With a focus on student success outcomes and strengthening theUniversity’s High School Dual Credit Program, Research and Instruction Librarian Rosalind (Roz) Bucy is connecting high school librarians, and ultimately teachers and students, with the vast resources available through the University Libraries. Bucy is enhancing support for incoming and underrepresented students by providing professional development opportunities for librarians working in high schools that offer w88, Reno Collegiate Academy Dual Credit classes.
Currently, there are more than 7,000 high school students enrolled in the University’s Dual Credit Program, which offered 38 courses at 36 high schools this spring, and the program is expected to grow.
During Spring semester 2025, Bucy taught an information literacy workshop called “Bridging the Gap / Upskill Student Research” to high school librarians in Las Vegas. More than half of the 18 Clark County High Schools librarians who attended work at schools offering University Dual Credit classes. Bucy’s goal is to reduce the information literacy gap among high school students, and support college-readiness in the state’s two largest school districts.
“It's important to me that the role of librarians in supporting students with research assignments isn't lost, and that we at the University do our part to support the high school librarians who are in many cases the direct point-of-contact for students at our Collegiate Academy sites,” Bucy said.
Since high school librarians play a role in preparing students for postsecondary success, part of Bucy’s workshop focused on exploring where the intersections and gaps are between high school and university information literacy standards.
“I learned that we as high school librarians and the University librarians are focused on the same goals - college readiness and information access,” said Glenda Alberti, a teacher-librarian at Arbor View High School. Alberti shared that she is in a role where she works closely with dual credit teachers at her school to help properly prepare students for college.
As Dual Credit students attempt to complete university-level assignments that require access to scholarly and peer-reviewed research articles, as well as specialized resources such as primary source databases, school librarians are limited to the library resources available through their high schools, which may not be appropriate to the assignment requirements.
Bucy said there are a lot of opportunities for Dual Credit students.
“Participating high school students have access to the same online library resources as University researchers,” she said. “That is unique. It is not something that an AP class can offer.”
Many high school students transition to college lacking the necessary information literacy skills required for academic success, which can significantly impact their ability to conduct research and write papers. This is one reason why Bucy’s professional development opportunities are so valuable.
Funds for this project have been provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by w88 State Library, Archives and Public Records.
Bucy was awarded the LSTA grant to support the information literacy workshops, and an ongoing professional learning community (PLC), which has been meeting since January.
“Through this library grant, we're able to build relationships with high school librarians, strategically leverage statewide databases, and hopefully improve college outcomes for students,” Bucy states.
Bucy is making sure that high school librarians know how to access University Libraries’ resources, so they can help their students find peer-reviewed articles and specialized resources like databases.
“Roz has been really supportive this year,” said Cheyenne High School Librarian Andrea Strube who has been attending the PLC meetings. “I'm so happy librarians are able to have access to University resources as a lot of teachers may not have the time or the knowledge to teach about how to access a database over Google research, for example.”
Strube offers a unique perspective since she has taught a University Dual Credit class and is now a librarian.
“It's been great to get into classrooms and teach students how to use the University Libraries’ features to their advantage where they may not have known these things existed before.”
Washoe County School District workshop
A workshop like the one held in Las Vegas is planned for Washoe County high school librarians in early August.
