The staff of Fairfield University's DiMenna-Nyselius Library has been singled out for creating an interactive game helping to orient first semester freshman to the library.

The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) selected " Library Scene: Fairfield Edition " for the organizations' PRIMO project, also known as 'ACRL Instruction Section's Peer-Reviewed Instructional Materials Online.' The popular resource for academic libraries nationwide showcases exemplary instructional materials, such as Fairfield's "Library Scene" which was inspired by the popular DVD game, "Scene It." The game instructs patrons about DiMenna-Nyselius Library services by incorporating multimedia elements as well as traditional game play techniques, complete with animated scenes set in the library.

Jessica McCullough, senior reference librarian and instruction coordinator, said librarians have been "thrilled" with student response to "Library Scene," which was incorporated into library instruction classes required for freshmen. "Preliminary data in the form of electronic evaluations given to students at the end of the instruction classes were extremely positive," she said. "One of the questions asks students how the game contributed to their awareness of library services and resources, to which 95 percent of students answered yes."

In addition to McCullough, the creative team behind the project included librarians as well as media production specialists, specifically Curtis Ferree, reference and electronic resources librarian; Philip Bahr, reference and media librarian; Karen Connolly, writer and producer at the Fairfield University Media Center; and Steve Evans, of the Media Center.

"The collaboration between the two departments led to a final product which showcases the skills and talents both the Library and the Media Center bring to our campus," observed Jackie Kremer, the university's outreach librarian.

McCullough, Ferree and Bahr are currently featured in the PRIMO "Site of the Month" interview. The interviews offer insights and ideas from the creators and developers of noteworthy projects. "Our intent in sharing information about the background and development of [the Fairfield] project is to help librarians understand what resources, time commitment, and planning are needed to create projects represented in PRIMO," noted committee co-chairs Carol Spector, government information/reference librarian at the University of San Francisco; and Dave Wilson, information literacy coordinator and assistant professor at Trinity University in Texas.

Posted On: 06-02-2011 11:06 AM

Volume: 43 Number: 317