Are Librarians Equipped to Teach International Students? A Survey of Current Practices and Recommendations for Training

Past studies of international students and academic libraries have often focused on students' own characteristics and experiences. Using an online survey, this study instead investigated librarians' teaching skills for serving this population. The analysis reveals that participants perceived an importance in developing skills specifically for international students. They tried to accommodate students' unique needs and optimize teaching approaches using their own experience working with the students. Although they reported having obtained knowledge of students' backgrounds as well as communication and teaching techniques, they showed strong interest in having further training opportunities to improve their teaching. The survey results thus give insight into recommendations for the provision of training to improve teaching in the context of serving international students.