Short book review: Academic Library Services for First-Generation Students

Xan Arch and Isaac Gilman, Academic Services for First-Generation Students. Denver, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 2020.  ISBN: 9781440870170. 

 

Genre: nonfiction, library science

Subgenre: academic libraries, first-generation students, surveys and case studies, higher education

Format: trade paperback

Source: Interlibrary Loan via Hutchins Library, Berea College. Book came from Owensboro (KY) Community and Technical College Library.

 

Doing a short review as I ran out of time in reading it, and I rushed reading to the end. I borrowed this via Interlibrary Loan, and the lending library refused to renew it, so time is up and I have to return it. I borrowed this because in my library and college we have a big interest in first-generation students (as we do in all of our students of course). A lot of our student population are first-generation students, so I was hoping to find a few new things to learn about them and how libraries can help them better. I liked the book, but it was just not as helpful as I thought it would be for our situation. 

Let me make some quick notes for me to remember about the book: 

• Book is arranged into seven chapters. First three chapters, which is almost half the book, is mostly the usual literature review and backgrounder material you usually get in a lot of the library literature. If you have kept up with these topics, then you have a pretty good idea of the basics the authors are presenting. On the other hand, if you need a quick primer on the condition of the literature and some key concepts, then this will do the job. It does refer to a good amount of the "we did good" kind of articles also common in the library literature. The rest of the book looks at the topics of library space, library instruction, outreach and partnerships, and path forward for academic libraries. Book also includes 2 appendices, which are basically survey instruments the authors used in their research. This can prove useful for folks trying to do similar research on their campuses. 
• Each chapter has a list of reference notes at the end.
  
• A big thesis of the book is that libraries, and their institutions, need to get away from seeing first-generation students as needing remediation and/or needing to adapt to whatever systems are in place. Instead, the institutions need to change and adapt for the skills and assets that these students bring. The institutions need to check their privilege and stop favoring the "usual" white middle class "typical" students. 
• The book seems mainly geared to large universities and institutions. To be honest, I did not feel there was much for us in small colleges. 
• As I read the book, given our college's mission and history, I feel that we already do a lot of what the authors are suggesting. While there is always room to improve, I can say overall we are in good shape when compared to some of those larger places out there. 
• Four areas the authors say institutions need to work on/concentrate to make change: 
• Affirming assets/belonging.
• Support services/help seeking.
• Pedagogy/curriculum.
• Approaches to family. 
•  In reading the chapter on student perceptions, where they surveyed high school college admission counselors, I felt as if those counselors had no idea what it is many modern academic libraries do or have been building up and doing. From their responses, some of those folks need to take a trip to some of their local colleges and universities and their libraries nearby. At least for us, a lot of the academic services they say we ought to have we already have. 
• Do keep in mind this book and the activities described were pre-pandemic of COVID-19. I think it will be interesting to see how things adjust as we come back from that pandemic. 
  
  

Overall, this book is a good primer on the topic. If your library or institution needs to do serious work, this book will give you ways to get started on the work. On the other hand, if you are already doing the work, you may not find much here that is new to you. I liked it, and I would recommend it to folks needing to get a crash course on the topic or for administrators who may need a better understanding about how to serve first-generation students and how their campus libraries work. 

3 out of 5 stars.