This semester the library has once again been participating in the First Year Experience by providing instruction and support to first year students in their TRS 201 courses.  Building on the research skills learned in the fall, students are introduced to new resources and databases.  Students will use these resources throughout the semester to find sources and background information about the course readings. To date, 16 classes have been given with over 225 students.  Students are encouraged to use the research guide TRS 201: Faith Seeking Understanding which is our most popular guide.

Other research guides are proving to be popular for a couple of reasons.  Guides can speak to the expertise and specialization in a particular department or school.   Examples include Chaucer, Jane Austen and the Old English Language and Literature for the Department of English and the Program in Medieval and Byzantine Studies; and Thomas Aquinas, Augustine and Martin Heidegger for the School of Philosophy Fall Lecture series for the School of Philosophy and the School of Theology and Religious Studies.

Second, research guides can also complement the library instructions offered by librarians.  For example, the research guide Italian Language and Literature has heavy use due to the two library instruction classes given in January for Professor Stefania Lucamante’s courses, ITAL 226 and ITAL 230. Each guide can demonstrates a unique way that guides are used for research and instruction.

Kevin Gunn, Coordinator of Religious Studies and Humanities Services
Dustin Booher, Religious Studies Librarian