Submission: What’s going on at the St. Kate’s Library?

By Bergen Christoffer Eibs

Are you working hard on an important research paper, struggling to find that last resource? It seems even harder now with Covid-19, right? The St. Kate’s Library wants to be able to reach out to St. Kate’s students, whether they need extra assistance getting started with a research topic or finding the right articles and other information for their closing arguments.

When I worked as a technical writing intern for St. Kate’s Library during the fall semester, I always saw the librarians making that commitment through their online resources with such kindness and patience firsthand, and I’m proud to have been a part of their wonderful work environment.

I was told by Emily Asch, the library’s director and my former internship boss, that unfortunately, not many students knew about how much St. Kate’s Library has changed and upgraded their services for more accessible use during the pandemic. There were listening sessions sent out to students in the St. Kate’s community that talked about this, followed with a survey asking about what they learned. Many of the students who signed up for these sessions and took these surveys responded to the news saying it was the first time hearing about the changes.

St. Kate’s Library’s goal during these trying times is to get the message out to the rest of the community that they have many resource options available to students if they need anything, and to give students some peace of mind.

According to an email I received from Preeti Gupton, the Online Learning Librarian, there was a major spike of students using the online guides this past year. There were just over 8,000 views from September 1st to October 31st in 2019. Between these same dates for 2020, just below 14,000 views were recorded, due to the pandemic and lockdowns making people be more active on the St. Kate’s Library’s website. Reading this made me happy, because students were not only getting the help they needed, but were also most likely learning about what else is available to them. 

When I was reviewing and editing the guides for internship work, I learned so much from what they were presenting, like basic information about how copyright works, and the number of resources for those taking English courses I never knew about before. The research guides, as well as the LibGuides and tutorials, are always available on the St. Kate’s Library website. They are also embedded in your D2L classes for easier access! 

There are research guides about every subject, ranging from Nursing to English, as well as information for the TRW and GSJ classes. The LibGuides are handy for learning about library basics and research processes. The library also has updated citation style guides for MLA, APA, and Chicago.

There are many ways to discover resources for your work. CLICSearch helps you find not only books, but articles as well! Databases like EBSCOhost and JSTOR can also be used for more fine-tuned searching. The Library Pickup Service, which was set up over the summer, is the current system for students who want to take out physical materials without physical contact with the staff. All you have to do is request the item(s) you need through CLICSearch or ILLiad (Interlibrary Loan Services) and wait for the email that confirms your order is ready to be picked up. Materials are to be picked up at the front door when you ring the bell and show your student ID. 

There is also a 24/7 chat on the website that allows you to chat with a librarian so they can answer any questions you have. If you know your subject librarian, you can always send them an email, or set up an appointment if you prefer that method. You can also follow the St. Kate’s Library’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates as well as information on upcoming events and changes happening on campus and online.

These are just some of the many services St. Kate’s Library has to offer. The wonderful librarians of St. Kate’s Library know that the pandemic is creating stress for everyone in the St. Kate’s community, and they always want students to do their best in class. This means making sure all the information regarding these services is spread around to everyone so they can have the chance to get the best grades and have a successful school year. Don’t wait, check them out!