Reimagining the Practicum Experience: Post-pandemic Round-up

Thursday, May 5, 2022

10:30 AM – 11:50 AM CT

Location: 343

Primary Presenter/Session Organizer(s)

Christina Pryor

Interim Associate University Librarian & Interim Director of the Health Sciences Library
University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri

Slides

Presenter(s)

Jenny S. Bossaller

Associate Professor
University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Denice Adkins

Professor
School of Information Science & Learning Technologies, University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
E. Bailey Sterling

Technology & LIS Coordinator
Network of the National Library of Medicine Region 3
PLANO, Texas
Ellen Thieme

Data Manager; Library Information Specialist
Institute of Public Policy; University of Missouri Journalism Library
Columbia, Missouri
JS

Jess Saunders

Research Support Librarian
Tulane University
Brandon Jason

Nixa Community Branch Manager
Christian County Library
Nixa, Missouri
Brandon R. Kennedy

Communication Assistant
Network of the National Library of Medicine Region 3, Colorado

Session Format:
This will be a panel discussion comprised of health librarians and NNLM student advocates about new possibilities, driven by COVID-19 and advances in technologies, to engage students in practical, professional-level experiences in medical or health librarianship.

Session Objective/

Overview:
Real-life, practical experiences are a crucial component of professional educational programs, including librarianship. Many LIS programs require students to complete a practicum, under the supervision of a practicing librarian, in a library setting. Online education, which is becoming the norm within LIS education, presents roadblocks to the practicum: students are often employed during “regular” library hours and are often juggling a cadre of personal responsibilities. COVID exacerbated the problem as it closed library doors; however, it also opened new opportunities to engage students in real-life service, a trend that we predict will endure long after COVID has passed. Students and educators will describe selected projects developed during COVID while challenging audience participants to create engaging opportunities outside of the box for emerging professionals.

Methods:
The panelists will describe their own experiences working in an online practicum experience or working with students both online and face-to-face practical experiences. In addition to sharing our own experiences we have been involved with, we will seek counsel and advice from attendees about the kinds of experiences that engage students and serve the public. We aim to give audience members ideas for working with online graduate students in their work, in order to create new opportunities in health librarianship for new members of the profession.

Participant Engagement:
We will use a product like Padlet to engage the audience, or cell phones for survey-type questions. There is an ever-expanding array of options for participant engagement, and we will decide which one to use if our proposal is accepted.

Sponsor(s):
Medical Library Association New Members Caucus and Midcontinental Chapter of the Medical Library Association (MCMLA)
Learning Objectives:
Identified three projects or opportunities in which student workers could participate, learn, and make an impact on the health in their community.
Learned how to describe those projects in ways that appeal to MLIS student
Acquired a list of who to contact to promote these practicum experiences