that program expanded, the statewide baccalaureate-level Collaborative Nursing Program emerged, and more electronic resources and full-text databases became available. As a result, the library faced more challenges in terms of equitable access to resources for the students enrolled at Marshfield as well as across the five CNP campuses (Madison, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Green Bay, and Eau Claire). In 1997, WiLS (Wisconsin Library Services) was approached to provide a solution to accommodate the need for library services by these students. A centralized effort was imperative as it became more and more apparent that students enrolled in the same class did not have equitable access to resources. With the home-campus enrollment principle, a student could be enrolled at UW-Eau Claire but taking a course originating from UW-Madison and, consequently, not have access to the same level of bibliographic resources as did the student enrolled at UW-Madison.

Librarians from the five CNP campuses and one of the Colleges worked with WiLS staff and researched what services were available and what still needed to be provided. Initial funding was provided by COWL (Council of Wisconsin Libraries). In collaboration with the UW-Extension Distance Education Clearinghouse and the libraries of the five CNP campuses, the CNP Library Project provided centralized access to remote databases and library catalogs through the Distance Education Clearinghouse; Web-based interlibrary loan through WILS; and direct document delivery to home or office.

Each of the participating campuses named a librarian as the primary contact for the DE students. This was a critical link because many of the students were not "traditional" students, did not have extensive computer skills, and had virtually no experience doing online library research. To support this latter need, an online research tutorial was designed by Wisconsin librarians. Based on this project, similar support has been set up to provide access to resources for students in industrial technology courses offered by UW-Stout and, most recently, for the School Library Consortia group.

While engaging in these efforts, most UW System campuses have continued to expand their services for distance learners. What has been developed at UW--Eau Claire is indicative of what many other libraries in the UW System are providing. It should also be noted that the goal of providing equitable access to resources has been well supported through the cooperative collection development efforts undertaken by UW librarians as they scrutinize and recommend purchases of full-text databases. Efforts have also been aided by the BadgerLink Project funded through the Department of Public Instruction's Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning.

In addition to nursing, UW Eau Claire has distance education programs in business, education, library science and media education, history, social work, and psychology, with DE initiatives proliferating rapidly. This past summer saw the launching of five completely web-based courses, which presented the library with new challenges.

In the past two years, the library has stepped up its efforts to meet the unique needs of its growing DE population. Library services are outlined on a website dedicated to DE students and faculty. The greatest boon for DE students and libraries serving them has been the increased availability of web-based resources. With the growth of full-text journals, newspapers, reference works and other research materials online, DE students are better served than ever before. Because most of these resources are licensed databases to which libraries subscribe, the challenge for libraries has been providing access to these restricted databases for authorized users (i.e. those enrolled or employed at the university) connecting from Internet accounts outside the university. McIntyre Library, like many other libraries, uses a proxy server to address this challenge. The library’s proxy server verifies that a user is affiliated with UW--Eau Claire by asking for the university ID and password, and then serves as a gateway to the more than 100 databases available.

Even as more and more resources become available online, it remains the case that the lion’s share of research material is still available only in print. In addition, the amount of material available online varies drastically among disciplines. To provide DE students with access to print materials, the library offers a document delivery service, whereby books and journal article photocopies are mailed directly to a student’s home.

Instruction in how to do library research is a major component of a student’s education. In recent years, library instruction has been delivered to DE students in much the same manner as to on-campus students, with added innovations to hurdle the distance barrier. Such approaches have included instruction via interactive television or audio conferencing, travel by students to campus for instruction, and travel by librarians to remote sites. With the advent of online courses, the library’s approach to instruction is changing. Many students are no longer available at a set time or place for instruction. To meet the challenge of reaching this new breed of DE students, McIntyre librarians are experimenting with alternative means of instruction, such as the development of the aforementioned online research tutorial, one-on-one e-mail and phone contact with students, mailings of handouts and guides, and the development of course-specific online research guides (for example, an online marketing guide).

Of course, library services for DE students are only useful if students and instructors are aware of them. McIntyre Library has made efforts to publicize its services by getting library information included in the Distance Education Courses Class Schedule Bulletin; offering campus workshops for DE faculty; engaging in individual consultation with DE faculty and instructional designers; and writing articles for campus publications. As visibility of DE library services increases, so do the library research requirements and expectations of DE faculty. Early indications at UW-Eau Claire’s McIntyre Library are that collaboration between librarians and DE faculty members is the most effective means of providing DE students with a library experience comparable to that of on-campus students and essential for a complete education.

As the number of courses and participants increases, many of these services still in their infancy will need to be expanded and other new services added to meet the needs of the faculty, staff, and students engaged in distance education in -- and well beyond -- the boundaries of Wisconsin.

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