CAMPUS CLOSEUPBayliss Harsh - Undergraduate initiatives coordinator — KU Libraries
R. Steve Dicki/University Relations
Bayliss Harsh has been with KU Libraries for 34 years. She is currently the undergraduate initiatives coordinator.
Job duties: I help plan for and teach a number of single-session library research skills classes each semester for English 102 classes and PRE 101 (Freshman Orientation Seminar) classes . I also work with the Libraries’ instruction program for Communication Studies 130. I work closely with Tami Albin, Undergraduate Instruction and Outreach Librarian, as well as many members of the KU Libraries staff, to plan and deliver the outreach and instruction activities for which we are responsible. We work with staff and instructors from academic departments to ensure that our classes meet students’ research needs and the goals of the faculty members or instructors.
Additionally, every year I work with a number of high school classes from around the area, most often English and history classes, that come to the KU Libraries to do research. I am on the team of library staffers who represent the Libraries at, and sometimes assist in planning for, information fairs and special events. I can also be found assisting students, staff and faculty at the reference desks in Watson Library and Anschutz Library.
You coordinate several undergraduate instruction courses. How does this differ from what a professor teaching a class does? Library instruction is conducted to support the curriculum of specific classes and programs and to create the self-sufficiency of all library users. Library instruction may range from library tours to the use of advanced research materials and critical evaluation techniques. In addition to improving the quality of student research, our goal is to promote life-long learning by teaching information literacy skills. Working with KU instructors, I can help them teach the process of research to students – how to find information and think critically about it – developing the skills students will need to be information literate in a knowledge-based society.
You've had a long career at KU. What would you say is the key to your longevity? Working at the KU Libraries has been a perfect fit for me in many ways. Education is something I value highly, and I love teaching and coaching, working with people and sharing information. My days are filled with those activities. I have always loved libraries — what they used to be when I was young and what they have become in the 21st century. It's hard to beat the stimulating, artistic and diverse environment of a college campus. By the time I started at KU as a freshman, I knew I wanted a career that was people-oriented. I received a degree in education and quickly learned that I wanted to work in a library setting. I have been here ever since. It's a pleasure to work with the students, staff and faculty — people of all ages and backgrounds — who are engaged in the arts, in ideas, in improving the lives of people and the planet.
Facilitating learning, growth and the education of young people—or people of any age for that matter—is a very important endeavor to me. I have always enjoyed working with my excellent and interesting library colleagues, among whom you will find writers, musicians and artists. The university and library environments are exciting, stimulating and ever-changing.
You also work with several partner programs. What exactly is a partner program, and how does it relate to the libraries? "Program Partners" is a coordinated outreach program designed to support academic-related and student success offices at KU as well as community agencies and organizations. A number of library staff are involved in thes efforts. Our goal is to effectively increase awareness of our broad range of services among KU faculty, students and staff and provide instructional partnership for support, while also extending our outreach efforts to local community groups and remote users. This includes both bringing community groups to campus and also representing the library in the community. In addition, we regularly work with KU Summer camps and local high school groups by offering tours and information sessions.
What, in your opinion, is the biggest misconception about modern libraries? One common misconception about the library is that when a person comes to the library reference desk with a question, it is assumed that we will do the research and supply the answer to the question. We certainly do supply answers, and additionally we take every opportunity to help people learn how to seek and use information independently. We see the library reference desk as the home of the teachable moment.
Another one of the most common misconceptions we run into is that all the information you will ever need is freely available on the web. "Everything is on the internet so I don't need the library". This faith in the accuracy and validity of Google-as an alternative to the various sources provided by the library-is a misconception that we work hard to dispel.
How closely do you work with students and faculty when coordinating undergraduate initiatives? The level of involvement can vary, but our goal is to carefully coordinate with Graduate Teaching Assistants, faculty members and instructors to insure that the instructional efforts we engage in are aligned with the learning goals and objectives of the course. When a library research skills class is scheduled that I will teach, the instructor of the class and I discuss what the students are to learn or accomplish in the session. The instructor shares the specific details of the assignment and I make recommendations as to what I think we should cover and what resources would be most useful to the students. We discuss desired learning outcomes, instructional activities, relevancy to the assignments and length of the session.
What do you enjoy most about your profession? I love working with students in whatever setting that occurs, and I especially enjoy teaching the library research skills classes, helping students become excellent researchers and learn skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. Providing guidance to individual students as they work on their assignments, I find satisfaction and joy in seeing them grasp the research process and discover useful sources for their work.
What are some aspects of your job others might not realize you're involved with? At the KU Libraries much of our work and our planning is done by committees and task forces. We are an organization that works in teams to accomplish much of what we do. Over the years I have been involved in many such groups. Some of these that I am currently involved in are the Libraries' Reference Council, a group that serves as an advisory board to the interim reference coordinator, and membership on the Strategic Communications Task Force, a group charged with drafting the Libraries' new comprehensive communications plan.
In addition, I am a member of the Organizational Effectiveness Council, an Information Services-wide committee — the KU Libraries is in the Information Services division of KU — whose purpose is to engage in activities that help IS staff and units work more effectively and meet IS organizational goals successfully. Of particular interest to me is my involvement in the OE council's facilitation network, which provides training for facilitators and offers facilitation services to IS units.
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