Libraries Integrates into New Guarantee+

As the Ohio University community returns to campuses across the state, University Libraries is excited to integrate into the new Guarantee+ program for the beginning of the fall semester. The OHIO Guarantee+ program will help students create an individualized graduation plan and guide them throughout their time at the University.

University librarians and staff have collaborated with faculty and staff across the University to create and integrate information literacy milestones, or goals, which teach students to find, access and evaluate information. These milestones are tailored to the information literacy needs of the students and their academic programs. 

For most first-year students, this will mean completing the first milestone in a University College (UC) course or with the guidance of an advisor in fall 2021. With support from librarians, faculty and staff, students will be able to use their information literacy skills to write better research papers, effectively use the Libraries’ resources and think critically about information to succeed during and after their time at OHIO. 

“We’re trying to place this information where it’s actually going to make a difference to the student; acting not reactively, [but] proactively,” said Hanna Schmillen, head of subject liaison services at the Libraries. “All majors across [OHIO] campus[es] are going to experience this intentional path that will make them more successful throughout their academic career.” 

Sue Fletcher, the first-year curriculum coordinator for UC, and Janelle Hubble, UC coordinator and manager of library services for the OHIO Zanesville campus, worked extensively with Schmillen to ensure that the tutorials and other resources, including a complete online guide to milestone one, were easily accessible and understandable for all OHIO students. The librarians, archivists and staff who worked alongside Schmillen were Paul Campbell, John Canter, Bill Kimok, Heaven Koppelkom, Joey Walden and Kate Kingery.

Milestone one will have two parts: part one covers ways students can improve their search skills and part two will discuss the research process more in-depth. Each tutorial will be interactive and will allow students to become more comfortable with the Libraries’ resources. 

“I think that we've turned out a really wonderful product and I think that students will [now] have the same information, so I think that that's beneficial,” said Hubble.  “And, I think that it is all very concise and clear… and accessible.”

In addition, the team collaborated to create a flexible lesson plan for instructors who will be teaching courses that include the information literacy milestone. The Libraries and University College will also be holding information sessions for instructors interested in learning more.  

“We now feel we can support our instructors more,” Fletcher said. “Having a vetted lesson plan that was designed by the Libraries’ personnel for those instructors, with my help… means they have librarian’s expertise when they’re teaching information literacy.” 

As the Libraries moves forward as a fully integrated part of the Guarantee+ program, librarians and staff will continue to collaborate across the University to create a better, more uniform and intentional learning experience for students. 

“We’re really wanting to make sure that the Guarantee+ program, both these milestones and how the Libraries’ are integrating, is successful and really making a good impact. We’re tapping into expertise across campus and working together to make sure this is a unified experience for students based on the research needs of each major,” Schmillen said.