Researchers find a friend in Lied

Adlaon, Cassaro and other research coaches add a human element to the daunting task of research. Photo by Ricardo Estrada

UNLV is home to one of the largest libraries on the West Coast, but with the help of a new program it’s now easier for students to make more sense of it.

Rebel Research Service, launched in February, offers individualized, customized research assistance to students.

Gina Cassaro and Ronald Adlaon are peer research coaches for the UNLV libraries.

“This is the first time we’ve had something like this at Lied Library,” said Gina Cassaro.

Cassaro began working on the project in 2006 because she noticed an unfulfilled need at Lied Library.

The Rebel Research Service helps students easily use the options available to them in the Lied Library.Photo by Ricardo Estrada

The library has about a million monographs and many more microforms. It has more than 28 miles of shelves and millions of maps, periodicals, journals, photographs films. The Lied Automated Storage and Retrieval unit, a multi-story storage crane-operated storage device, is available as well.

“A lot of students are intimidated by the library,” she said.

Adlaon added that many students ask ‘Where do I start?’”

Cassaro and Adlaon have seen the benefits of students helping each other with library research.

“We’ve noticed that by working with us, their peers, they feel a lot more comfortable,” Cassaro said.

Adlaon explained some of the benefits of research assistance programs.

“Students don’t feel comfortable at the desk,” he said, referring to the stress associated with beginning research without help, “so having one-on-one research appointments gives them time to digest the information and ask all their questions.”

“A lot of times [students] have trouble with search strategies and that’s what we teach them so they don’t get frustrated,” Cassaro said.

“They’ll be more confident,” he added.

Cassaro went on to explain how the Rebel Research Service works.

“The student fills out a form online,” he said. “They are able to choose from different topics that they want to cover during their appointment. This way we are able to cover exactly what the student wants.”

Adlaon added, “[They] are individual research appointments… We work one-on-one with the students.”

The service is free to all undergraduate students and the majority of the process is completed online. The Rebel Research Service is prepared to help students with the special needs of midterm season.

The libraries have already started seeing students benefit from the extra help of the the Rebel Research Service. Coaches learn from the program along with the peers they tutor.

“I think that the best way to learn is by teaching someone else,” Adlaon said.

“[It] helps us with our research skills because every time we teach someone or show someone what we know about research we’re able to learn and they learn from us.”

As with most good things, the Rebel Research Service might not last. It will be evaluated this summer to determine whether the library will let it continue.

“There’s no reason students shouldn’t take advantage of this service,” Adlaon said. “We have plenty of times and dates, Monday through Thursday.”

ON THE WEB:

Rebel Research: library.unlv.edu/services/rebelresearch.html