HSC exams are a serious business. Public libraries try their best to make HSC panic-free for students. The HSC and Education Forum 2008 and Reference @Metcalf seminar, both held at the State Library of NSW motivated us to prepare workshops for HSC students.
The year advisors of local schools were invited to book one hour workshops for year 11 classes, from 22nd of Sep to 26th of Sep 2008. Approximately 60 local students attended the three workshops and others will be attending sessions early next year.
The workshop held at the library included showing features of our library catalogue, databases, HSC related websites, and services that provide online help. The display of items included reference resources, literary works in several formats, study guides and infocus articles.
The databases shown were
Britannica Online
Facts on file - History Online
Facts on file - Science Online
Science Reference Centre,
GreenFile
Bloom’s Literary Reference Online
Literary Reference Centre,
Novelist
The websites highlighted were
CSU’s HSC online
Inside Break
Sparknotes
Infocus
State library NSW HSC English
Legal Information and Access Centre
Online help services promoted were
Yourtutor –service by subscription
AskNow – free virtual library service
The workshop started by brainstorming to make students realise that the pathway to success for the HSC starts with good listening, note making and time management. Study and exams section of CSU’s HSC online website was promoted to help improve these skills.
It was a good time to show a live demonstration of Yourtutor, a service that the library has subscribed to within the last 12 months and is now sponsored by BCU Credit Union. Students were also familiarised with AskNow service so they had wider access to help, especially during school holidays and within school hours when yourtutor is not available.
The highlights of eight online databases were shown, of which three had been subscribed to recently. The students appreciated Britannica online’s web’s best sites, articles from journals and magazines and multimedia files. History online had primary documents to impress students. Science online which includes mathematics also had biographies and science dictionary.
Three literary databases were relevant for Standard and Advanced English. Not only that they provided the synopsis, criticism and biography of the author but also connected works by themes and gave information on genre of writing.
There was so much to cover in one hour. Each database and website was limited to three minutes. To make it more relevant for the students, we chose examples from the HSC syllabus. Showing the features of the library website was important too. Judy Atkinson, Programs officer and I took turns to keep the students stay focused the whole time.
Students were impressed to find that they could ask questions at the Reference desk, study in the reading areas and use free computer bookings for up to an hour for research or recreation. Remote access to our library catalogue, databases as well as Yourtutor and AskNow service enthralled the teachers. “Before you start next term, I want you all to have accessed yourtutor” said Mr Abbott, a local school teacher.
Participating students were given show bags. The teachers said that they will definitely bring more classes next year. Commenting on the workshop, one teacher said, “Oh, there is so much information. I think I will come in school holidays and find out more information myself.”
It was a very rewarding experience for us. Now we promote these databases and websites whenever we get an opportunity while answering reference enquiries. We are confident that the use of our databases will increase and our customers will get value for the money spent.
Surinder Kaur
Reference Librarian
Coffs Harbour City Library
Surinder.kaur@chcc.nsw.gov.au
This article was published in Dec 2008 issue of Incite magazine of Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).
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