Speaking to HumCore classes this Spring

This qtr (Spr 2008) I got to speak to 3 or 4 Hum Core classes, and they were a refreshing change from the Wr39C script. Yes, I had a script/outline to follow, but for Hum Core the "path of discovery" BI (from "where the hell do I start?" to "now I know a couple of ways to approach this.") was more logical for me. Also, being able to spend time roving and working one-on-one with students taught me things I wouldn't have learned in a setting where I did all of the teaching. For example, I learned how many of them have music-related topics (effects of reggae music on American society, same for hip-hop), and how many of them are interested in topics involving another country (e.g., the Taj Mahal, "el sistema" music education in Venezuela, why did Black slaves continue their musical tradition of spirituals here but not as slaves in other countries?).

I'm glad that the Libraries have a presence in Wr39B and C, but since it was optional for HumCore instructors to invite a librarian this time, we're getting walloped by high numbers of HumCore students coming to the reference desk who have no idea where to start. At least for those who paid attention to the libn their instructor so wisely invited, getting them into ANTPAC and the subject guides isn't a first-time visit. The students are earnest; they want to succeed. Sometimes we've been so busy at the ref desk that they could easily get impatient and discouraged. Now's the time to help them see that we can get them off to a good start and are worth coming back to again for other assignments.