If You Host It They Might Come: Creating a Workshop Series for Undergraduates

Abstract

This case study explores the creation of a stand-alone research workshop series for undergraduate students and the various forms it took until finding its home at a residential Honors College on Louisiana State University’s campus. Initially offered to all undergraduates in its first two iterations, the workshop series did not find success until the scope and audience were more clearly defined and a faculty champion was found. Maneuvering past the one-shot model, this four-part workshop series was scaffolded through the semester in conjunction with students’ assignment and research timelines. Not only were these workshops opportunities to teach information literacy and help students through the research process, but they were also a space of care and empathy. By creating a space outside of class where students and librarians could honestly share their perspectives and feelings about research, connections can be formed that help mitigate negative feelings, anxieties, and assumptions students may have about the research process.