Talent Gateway Challenges

The Library as Your Success Partner  

Point Value: 250

The campus library is an important asset for any student, whether you frequently go in the building itself or not. For this challenge, visit the UM-Dearborn Mardigian Library website and  browse around to get familiar with what is offered to you as a student. Afterwards,  respond to the following:

• What did you notice about the library hours?
• What are some of the ways you can get help at the library (list at least 3)? Which way do you think you’ll be most likely to connect with a librarian? Why?
• How can the Mardigian Library and its resources help you accomplish your personal, academic and career goals?

Fast Start to Class Assignments 

Point Value: 500

In addition to general help at the library, you can connect with someone who is a specialist in your area of study. This person knows the resources and topics that will be of most use in your field and their job is to help you! For this challenge, visit the website of the Mardigian Library, then do the following:

• Find a subject guide in your area of interest. How can you use this resource for your studies?
• Find a subject librarian in your area of interest. How can this librarian help you accomplish your goals?
• What other ways do you think the Library (or any library) can support your academic, career, or personal development?

 

Meet Your Subject Librarian

Point Value: 500

Asking for help can sometimes be intimidating! To make it easier, the Library has Subject Librarians who can direct you to the most appropriate resources for your class assignments. They can help you find a topic, create effective database search strategies, evaluate the sources you have chosen, and cite those sources. For this challenge, visit the  Mardigian Library website and click on the Subject Guides button to find the list of librarians with their subject specialties. Contact your subject librarian and make an appointment for a 10-15 minute meeting. Afterwards, respond to the following:

• What did you learn about conducting research?
• What library resources or services did you learn about that you were previously unaware of?
• How will this new knowledge help you in other classes?
• How will this new knowledge help you accomplish your personal, academic and career goals?

The Library Doesn’t Have the Book I Need...or Do They?

Point Value: 500

Need a book for a class, but can’t get it from the Mardigian Library? Fear not! If you need a book, video, or journal article that the Mardigian Library doesn’t currently have, the Library is part of a resource sharing system that may be able to help! Through Interlibrary Loan and MeLCat (Michigan Electronic Library Catalog), the Mardigian Library can request items that other libraries own and are willing to lend out. For this challenge, browse either the MeLCat or Interlibrary Loan page, search for an item of your choosing, request it, and pick it up from the User Services desk. This item can be something you need for a class or something you want to read for fun. Afterwards, respond to the following:

• What did you learn about using MeLCat or Interlibrary Loan?
• What aspects of MeLCat and Interlibrary Loan did you like? What did you not like?
• How might this exercise of exploring library resource sharing systems impact your personal or career pursuits?

The Hidden Book: The Beauty in Browsing

Point Value: 500

When researching, we sometimes get caught up on a particular source. Choose a book related to a research project you are working on, then visit the Mardigian Library to find the book on the shelf. Browse the books on surrounding shelves to look for literature on the same topic, then respond to the following:

• What book did you start with? Which books did it lead you to? 
• How did it feel to browse the library? Did you add any of the other books to your research? 
• Why is it important to use a variety of sources when completing a research project? 
• How can this process help you accomplish your personal, academic, and career goals?

Sniffing Out Fake News

Point Value: 500

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish fake news from real news. For this challenge, use the infographic below from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions to evaluate a news article that  you found through a library database search or on the Internet. After you have checked your source against the listed validation criteria, reflect on the following:

• In what ways does your news story appear to be legitimate (reference the validation criteria from the infographic below.)
• In what ways does the same story appear to be questionable or less valid than you originally thought?
• How will being able to distinguish between fake news and real news transfer to your personal or professional careers?