The finals stretch: exams week library outreach surveyed

Introduction

The traditional academic library role of providing students with information and research assistance throughout the semester increases in intensity during final exams week, when just-in-time needs reach a peak. This heightened volume of activity near the end of the semester often brings pressure on students to perform at their highest capacity, impacting them on many levels. While striving to meet the expectations of a myriad of professors within their heavy course loads, many students arrive at the library not only in need of research assistance, resources and collaborative work spaces, but they are challenged additionally to pace themselves through one of the most stressful weeks in the semester. Academic librarians recognize the value of providing additional programming for students to help them navigate this demanding time in support of a productive and lower stress finals week experience. Many libraries have "expanded their traditional focus beyond purely academic pursuits" (Reynolds and Rabschutz, 2011, p. 360), varying their programming in an effort to support broader student development in the areas of physical, social or emotional health (Hinchliffe and Wong, 2010). Such well-being support services during final exams week may include enhancing social interactions, providing opportunities to experience creativity and art, supplying games for group activity and providing a space to relax. Of course offering snacks and beverages is also a popular overture and can contribute to a positive impact (Reynolds and Rabschutz, 2011) at this critical time during the semester.

With the opportunity of providing stress-relieving activities, the following article will explore the expansion of well-being support services academic libraries offer during final exams week. The changing role of the librarian will be discussed, and the use of physical library space for the purposes of offering support services programming will be addressed. In an effort to identify the different types of outreach activities libraries are undertaking during final exams week, the authors distributed an online survey to several library listservs. The responses to the survey demonstrate a wide variety of activities carried out by librarians and library staff, and illustrate the many challenges that arise when such broader-based student development programming is provided through the library.

Literature review

Many academic library Web sites and library literature illustrate how libraries plan, implement and offer activities and services...