Your Name and Title: Melissa Mallon, Assistant Professor & Coordinator of Library Instruction

Library, School, or Organization Name: Wichita State University Libraries

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: Kansas, United States

Language in Which You Will Present: English

Target Audience(s): Academic Librarians, Urban Librarians

Short Session Description (one line): Using social media to provide customized online research assistance to urban students on the go

Full Session Description (as long as you would like): For many urban colleges & universities, most students live, study, and work off-campus, thus becoming “distance learners” despite their physical proximity to the university.

The presenter will begin by briefly covering a theoretical context to support the use of social media tools for providing research assistance by examining online learning styles and characteristics of distance learners. The presenter will then discuss how Wichita State University Libraries uses social media tools, including YouTube and Twitter, to offer these students the same level of research support as those studying on campus. By providing a virtual suite of materials, students have the opportunity to pick and choose online research support that is customized to their specific needs and timetable.

Tag: 2.012Libraries