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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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: