The Highlighter is your run down on the best resources Falvey Library has to offer.

Start the semester right with the best resources a library has: living, breathing librarians! Believe it or not, they actually want to help you! That’s why they’re here.

I sat down with Falvey Librarians to ask them how they help Villanova students in a variety of ways, and what advice they have for the new academic year. Follow the links to visit the librarian’s profile and schedule your first research meeting!

Sarah Wingo, Liasion Librarian for English Literature, Theatre, and Romance Languages and Literature

“I’m a huge theatre nerd, so I’m obsessed with having the most extravagant Halloween costumes.”

Daniella: Do you have any hidden tips a student should know?

Sarah: Journal Finder! I often get emails from students saying their professors have “assigned” them an article, but haven’t necessarily provided them with it. That’s where Journal Finder comes in. It’s on the library homepage, and if you type in the information the professor provided to you, chances are you can find it pretty easily there.

And while this could be controversial, don’t be afraid of Google & Wikipedia. They are tools! Think of them like a chainsaw: if used correctly, and with the proper precautions, a chainsaw can safely cut down a tree. If you have no clue what you’re doing with the chainsaw….it’s chaos! Use Google and Wikipedia to find keywords that can help you in strengthening your search in library databases.

Daniella: What’s one thing you wish you knew as a first-year student?

Sarah: I wish I knew that librarians weren’t just there to shelve books. I had no idea the depth of the expertise a research librarian has.

Jeehyun (Jee) Davis, Associate University Librarian for Collections and Stewardship

“I’m obsessed with seed beading. It’s very meditative.”

Daniella: What would you like to tell all Villanova students?

Jee: There’s a misconception that all librarians are the librarians with the thick glasses that are hushing everyone. It’s a dominating stereotype. It’s totally wrong. They need to know the library is a place where they can do very serious research and group collaboration. We encourage our students to think about collaboration and cooperation. Our library is the place to do that. In the modern sense, this is the place where knowledge exchange and knowledge creation happens!

Daniella: What do you wish you knew when you were starting your undergraduate career?

Jee: I’m from South Korea, so the culture is a lot different. Intellectual curiosity was not necessarily polite. You weren’t really welcome to challenge ideas. The fact that you can actually ask questions did not occur to me. I wish I would have been a little more critical. I shouldn’t have just taken everything the way it was told to me.

Deborah Bishov, Social Sciences & Instructional Design Librarian

“I love my two charming & eccentric cats, Claude & Henrietta.”

Daniella: Do you have a hidden tip for students?

Deborah: People sometimes overlook that they’re part of a scholarly conversation. It’s worth taking a step back to look at what you’re reading, and what the authors of those sources have read, and the experiences you bring to the topic. If there’s an article that really speaks to your topic, and the citation is at least a couple of years old, do some forward citation chasing to see who’s been in conversation with that article since its publication. In some databases, you can search “cited by,” but you can also talk to a librarian for help with this! It’s also useful to think about whose voices aren’t part of the conversation, since that might shape the perspective you bring to the conversation.

Daniella: What do you wish you knew as an undergraduate?

Deborah: So many things! I was a History major, and part of that was writing a capstone senior research paper. I waited until I got totally overwhelmed to finally talk to a librarian. You don’t need to wait that long. You can talk to a librarian at any point in your research.

Rob LeBlanc, First-Year Experience Librarian

“I love video games, specifically role playing adventure games.”

Daniella: How do you best help Villanova students?

Rob: I provide instruction for them through ACS and private one-on-one instruction. I also teach 35-50 instruction sessions every year.

Daniella: Do you have a hidden tip for students?

Rob: Yes. Get enough sleep. I never did when I was an undergraduate, and I was constantly exhausted. I think I would have been a bit more productive and a lot happier if I had gotten enough sleep.

Daniella: What do you wish you knew?

Rob: I wish I knew there were so many great events, that librarians are very friendly and want to help you with everything. In undergrad, I under-utilized my library. I wish I knew that the library had a lot more than just books.

Check back in next week to meet more of the Falvey’s best resources!