Darling Handlos says she did well in her online degree program because she took advantage of her school’s library resources and wasn’t afraid to ask for help.
The 34-year-old Nebraska mom graduated with a bachelor’s degree in leadership and nonprofit management from Creighton University earlier this year. She regularly used online reference materials provided by the school to complete class assignments and was even able to text the school’s librarians when she needed research assistance, says Handlos, a paralegal.
Handlos worked full time while completing her degree, and even served as a peer mentor for online introductory courses at Creighton, a commitment equivalent to a part-time job, for a portion of her studies, she says.
“I think Creighton did a great job in providing the tools that I needed to succeed in the library,” she says. “And the ability to write my research papers and assignments without having to leave my home and just having all the resources available to me at a moment’s notice on my terms, at my time, was great.”
These tools can be invaluable for academic success.
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“Research tells us that students who take advantage of library services have higher grade-point averages and are more likely to complete their programs in a timely fashion,” says Ann Campion Riley, president of the Association of College & Research Libraries. Most distance students are people who want to succeed, but online students need to be highly motivated and self-directed to do this, she says.
The types of library services available to online students will vary among institutions, but distance students should have access to all the same library resources as on-campus students, says Riley, who is also acting director of libraries at the University of Missouri.
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Online students usually have access to all the online journals and databases that libraries provide, she says, and many online students will be able to get help from a librarian through chat services and email. Some libraries will mail print books to students, though many are available instantly as e-books from libraries’ online catalogs, she says.
While students may be able to find some materials on the web for free, says Riley, typically the only way that they will get access to most academic journals is if they go through a library website because libraries have to pay for these subscriptions.
Many libraries will have online orientations for distance students to learn about these resources, Riley says. Library resources may also be available through the online learning management systems in which many courses are conducted, she says.
Students could also check out the library’s website for more information, she says.
Stefanie Buck, a librarian at Oregon State University Libraries and Press who works with online students, who are part of the school’s Ecampus, also suggests online students find out about library resources by exploring the library’s website. Some libraries, including hers, offer online tutorials and webinars on navigating library resources and services, she says.
Virginia resident Kathryn Williams, 31, is working on an online master’s degree in international relations at American University and often takes advantage of her access to online databases through the school, she says.
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Last semester, she took a quantitative analysis course and wrote a big paper on human trafficking, says Williams, who works full time as an events manager. “I spent a lot of time delving into the scholarly journals.”
Library services weren’t a primary concern for Williams when she was researching online degree programs as a prospective student. She thought the caliber of the program at American was high and assumed the library services would be the same.
She suggests prospective online students check out the library’s website or talk to a librarian to learn more about library services.
“Just make sure that they do have a robust system that will match the online program that you are applying for,” she says. An online student doesn’t want to have to look for free resources online or at his or her local library, which may be useful for some students, but probably not for graduate students, she says.
Prospective online students should be wary of degree programs with a small breadth of library resources for online students, versus those available to on-campus students, says Tracy A. Chapman, associate dean for adult and e -learning at Creighton University. And programs offering limited availability for library assistance should also be of concern.
“That would be a major red flag, if they are only available maybe 40 hours per week,” says A. James Bothmer, university librarian at Creighton.
He suggests prospective online students ask about how they can communicate with the library, such as if there are text services or chat rooms. Plus, prospective students should ask if there are any additional costs for using library services, he says.
The easiest way for prospective students to learn more might be to call or email the library, in addition to searching the website, says Buck, the librarian at OSU.
“In the library world, we encourage people to ask questions,” she says, and students should never think that they are asking something stupid.
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