Julie Hockey and Dr Carolyn McSwiney

Abstract: Concern for newly arrived international students must extend beyond the more obvious group of first year students to include a growing cohort of articulant students arriving in Australia having completed part of their degree in their home countries. This paper describes a dual ‘pre-departure’ and ‘on-arrival’ academic library program developed to meet the differential needs of this cohort in the University of South Australia. It is designed to introduce newly arrived 3rd year pharmacy students to the role of the academic library in Australia, and to Australian expectations of library use and information-seeking.

The program is the result of four years reflective practice initiated by a Health Sciences liaison librarian working with academic staff.  The program aims to develop in the students information literacy skills to work both independently and collaboratively to retrieve and evaluate academic information: both essential aspects of information literacy and lifelong learning.

Keywords: transnational students; internationalisation; transnationalisation; higher education; university library.

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