Library Instruction West 2018

In 2011, the Walker Library at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) coordinated with a nearby magnet high school intending to introduce 200 gifted high school seniors to a collegiate research experience. These students had a capstone thesis project requiring access to resources not available at the high school library. Walker Library provided library instruction showcasing basic collegiate level research skills. The high school students had the opportunity to utilize a wide variety of resources for their research, and they were exposed to an important cornerstone of the MTSU campus. The students benefited from academic librarians, high school librarians, and high school teachers working together to deliver vital research assistance in the classroom setting. The 2011 collaboration developed into a formal partnership and now serves as the model for other Walker Library/high school partnerships. As of 2017, Walker Library collaborates with seven high schools, and more are joining. The success of these partnerships has gained the attention of numerous MTSU campus officials and is now becoming a part of the MTSU student recruitment process. This presentation will describe the structure of the Walker Library/high school partnerships. It will detail how the partnerships were originally set up as well as how they have evolved. The presentation will conclude with a summary of lessons learned, assessment of the partnerships, and details regarding future directions.