By: Kate Young
Last year, Reference and Research Services librarians, Sarah Cooper, Lance Day, Carla Waddell and Lauren Young, decided to create Power Hours as a means to hold discussions about relevant topics with the Samford community. Last year’s events included Meet Your Librarians, Rattled by Research Papers, New Faculty Coffee, Speed Dating with Library Resources and #Samford Study Buddy. This year, however, the events have gone virtual in an effort to continue the Power Hours mission in the midst of a pandemic.
November’s topic is Bad Science. With a constant flow of misinformation circulating on the internet in light of the pandemic, it has become necessary for citizens to discern which information is reliable, especially when it comes to their health.
“Our next discussion is planned for February. Topic suggestions and collaborations for future Power Hours are welcome,” Chair of Reference and Research Services Carla Waddell said. “While some Power Hours draw more participants than others, we feel as though each time we interact with a member of the Samford community is time well spent.”
Student engagement is at the heart of these events
“Samford students are at the center of the work we do, and Power Hours help us keep them there,” Reference and Research Services librarian Lance Day said.
Information for Power Hour is shared with students in the Campus Connection email sent to the student body weekly.
“Students may find the details in their Campus Connection email, flyers, or the library’s
website (library.samford.edu). The QR code is for the Zoom meeting link plus a guide
that offers topic information divided by Quick Start, Learn More, or Deep Dive on the
Topic,” Waddell said.
The Quick Start includes a Ted Talk video featuring Ben Goldacre discussing how evidence can be presented in misleading ways and a Rough Guide to Spotting Bad Science infographic.
The final event for this semester will be a discussion about Bad Science on Nov. 17 at 3 p.m.
