The Learning Centre goes from strength to strength with various initiatives and partnerships at the beginning of 2023

The Learning Centre had several initiatives and partnerships during the first quarter of 2023, where we had opportunities to market and raise awareness of the Department of Library Services (DLS) and how its products and services can contribute to academic success. These initiatives also made it possible to reach postgraduate students who needed to be made aware of all the products and services of the DLS, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Initiatives: 

Brainstorming, training session meetings with the House Committees and AIM

The first opportunity to meet with the House Committee members took place on 30 January when we presented training to the AIM lecturers. On 31 January and 8 February, we had brainstorming and awareness-raising sessions with House Committees of Day Houses, Faculty Houses, and residences.  The House Committee members came up with great and innovative ideas to reach out to students and raise awareness of the DLS.  Pop-up libraries, quiz nights, and book clubs were just a few of the exciting suggestions. During the House Committee sessions, we encouraged House Committee members to bring the first-year students to the library for tours before the orientation week started, and to encourage them to participate in the Library Scavenger Hunt.

Orientation Week 13-21 February 2023

The Learning Center participated in several activities during orientation week to market the DLS facilities, products, and services. Prof Karin Harris also requested that the Learning Centre present the UP Campus Tour. This was where we appointed several students and staff members as tour guides and ambassadors for the DLS. Students were then divided into 42 groups according to their various study fields and presentations were provided in different ways. 

We had the following sessions:

• In-person sessions: Where we presented to students in lecture halls (30 min sessions).
• Library tours and presentations: Hosted in our auditorium (30 min in total).
• Online sessions: Presented to larger groups of students such as Economics and Management Sciences and EBIT faculties (30 min sessions).

All these sessions were presented interactively and engagingly with the inclusion of videos and quizzes. We included the experiences of some postgraduate students, who told the first-year students about the importance of the library and how the DLS can contribute to their academic success.  

Scavenger Hunt

The Learning Centre initiated a #VisitYourLibrary Scavenger Hunt at the beginning of the year. This was a fun activity where both first-year and senior students could learn about the library in a new and exciting way. During the scavenger hunt, students received a route map where they were asked to create an Instagram Story and tag the UP Library Instagram at every checkpoint. The route included a photo booth, photo frames with questions and instructions, a visit to the library information desk, and various coloured balloons to help guide students to the next checkpoint. A total of 28 different prizes were available to be won, so as to encourage students to participate. 

Prizes consisted of book vouchers from the campus bookstore, Bookmark, food vouchers from Artisan Cafe and Pure Restaurant, as well as various wireless speakers and charging devices.

The whole experience was very positive, and statistics indicated that we reached at least 5854 students with the initiative. Students expressed their gratitude and enjoyment of the event on social media and in person. We are looking forward to continuing fun activities during the next quarter.

POP-UP Libraries:

During the brainstorming sessions held at the beginning of the year, House Committee members suggested that we reach out to students through POP-UP libraries, FLY@UP activation sessions, quizzes, games, and other fun activities. These activities were suggested as they create a fun and engaging way for students to learn about the library and raise awareness of the library’s products and services. The POP-UP libraries enable us to market the library at different locations around campus and encourage more visits to the physical library buildings in the process. At the various locations, we presented students with Kahoot quizzes and in-person questions to complete for incentives. We had games in which the students participated such as “Hoop a Loop” and “Library Pong”. After they had played the games and answered questions they could receive various prizes. 

During these sessions, it was clear that students were not aware of the library’s products and services. POP-UP libraries will increasingly play an enormous role in inviting students to use library facilities, products, and services.

Partnerships:

International Students Unit:

The Learning Centre was invited by the International Office to present to the new international students of 2023.  It was a very interactive and positive session where we could engage with international students for the first time and encourage them to become active library users.

UP Marketing Department:

The Learning Centre was invited to partner with the Economic and Management Sciences faculty to train and educate all Marketing and Tourism Honors students on the art of Academic Writing. Students attended the academic writing presentations, and afterward, they participated in interactive breakaway sessions where they watched several videos and learned more about how to improve their academic writing skills. 

We also collaborated on a marketing project, where the same students were tasked to come up with marketing plans covering the DLS Training in Plagiarism, Virtual Services, and Academic Integrity. This was a highly successful session where received students’ feedback and go to know helpful tips on how to reach out and market more effectively to other UP students. 

Natural Sciences Faculty:

The Learning Centre also collaborated with the Research Commons and Natural Sciences Faculty. One thousand third-year students, who were planning to continue their studies in post-graduate degrees, were invited to the Rautenbach Hall. Prof Maharaj invited the Learning Centre to address the Natural Sciences students about the DLS and give an overview of our products and services. This session was an excellent opportunity that increased students' knowledge and awareness of the library and allowed us to showcase our ability to support students in their current (undergraduate) and postgraduate studies.