Student research is often shaped by two forces: a student’s independent work and the guidance of a professor. At UVM, a third partner improves the research process for many. By working with librarians, students benefit from expertise in research methodology coupled with subject-specific knowledge. The additional perspective sharpens research questions, expands sources and turns uncertainty into confidence. 

For Dan Kopin, a 2017 graduate of UVM’s Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources (RSENR) and cofounder of UVM’s Headwaters Magazine, his connection with a librarian greatly increased the rigor and quality of his work.  

After Laurie Kutner, information and instruction librarian, began regularly visiting Kopin’s RSENR thesis course, he maintained a close connection with her for ongoing support during the research process. Kopin shared that Kutner’s classroom visits, an integral part of librarianship at UVM, expanded his knowledge of the access he had through the UVM Libraries and how he can utilize those resources to accelerate the work he was doing. 

As research support increasingly becomes available online through digital resources, chat services, and more, it’s clear that researchers still look for face-to-face support when working on a project. 

“The librarians at UVM are really ambassadors of knowledge and creativity,” said Kopin. “If you’re on a research journey as a student, there’s nothing better than having a librarian as a fellow traveler walking the path with you.” 

Where research meets engineering 

On a snowy afternoon in November, Information and Instruction Librarian Graham Sherriff visited a large classroom in Innovation Hall on UVM’s main campus to meet with students in CEMS 1500, a College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences first-year seminar. His purpose: to identify and demo the right resources for the seminars project and to raise general awareness about the many tools and supports available to students through the Libraries. 

Unlike your traditional round-table seminar, 24 tables each containing four students filled the large lab-like room when Sherriff came to visit. Participants at each table were researching a solution to one of three problems: create a math/statistics drop-in lab for the college, understand and increase UVM’s general knowledge of artificial intelligence sustainability, or find a temperature-control solution for Rally Cat’s uniform. 

For one group researching temperature-control measures for mascot uniforms, Sheriff’s visit could not have been timed more perfectly. “What we’re researching is really a problem,” one member of the group voiced. “We’re eager to find a solution.”  

Sherriff suggested that this particular group use UVM’s Google Scholar for a successful search. He shared a piece of advice: for well-researched topics, select the “review articles” filter within Google Scholar. Review articles are articles that summarize many articles focused on the same topic. 

Accessing Google Scholar through the Libraries’ website is one way to expand the quantity and quality of results, explained Sherriff. By starting here, a student’s IP address informs Google Scholar that the user has access to expanded results given their UVM status. 

Sherriff’s presentation went beyond Google Scholar and covered other services available to UVM students through the Libraries, including resources from libraries across the globe. 

“Your access goes beyond the UVM Libraries,” said Sherriff. He went on to explain that interlibrary loan (ILL) services allow patrons to request materials that a partnering library owns and allows UVM to borrow. When a patron is still having trouble finding what they need even with the use of ILL services, Sherriff suggested that they connect with librarians via chat, email, appointment or simply by visiting the reference desk in Howe Library.

Where evidence meets clinical care 

With subject librarians dedicated to every academic department on campus, librarians visit a diverse range of courses to offer support during the research process. Clinical and Education Librarians Amalia Dolan and Laura Haines recently visited an Emergency Medicine Research Associate Program (EMRAP) class to support students conducting clinical research while shadowing healthcare providers in the UVM Medical Center’s (UVMMC) Emergency Department. 

The class began with a group discussion where students shared experiences about working a shift in the Emergency Department. One student shared that the evening they spent shadowing a physician was entirely chaotic; another confessed that they did not get to interact with patients as much as they had expected; another shared that they witnessed a stroke assessment and laceration repairs during their shadow night. 

Following the share, Dolan and Haines gave the class a broad overview of the Libraries’ resources and how to use them most efficiently in these intense professional moments. A search demonstration in the Libraries’ catalog search, CATQuest, provided students with clear parameters for smart searching. Selecting the right Boolean operator, the research term for conjunction words (like “and” or “or”), in search phrases will drastically affect the results of your search, shared Dolan.  

For example, searching “climate change and heat exhaustion” will populate resources that mention both terms. Conversely, searching “climate change or heat exhaustion” will populate resources that mention only one of the search terms. The librarians’ presentation was filled with nuggets of information that students could take away and eventually apply to their clinical in-the-moment research while working in the Emergency Department. 

You and UVM Libraries 

“The work of a liaison librarian is not only to connect people with information, but to build sustained relationships that support teaching, learning, and research,” said Jennifer Snow, director of Information and Instruction Services at UVM Libraries. “Connecting with students and researchers in the classroom and at any point along the research process gives us the opportunity to foster creativity and encourage discovery." 

Librarians at UVM are ready to boost discovery in your work by offering unbiased support at any stage of the research process. Whether you’re looking for help managing your citations, narrowing in on a research topic or writing your abstract, the Libraries are here to help as the third partner in your next project. Connect with a librarian today for help.