Notes from Adams Library

This post is the first in a series on evidence-based practices for using Adams Library toward Hope Scholarship eligibility and success. Read the full report. 

Results are in! Studies show that use of library services and resources has a significant positive impact on grade point averages (GPAs). For students in pursuit of a Hope Scholarship, science is imploring you to use Adams Library. Not only that, but to make use of it in your first year. First-time, first-year undergraduate students who use the library have a higher GPA for their first semester and more likelihood of staying in school from fall to spring than students who don’t use the library.

You are now wondering, How can I use Adams Library to work toward a higher GPA? The research tells us how: use library resources, study in the library, attend a library instruction class, and more.

Easy evidence-based steps you can take to help your GPA:

• Spend at least 21 hours in Adams Library during your first and second semesters of college. Not sure where to study? Go on a library tour in the Fall. 
• Swap your Google search for a library database search, like JSTOR or RIC Library Search, while working on at least 1 assignment during your first year.
• Attend at least 1 library instruction session with your class during your first or second year. (ex: ART 262)
• Search the library catalog to locate and borrow at least 1-2 books or eBooks for an assignment during your first year.
• Take advantage of the library's technology lending options. Borrow a laptop when you need one.

The upshot? These are simple actions you can start taking today to use Adams Library toward a GPA that will qualify you for a Hope Scholarship. You got this.

Further Reading

Gaha, U., Hinnefeld, S., & Pellegrino, C. (2018). The academic library’s contribution to student success: Library instruction and GPA. College & Research Libraries, 79(6), 737. https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/16824 

LeMaistre, T., Shi, Q., & Thanki, S. (2018). Connecting library use to student success. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 18(1), 117–140. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/682829 

Mao, J., & Kinsley, K. (2017). Embracing the generalized propensity score method: Measuring the effect of library usage on first-time-in-college student academic success. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 12(4), 129–157. https://doi.org/10.18438/B8BH35

Rowe, J., Leuzinger, J., Hargis, C., & Harker, K. R. (2021). The impact of library instruction on undergraduate student success: A four-year study. College & Research Libraries, 82(1), 7–18.  https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/24750 

Scoulas, J. M., & De Groote, S. L. (2022). Impact of undergraduate students' library use on their learning beyond GPA: Mixed-methods approach. College & Research Libraries, 83(3), 452 473.  https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/24743 

Soria, K. M., Fransen, J., & Nackerud, S. (2013). Library use and undergraduate student outcomes: New evidence for students' retention and academic success. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 13(2), 147-164. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/504593/pdf

Soria, K. M., Fransen, J., & Nackerud, S. (2014). Stacks, serials, search engines, and students' success: First-year undergraduate students' library use, academic achievement, and retention. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 40(1), 84–91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2013.12.002

Soria, K. M., Fransen, J., & Nackerud, S. (2017a). Beyond books: The extended academic benefits of library use for first-year college students. College & Research Libraries, 78(1), 8–22. https://crl.acrl.org/index.php/crl/article/view/16564 

Wimberley, L., Cheney, E., & Ding, Y. (2020). Equitable student success via library support for textbooks. Reference Services Review, 48(3), 373–383. https://doi.org/10.1108/RSR-03-2020-0024

Popular EBSCO library databases such as Academic Search Complete, Business Source Complete, CINAHL, and SOCIndex have updated to a new look and user experience.

Listen to Articles

Most PDFs and HTML full text articles are now available as text-to-speech. You can download an MP3 version of the article or listen to it online. 

Limit Your Search Results

Previously, search result sorting tools such as “Peer Reviewed,” “Full Text,” or “Date Range” were on the left side of your search results. Now these tools have moved to the top of your search results.

Save Articles and Searches

You will notice the left bar has changed, allowing you to easily save articles and whole searches and add them to a “projects” folders.

How to Bookmark Links 

Please be careful when bookmarking links from the top of the screen in the URL bar. To access these links later on, you will be prompted to login to a personal EBSCO database account that you create. Please reach out to Kieran Ayton, Electronic Resources Librarian, for help at kayton@ric.edu.