Students as Knowledge Ambassadors: Empowering the Next Generation of Information Professionals

1. Students as Knowledge Ambassadors Presenter: Jane Gikandi Ag University Librarian Cooperative University College of Kenya (CUCK) jgikandi@cuck.ac.ke http://www.cuck.ac.ke/

2. Outline  Objectives  Introduction  Knowledge Ambassadors  Rationale for Student Engagement  The ambassadors participates in various activities  Information Skills Training  Exhibitions  Open Access week  Participation in workshops  Documentaries  Collaborative efforts  Challenges  Solutions

3. Objectives  Discuss rationale for student engagement  Discuss student library advocacy in selected Universities  Share some collaborative efforts  Challenges and solutions

4. Introduction  The Kenyan libraries subscribes to thousands of e-journals through the Kenya Library and Information Services Consortium (KLISC) in collaboration with International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications (INASP).  To promote the resources various libraries use social media, hold exhibitions, develop websites and brochures among others.  These resources are underutilized despite various efforts by libraries to improve utilization  Low usage of the resources due  Lack of awareness of availability of the e-resources  Inadequate search skills  Use of search engines like Google  Overreliance on lecturer notes  Lack of an information literacy policy  Many Lecturers don’t use the resources  Many libraries are developing partnership with students and other stakeholders to maximize on electronic resources use. Some institutions call them student champions, student ambassadors or knowledge ambassadors

5. Knowledge ambassadors  Knowledge Ambassadors are student volunteers passionate and enthusiastic about promoting library services to their peers.  The ambassadors in collaboration with libraries have been involved in various activities

6. Rationale for Student Engagement  Need for stakeholders’ involvement  Improve communication between library and the student community  Develop user centered services  To tap on their energy and creativity  More access to their peers in term of time and numbers  The h have their own language of communication

7.  The shift to electronic resources from print requires library users acquire Information Literacy Skills training  Most institutions in Kenya are carrying out information skills training to enable students carry work out their research effectively  Ambassadors have assisted in are mobilizing their peers and class to mount information skills training The ambassadors suggested training notices at Catholic University of Eastern Africa CUEA- its on notice boards Information Skills Training

8. Information Skills training cont… Peer training A knowledge Ambassador demonstrates use of e-resources after training @CUCK Peer training at CUEA

9. Exhibitions Students participation attracts many of their peers to the exhibition stand

10. Open Access week Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), University of Nairobi has been promoting the open access and Institutional repository. Open access ambassadors @JKUAT Mr and Miss Open access JKUAT 2010

11. Open Access week cont…

12. Participation in Workshops Student registers for Anti- plagiarism workshop Student moderating a discussion during anti-plagiarism workshop Student registers for Anti- plagiarism workshop Student moderates a session at anti-plagiarism workshop

13. Documentaries Taken by Knowledge Ambassadors during the Standing Conference for Eastern Central and Southern Africa (SCECSAL 2012, Nairobi SCECSAL Documentary SCECSAL Cultural Evening

14. Participates in Corporate Social Responsibility

15. Collaboration with Emerald Emerald first contact with Knowledge Ambassadors was during a training of student ambassadors at CUEA

16. Collaboration with Emerald 1 st workshop Knowledge Ambassadors workshop The 1 st Emerald Knowledge Ambassadors workshop brought together students and staff from CUCK, JKUAT, Presbyterian University of East Africa (PUEA) and TU-K. Program included ambassadors role and benefits

17. Collaboration with Emerald Emerald Publishing has Supported training workshops and promotional materials

18. Collaboration with Emerald 2nd st workshop Knowledge  Ambassadors workshop Support by University Administration  CUCK Principal Opened the 2 nd Emerald Knowledge Ambassadors Workshop

19. Collaboration with Emerald Nurturing innovation and creativity cont… • During the second Emerald ambassadors workshop, Emerald had awards for best creativity, presentation and best Emerald user. • The next slides shows some of the student presentations

20. Collaboration with Emerald Nurturing innovation and creativity cont… Poster by Daystar University Book mark by CUCK

21. Collaboration with Emerald Cont…. Nurturing innovation and creativity cont… Below is a link to a feature by Daystar University Emerald Ambassadors depicting the use of Emerald on-line resources by Daystar students https://soundcloud.com/user22894890/daystar-emerald-2014-feature https://soundcloud.com/user22894890/commercial-emerald-shine-2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXlCCZnvL-Q

22. Collaboration with Emerald Cont…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXlCCZnvL-Q Emerald Cartoon Promotion Documentary by St Paul’s University

23. Collaboration with Emerald Cont…. Poem by Cooperative University College of Kenya Student

24. Collaboration with Emerald Cont…. Tangaza University College presentation

25. Making Emerald’s published matterials accessible to persons with disabilities. Presented by Samson Waweru. Student, The University of Nairobi. Chair, University of Nairobi Students with Disabilities Association (unswda).

26. Collaboration with Emerald Cont…. Multi-Media University presentation

27. Challenges  Sometimes the student loose focus and want to carry out mane tasks some of which are not library related  Many times student don’t meet on assigned ambassador tasks  Some student want use Ambassador program as a springboard to venture into politics  For library staff it requires patience and a lot of mentoring  Infrastructure and inadequate computers

28. Possible Solutions  Give incentives like participation certificates and publishers’ token (mouse pads, pen, flash disks etc)  Ambassador competition to encourage creativity and fun  Workshops to give skills to knowledge ambassadors  Consult with students on events they would like to carry out.

29. THANK YOU