The first week of 2012 inductions is done. Thankfully it went well. My biggest problem was the fluctuation in student numbers. With set numbers of students expected I had made sure multiple rooms were booked and plenty of staff were on hand to help. However, all but one of my groups experienced considerable numbers of no-shows (not for the library tour but no-shows for the course itself).
Tour number one was for social work students and the full quota arrived. As they were a Masters group I chose to run traditional walking tours. So we toured 3 groups of 15 students around the library simultaneously - this involved much choreography so that we didn't all crash into each other en route. When I was at library-school it didn't dawn on me that logistics would play such a huge part in my day but I always plan routes for each group so that they get the best experience.
The second group were registered nurses who were returning to specialise in being public health nurses. Alas instead of 60 we had 28 turn up. They are always my favourite group of students - the phrase "cracking bunch" doesn't do them justice. I couldn't run the tour I wanted to because they students hadn't been through their registration process and did not have computer logins/id cards etc so the tour couldn't be as hands on as I desired. Still we had lots of fun - a walking tour and a talk about the e-Library followed by an attack on my basket of freebies!
A group of Foundation Degree students were next up - they too were reduced in number, 28 instead of 40. They looked distinctly nervous about starting their course and using a university library but we had a good natter about all things library and they seemed to relax a little. I did an orientation activity for this group which consisted of a short and sweet presentation about the library service, followed by a mini-tour on one floor of the building and then they had a quick activity. The task consisted of picking one book from a little list, searching for it on the library catalogue to find its classmark, the number of copies and which floor it lives on etc. They then had to go off and retrieve the book from the shelf and tell me what the title of chapter 2 was. The team I work with rest their tours on the principle that we 'learn by doing' so we like to get the students to put their hands on a book and use it.
I was off-site delivering a lecture to a group of distance learners on Friday morning and returned to a phone message that my afternoon group had been reduced from 30 to 7 and then later in the afternoon only 2 turned up! Still the two that made the effort had a small, personal tour around the facilities and got plenty of freebies between them.
The first week is always a wake-up call. Summer hurtles by and suddenly your back in the saddle trying to remember all the things you're supposed to mention on the tour and fluffing words in presentations as you try to regain your patter. By the end of week two I'll be word perfect and probably on tour auto-pilot.
What did I do on my day off - I went on a tour! Yes, a tour of a newly opened museum/library in my home town. Still at least being on the tour was a change from running the tour.
My top tips for inductions:
Freebies - always have freebies. A free pen endears you to many a student! I am often reminded in workshops that I was the lady who sorted all their stationery needs in week one.
Rooms/staff - better to be over prepared. It's easier to take structure away rather than add it at short notice.
Flat shoes - if you're giving walking tours your feet will suffer so be nice to them!
Engage tutors - get them to join you on your tour (freebies work on them too) as the students can ask them questions about reading lists etc during the event and the tutor gets an annual update on all things library.
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