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Back to School
by Michelle Twait
Classes, homework, papers and projects - sounds like the typical week of an undergraduate student, doesn't it? Add reference desk duties, library instruction sessions, meetings and collection development to the list, and you have my typical week.
I am currently working towards a master's degree in educational psychology, while still employed full-time. Am I a glutton for punishment? Just plain crazy? On the contrary, becoming a student again has added an enjoyable new dimension to my life.
Applied Learning
Furthering my education allows me to see the connections between librarianship and educational psychology. Within the educational psychology department, my specialty area is learning & cognition. This area is concerned with the study of intelligence, decision- making, problem-solving, effective teaching, and how the brain makes connections. Information-seeking and library research involve a great deal of problem-solving and decision-making. While I study student motivation, I consider what motivational factors are at work when a student tackles a research paper and explore the decision-making process that takes place when students select sources. As I read about learning styles and multiple intelligences, I think about ways that library instruction might better address students' unique educational needs. Exploring these connections naturally leads to conversations with both librarians and faculty colleagues.
In addition to providing a space to learn about the connections between psychology, education, and library science, my academic experiences also offer opportunities to develop practical applications. My courses introduce theory, and, at the same time, emphasize applied educational psychology. One course allowed me to develop cooperative learning lesson plans for library instruction. Another provided an opportunity to perform a statistical analysis of data relating to staff FTE in libraries. Yet another introduced teaching methods that work best with adult learners, and I was able to apply those methods to my work.
The Student Becomes the Teacher
Occasionally, other educational psychology students raise questions about citing sources, selecting appropriate journals, or identifying useful databases. Each time I share my professional expertise with educational psychology faculty and classmates, I feel I have contributed both to the course and to librarianship. Informing colleagues in other disciplines about tools, strategies, or library-related issues that affect their research places the librarian in the position of change agent. As such, librarians are contributing (albeit indirectly) to scholarly research in various disciplines. These efforts are also an opportunity to improve the status of librarianship by raising awareness of the profession and librarians' talents.
Links to Librarianship
I chose to study educational psychology because I saw a direct connection between the subject matter and library instruction. However, librarianship is interdisciplinary by its very nature, and we can draw upon the work of many other disciplines to enhance our own. The study of ergonomics can be used to improve library's physical spaces. Business administration courses can inform our understanding of library leadership and management. Communication theory can contribute to the effectiveness of reference service.
Returning to the Classroom
No time to go back to school? I have found that many classes are offered in the evenings or on weekends to accommodate busy schedules. Schools often offer independent or distance learning courses, and I was able to take one course online. Too expensive? Scholarships, grants, and other funding sources are available. If you happen to work at a college or university, your status as an employee may allow you to take classes at a discount or even for free. Can't decide on a subject? You may wish to take interdisciplinary courses or check into the possibility of customizing your program of study. Don't want to commit to a program? Watch for community education classes, lectures, personal enrichment programs, or continuing education classes.
Department or program home pages can be a useful place to start exploring potential subjects. Most college or university catalogs are available online. Once you have found a program or course you are interested in, make an appointment with the program advisor or a professor who teaches that course.
Would I Do It Again?
Absolutely. Although managing a career and coursework simultaneously has been challenging at times, it has also been a rewarding experience. For everything I have put into my courses, my education has given back in threefold. Being a student again has made me a better librarian, a better scholar, and a better teacher.
If you are inquisitive and motivated, you may want to don a backpack and head back to school. Right now, in a classroom somewhere, there is an empty seat waiting to be filled by someone who would like to explore interesting ideas, challenge themselves, and contribute to their profession. In other words, someone just like you.
Michelle Twait is an Academic Librarian and Instructor at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. If you have questions about what life is like on the other side of the podium, feel free to e- mail her at mtwait@gac.edu.