Katerina Zacharopoulou’s lightning talk highlighted the striking similarities between working in libraries and pubs – both are open in the evening, both have closing announcements, it’s difficult to get people to leave at the end of the day, and drinks are left behind!
Katerina works at the Architectural Association School of Architecture Library and, as the library is small (basically one big, but very impressive room) supporting 800 students and approximately 300 staff, she has hit on the idea of developing a library pub style quiz to help students learn to use the library. Before running the quiz, due to the large number of international students at the AA, Katerina recognises that she will need to explain to students what a pub quiz is. Rounds would include the following:
- an anagram round where students work out the library’s main locations. For example, RAYGELL = GALLERY
- Fill in the map – remove the class numbers from the map and get students to fill them in
- Match the call number to the book – display the UDC (Universal Decimal Classification) with book covers and students work out which book goes with which UDC
- Emoji round – my personal favourite though it would be really difficult! The example Katerina gave were emojis which spelt out Learning from Las Vegas
- Image round – students identify the book from the cover without the title of the book
- Tie breaker question – how many print books does the library collection hold
This quiz would be a fun activity to run at the start of the academic year, and I certainly would like to have a go at adapting it for my students.
Report by Liz Peet | Manchester Metropolitan University
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