When Hands are Tight - A Creative Approach to Support Users’ Unique Needs in a Sino-Foreign University

When Hands are Tight - A Creative Approach to Support Users’ Unique Needs in a Sino-Foreign University

Founded in 2012, NYU Shanghai is China's first Sino-US research university. With a student body comprising almost equal proportions of Chinese and international students, as well as faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds, English is the language of instruction on campus. However, there is a growing interest and demand for Chinese language resources and support in two key areas: Chinese language learning for international students, staff, and faculty, and China-related teaching and research. The poster showcases the comprehensive approach undertaken by the NYU Shanghai library to meet the evolving needs. By employing creative and inclusive strategies, the library enhanced collaboration, expanded its collection, and bolstered research support.

Before the creation of an East Asian Studies Librarian position in 2023, the Library only had subject librarians in business, humanities, social science, STEM and data. Some Librarians are Chinese speakers, but their experience of developing collections and conducting research in Chinese, and teaching the use of Chinese language resources is limited. To meet the aforementioned growing demand in Chinese language and China-related research, Librarians collaborate and share their knowledge, skills, and expertise through co-teaching, customized consultation, and collaborative collection development. Collaborating with partners outside the library is also an important part of initiatives to support needs in these areas.

Through a partnership with the Chinese Language Program (CLP), the library and CLP work together to develop joint programming that creates opportunities to engage with Chinese language and to understand Chinese culture. While our own collections are primarily in English, the library leverages the local libraries and consortium library networks’ collections to broaden the range of available resources in Chinese. To enable users in their exploration, evaluation, and utilization of the vast array of Chinese language resources, and to ensure they make the most of the library services, librarians have crafted research guides and instructional materials. These tailored resources cover topics such as searching for peer-reviewed journal articles in Chinese, locating business information and news articles in Chinese, using Chinese resources critically and ethically, and more.

Furthermore, the library delivers prescheduled and course-embedded workshop sessions to demonstrate a wide range of Chinese language resources available within and beyond NYU Libraries, including academic and non-academic resources. Our workshops are thoughtfully designed to accommodate diverse needs, interests, and language proficiency levels, ensuring a progressive learning experience. The topics covered in Chinese language resources workshops range from introductory to popular to advanced usage. The multi-approach efforts are highly appreciated by the community, and ensure students, staff and scholars are equipped with the necessary collection, tools and knowledge to excel in their Chinese language learning and China-related research endeavors. The foundation set by these practices also helps further the university’s mission in cross-cultural dialogue, demonstrating the Library’s unique role in academics and beyond.

Yu Huang; Qinghua Xu; Xiaojing Zu

Chinese American Librarians Association

2024-06-30

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Text; Presentation

Huang, Y., Xu, Q., Zu, X.. (2024, June 27-July 2). When Hands Are Tight - A Creative Approach to Support Users’ Unique Needs in a Sino-Foreign University [Poster presentation at Chinese American Librarian Association session]. 2024 American Library Association Annual Conference, San Diego, CA, United States. https://ir.cala-web.org/items/show/1422