History Day Hullabaloo
On January 9th, 2018, thirty students working on National History Day projects came to a research Hullabaloo at Rochester Public Library. Hullabaloos are opportunities for students to visit public and academic libraries to receive help on their National History Day projects. Students that attend hullabaloos can work with librarians to locate relevant resources, receive one-on-one feedback from MNHS staffers or mentors about their projects (called Power Conferences ), and attend specialized talks about various aspects of History Day projects.
The Rochester Public Library Hullabaloo was structured with this pedagogy in mind. Students conducted online and print research with the assistance of specialized reference librarians. One of the goals of this experience was for students to find relevant resources for their project and, ideally, to take something away from the library for them to use at home or in the classroom (whether checking out a book, scanning a newspaper article, or obtaining a digital copy of a scholarly journal). Students also had the opportunity to attend Power Conferences or talks given by MNHS staffers.
30 participated
Provide library and research support for National History Day participants in grades 6-12 as well as the documentation, evaluation, and reporting of History Day library research. The goal is for students to 1) have a positive experience 2) use a variety of resources 3) have increased confidence in research. For libraries to see increased use.
Thirty middle school and high school students from ten schools participated in the Rochester Public Library Hullabaloo. Of these students, 21 completed a survey to gauge their experience at the event.
Students were satisfied with their visit to the Rochester Public Library Hullabaloo.
100% of students rated their experience was excellent or very good.
88% of students felt that their one-on-one Power Conference was extremely helpful or very helpful.
Students utilized a variety of resources at the Rochester Public Library Hullabaloo.
90% of students found a relevant resource or were able to take home a relevant resource from the Rochester Public Library.
81% of students found relevant books.
37% utilized internet sources.
31% of students located newspapers.
Students have increased confidence in their research skills as a result of attending the Rochester Public Library Hullabaloo.
95% of students increased their confidence in doing historical research.
75% of students enhanced their understanding of a research database.
80% of students increased their knowledge of
a library catalog.
History Day projects benefit local libraries.
65% of students use libraries more for History Day than other projects.
25% of students plan to visit other libraries for History Day research.
Attendance at the Rochester Public Library Hullabaloo was lower than both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 events. In discussing this with teachers following the event, they would prefer an earlier date to maximize when in the process students are receiving help. This will be a goal to change for next year to help increase attendance.
Minnesota Historical Society, Rochester Public Library, SELCO