Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceived role of library personnel in supporting first-generation students at Penn State University Libraries, and also how students’ perceptions of library personnel change over time, and the various experiences that influenced their changes in perception. Design/methodology/approach This study employed focus groups to solicit input from first-generation students. A four-step team-based approach to qualitative coding process was developed including the development of a codebook informed by common themes and concepts drawn from the literature. Findings Findings indicate that operating from a deficit of library cultural capital often results in low awareness of available services and changes in perception are more influenced by personal exploration than limited interactions with personnel. Further, while currently employed interventions are well targeted, opportunities exist for enhancing efforts. Research limitations/implications As this is a case study, the findings are not generalizable. Per conducting only four focus groups, the experiences of participants may not represent the typical scope of personnel-related interactions. Originality/value This study adds to the limited body of evidence that first-generation students’ struggle from a deficit of library-related cultural capital.

中文翻译：

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调查第一代学生对图书馆人员的看法

目的本文的目的是调查图书馆人员在支持宾夕法尼亚州立大学图书馆的第一代学生中所扮演的角色，以及学生对图书馆人员的看法如何随时间而变化，以及影响他们看法变化的各种经历。 。设计/方法/方法这项研究采用了焦点小组来征求第一代学生的意见。开发了一种基于团队的四步定性编码过程方法，其中包括开发一本以共同主题和参考文献为基础的密码本。调查结果表明，由于图书馆文化资本的匮乏而开展的经营活动通常会导致人们对可用服务的认识降低，与个人之间有限的互动相比，个人探索更容易影响观念的变化。此外，尽管当前采用的干预措施有针对性，但存在加强努力的机会。研究的局限性/意义由于这是一个案例研究，因此研究结果无法推广。通过仅进行四个焦点小组讨论，参与者的经验可能无法代表与人员相关的互动的典型范围。独创性/价值这项研究增加了有限的证据，表明第一代学生因缺乏图书馆相关的文化资本而挣扎。