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Jane Lah, University of Southern California, United StatesAbstract
For many academic libraries, international student outreach diminished after the widespread return to campus. This may be caused by many reasons, such as prioritized outreach targeted for a larger, more general audience, reduction in capacities, and a lack of awareness for this need. However, the consequences of the resulting gap are extremely detrimental to international students starting their academic careers in U.S. universities. Reviewing the literature from pre-pandemic years reveals insight into the attitudes towards and services available to international students. Culturally, the relationship between international students and their home libraries vary drastically from U.S. academic libraries. Expectations also vary from country to country and the library education for international students should be one of the first learning opportunities to equip students to become globally informed and culturally sensitive students. Without facilitating a relationship between international student studies and academic libraries, students lose access to valuable resources, services, and information, which inhibits student success. Academic libraries that value equity and inclusion should reintegrate the loss in international student service to champion student success and redefine the key role of libraries for student success. This presentation hopes to discuss strategies and the need to reevaluate the library environment and role for international students. It also aims to encourage librarians to develop their cultural understanding for the students they teach and support. (References for abstract available upon request).
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