Beyond the Stacks

by Sarah Elizabeth Bender

Prior to arriving at Carnegie Mellon, many first-year students have never before encountered an academic library. And in the frenzy of navigating new classes, new friends, and a new city, they may not think to explore the resources the University Libraries makes available to them at the beginning of their academic journey.

Over the last year, Arts and Humanities Librarians Charlotte Kiger Price and Ashley Werlinich have worked to address this gap, turning one-off orientation sessions with first-year classes into a dynamic, personalized introduction to the Libraries’ offerings. In doing so, they've not only connected with over 500 students across more than two dozen class sections in the past year — they’ve helped those students feel welcome at CMU’s central hub for collaboration, conversation and discovery.

“A quick introduction probably won’t make a student an expert on major research skills, and that’s okay,” said Werlinich. “What’s important is that first-year students come away knowing where to go to ask for help throughout their undergraduate career.”

A New Chapter
As co-liaisons to the First-Year Writing Program, Kiger Price and Werlinich had the ability to connect with first-year students across all seven schools and colleges at CMU. Their challenge was finding the time and approach to leave a lasting impact.

The First-Year Writing Program is fast-paced and diverse — taught mostly by Ph.D. students and adjunct instructors, often in six-week mini formats, each with a unique focus. That structure, while rich in creativity, doesn’t leave much room for library involvement. Initially, instructors warned that they didn’t anticipate having time to reach out to librarians at all.

Kiger Price and Werlinich wanted to change this. So instead of asking for more time, they offered increased flexibility.

Their first step was to create a “menu” of instruction — bite-sized teaching modules broken down into individual five-minute blocks. Faculty could pick and choose the topics they wanted, from citation basics to advanced search strategies. Whether an instructor had five spare minutes or a full class period, there was a library session designed to fit. This approach resonated with faculty across the program.

Courtney Novosat, a senior lecturer with the Department of English, has worked with Kiger Price and Werlinich on multiple occasions. As a course lead for 76-108: Writing About Public Problems, one of the first-year writing mini courses, she reserves time for a Libraries introduction in each class she teaches.

“First-Year Writing students are met with a host of new writing and research tasks for which they have been unevenly prepared. Recognizing this inequity, Ashley and Charlotte have implemented dozens of micro changes to make navigating the myriad resources our libraries offer easier for students and faculty,” Novosat said. “From revising the many First-Year Writing library research guides to innovating a ‘menu’ for library instruction, they have sought to understand and support both student and instructor needs in every phase of their resource redevelopment.”

Soon, word of the team’s expertise started to spread. One instructor referred another, then another. By Spring 2025, there were weeks where Kiger Price and Werlinich taught an average of a class a day.

More Than Databases
What makes their instruction stand out isn’t just its reach — it’s the content. The team wanted to show students the full range of what the library could do for them not just academically, but personally as well.

In their presentations, they begin including slides on getting a free University of Pittsburgh library card, checking out iPads from Technology Lending, and making zines. They introduced workshops on coding and crafting. They even showed students how to access The New York Times for free.

“It’s the kind of thing I wish I’d known when I was an undergraduate,” Werlinich added. “Even if instructors don’t ask us to include that kind of content, we always try to sneak it in.”

Rising Dietrich College sophomore Violet Pronko met the librarians when her Humanities Scholars Program class visited Hunt Library a few months into her first semester at CMU. In addition to a presentation that introduced the role of librarian, databases, streaming resources and more, Kiger Price and Werlinich led Pronko and her peers through an activity that allowed them to explore the stacks and locate books relevant to their disciplines.

“During orientation and the first few months of classes, there is so much information to absorb, and it can be overwhelming,” she said. “Having Charlotte and Ashley break down specific resources tailored to humanities students gave me a much more in-depth understanding of how I could personally benefit from the Libraries’ offerings.”

Later in the year, Pronko’s First-Year Writing course had a session with the librarians as well. Following that lesson, Pronko made an appointment for a consultation, where Kiger Price helped her find resources about the history of Conflict Kitchen.

“Without Charlotte’s invitation, I wouldn’t have known that you can schedule an appointment to work with a specialist and have someone to bounce ideas off of,” Pronko said. “Librarians are so knowledgeable about so many interesting things and different resources. You don’t even need a fully formed understanding of the project you’re working on before you reach out — they can help wherever you are in the research process.”

Building Community
This inclusive, student-first approach isn’t just about awareness — it’s about accessibility. Whether introducing students to CMU’s Distinctive Collections, leading scavenger hunts through the stacks, or facilitating conversations about what students want from their campus experience, sessions emphasize personal connection. From citation guides and database walkthroughs to mini-bookmarks and personal zines handed out in class, every touchpoint is designed to make the Libraries feel approachable and useful.

The team has big plans for the future, including more asynchronous learning modules, bite-sized videos for students working at 3 a.m., and continued refinement of research guides. But at the heart of it all is something simple: connection.

“We both love working with undergraduates,” Kiger Price said. “It’s been so fun to talk with them, hear what they’re excited about, and to help them realize that research doesn’t have to be scary — and that we’re here to help them every step of the way.”

Werlinich agreed. “It’s not just about teaching them how to find a source,” she said. “It’s about helping them find their place in the campus ecosystem, not just as researchers, but as part of the community.”