The Mitchell Memorial Library at Mississippi State University offers workshops and assistance for students wishing to succeed creatively, technologically and academically.
The Library Instructional Services, reference librarians and the Instructional Media Center will show students many resources, some of which students may not associate with the library or know are available.
According to the MSU Libraries website, Library Instructional Services offers many workshops and online guides to assist students in all aspects of research and library use. The workshops can range from assisting students writing masters’ dissertations to teaching students to use the online databases and catalogs to find sources.
The reference librarians work closely with Library Instructional Services to guide individuals through the research component of an assignment, offering research consultations and “ask-a-librarian” services for students, faculty and community members.
Rachel Cannady, education reference librarian and distance learning project manager, said the librarians work with users to get the most out of the library system.
“Sometimes it’s a matter of teaching them how to use the databases or the online catalog.  Other times it’s how to use subject terms and those types of things,” Cannady said.
MSU’s library also offers individual assistance through an online chat option, Cannady said.
“We have librarians that are here Sunday through Thursday until 9 p.m.” she said. “If you click ‘chat with a librarian,’ you will actually be talking with a librarian who can help you go through the different databases.”
Cannady said she feels it is the librarians’ job to help students succeed in their usage of the library’s resources.
“We want everyone to be successful in their research, whether it’s for a class or their own personal endeavors,” she said.
The IMC is also available for students, faculty, staff and community users to succeed in a variety of projects. The center offers workshops to teach participants how to use programs from the Adobe Creative Suite to the Microsoft Office Suite. The IMC is also organizing workshops for emerging technology, such as smart phones, Google Docs, Google+ and Google Reader.
Thomas La Foe, instructional technology specialist for the IMC, said the center offers workshops for all skill levels, from beginners to those with previous experience.
“We typically have a set of basic workshops. We have some introductory workshops that are just there to teach people about the programs,” La Foe said.
Erin Nesbit, junior communication major, said she found the beginner workshop for InDesign helpful in learning how to use the program.
“Mr. La Foe was very informative and knew our level of experience,” Nesbit said. “He started from the basics and gradually taught us the key components of the program.”
The center also teaches workshops about completing projects in specific programs, such as newsletters in Adobe InDesign, Christmas cards in Adobe Photoshop and creating a budget in Microsoft Excel, among others.
“We try to break it into those projects,” La Foe said. “We look at what this program can be used for, and we try to teach to that finished project.”
La Foe said the center also offers individual sessions to work with students, faculty and staff who may not be able to attend a workshop or want help with a specific program.
La Foe said the IMC, which is usually open until 10 p.m. on weeknights, has a computer lab with a variety of equipment available for student use. The center also allows students to check out DVDs from the library’s collection for no charge, as well as netbooks, camcorders, digital cameras and projectors for a small fee.