Online Reference Help Pays Off for Stanford Freshman

by Chris Bourg and Malgorzata Schaefer

When freshman Jocelyn Jiao had trouble finding resources for her PWR (Program in Writing and Rhetoric) paper, she IM'd the Information Center in Green Library: "My topic is about 'yellow fever',' the fact that non-Asian men are attracted to Asian women."

In the ensuing online chat and follow-up emails with Phyllis Kayten, reference librarian at the Green Library Information Center, Jocelyn received advice on the overall research process, assistance in selecting an appropriate database, and help in choosing search terms to use to find articles and books related to her topic.

Jocelyn was amazed at the level of service she received, and incorporated Phyllis' suggestions and strategies into researching and writing her paper. When Jocelyn learned that her paper had been selected for the prestigious Boothe Prize, we decided to interview Jocelyn and Phyllis to hear from them about how collaboration between students and librarians can really pay off.

Listen to the interview, or read the interview transcript.

The interview is part of an ongoing series of Academic Technology Podcasts produced by Kimberly Hayworth, of the Academic Computing's Academic Technology Specialists group.

You can request assistance with your research questions by visiting the Information Center in Green Library, emailing us at infocenter@stanford.edu, or IM'ing us by going to http://infocenter.stanford.edu, and selecting "IM Us".