The concept of chance strikes each of us differently. On one hand, we despise vulnerability and will do everything in our power to stay confined within what we may view as normal, as routine, as safe. On the other hand, the reward that comes with taking a risk can make the temporary uncertainty worth it.
This feeling of self-elevation and widespread recognition is something that the Library Research Award event aims to provide. It dates back to 2019, when a simple suggestion based on reasonable grounds turned into an exhibition that now enters its eighth consecutive year.
Senior Research and Instruction Librarian Elizabeth Fields began her career at Stevenson that same year.
“It was suggested to me by the person who was my boss at the time,” Fields said. “She saw that this was something that other colleges and universities were doing to recognize student research and scholarship, and she thought it would be good for us to do it to show that we at Stevenson value students doing research projects for class to reward them.”
This year’s deadline for entries is Feb. 15, so time is running short. Not only is the winner recognized at the Paul D. Lack Scholars Showcase on Mar. 27, but their project is submitted into the vault at the university.
How do I enter? – LibRA – Library Research Award – SU Library at Stevenson University
Since the event’s inception, Fields has sat on the evaluation committee. Senior Research & Instruction Librarian Kelly Donovan will repeat as a judge again this year.
However, the other committee members have rotated since the event started. Fields said the standard has been to involve different instructors of different schools (departments) to eliminate any bias whatsoever.
“Being on the Library Research Award was fascinating because it’s an opportunity for us to see what you [students] are doing,” Donovan said.
Judges look at seven pieces of criteria to narrow down their selections, which Fields and Donovan say isn’t easy. The committee hopes to see as wide of a range of projects as possible.
“We do have two separate pools of applicants: one for people who haven’t done as many research projects, and one for people who have done more. If they [first-year students] only have projects from their first semester, it’s probably not fair to ask them to compete against a senior who has three-and-a-half years’ worth,” Fields said.
Any kind of research project is fair game, especially when the research is balanced and conveyed in a creative manner that bucks the trend and operates outside of the box.
“I do think that it’s fun when something that is not a traditional paper wins. It doesn’t have to be a paper or presentation,” Fields said.
Fields also said the projects offer intrinsic value in just completing them. However, these submissions seem to give the library and its members a good sense of what students have incorporated, even if a number of underlying reasons affect students’ desires to visit the library’s physical space.
Limiting factors, as Donovan said, could stem from student’s struggle to maintain independence, which may limit their asking for help. Another factor may be a lack of knowledge on how to find what a student is looking for in the library. The internet has also made a bevy of resources easily accessible online, potentially limiting the feasibility of some people to travel in-person to the library.
None of these things can be discounted along with any other personal reasoning for this development. However, Donovan emphasized the value of acquiring physical documentation and completing hands-on experience in the library space. Also, the library is the only place to access tools such as the interlibrary loans.
“We try to break down the barriers for communication. In terms of changing students and making them feel more comfortable, that’s something that we’re constantly having to evaluate,” Donovan said.
