Study Finds Library Class Potentially Helps Students Graduate
If you want to earn a college degree, consider taking a library class, a new study suggests. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point students who passed Library Resources 101 were 18.5 percent more likely to earn bachelor’s degrees than classmates who never enrolled in the course. Those results were published June 16 in the journal College & Undergraduate Libraries . “Research skills are essential to college success,” said Troy Espe, a UWSP librarian. “This study supports what librarians always have known.” Troy Espe Offered since 1994, Library Resources 101 teaches basic research skills. The one-credit course introduces students to the library while emphasizing online materials ranging from e-books to streaming videos. Jennifer Huffman teaching LRES101 Taught by librarians, the class aims to reduce students’ fears of navigating large college libraries. Librarians employ interactive activities such as a scavenger hunt and a “Jeopardy!”-themed midterm review. “College librari