Atla Annual 2021 Online

A 2019 research report from Ithaka S+R entitled “Student Needs are Academic Needs” looked at the needs of community college students for academic success and the ways libraries could support them. This study formulated service concepts and ranked them in order of perceived value to students. As theological schools grow the diversity of their student populations, theological libraries are faced with similar challenges to those identified in the report on community colleges. Increasing technology access and incorporating writing services and other academic supports are just some of the ways theological libraries have been called upon to meet student needs. Theological librarians need to consider in particular the needs of historically underserved or disadvantaged populations to maximize academic success and retention. Presenters will indicate some ways they have thought about these issues and invite attendees to think about how the insights from this report could be applied in their respective contexts.