SUNY Oswego’s Penfield Library is hosting its second Research Party of the semester from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10. 

Research Parties provide students with a chance to meet (and eat) with Penfield Librarians and Writing Center tutors in a relaxed, collegial atmosphere.

During these events, students have the opportunity to get extended (or quick) research help from knowledgeable librarian faculty. While not required, many choose to stay for the entire two hours, working on papers, presentations and other projects. 

The informal, collaborative nature of these events works well for students seeking to make meaningful progress on their assignments, said Penfield’s Research, Instruction and Outreach Librarian Deborah Bauder, while students with particularly difficult or demanding research assignments find it helpful to have immediate access to librarians and tutors in real time as they do their work. 

“We’re excited to get back to hosting in-person Research Parties this semester,” Bauder said. “The opportunity to help students from across campus with their research in this fun and relaxed atmosphere is really rewarding.” 

The range of topics on which students come to get help is very broad, ranging from finding scholarly resources and creating accurate citations in APA, MLA or Chicago style, to conducting literature reviews or just figuring out where to start the research process. 

The library teams up with the Office of Learning Services at these events as well. Student Writing Center tutors are there to assist their peers with writing questions and citations, and they provide a helpful additional resource.

Anonymous student feedback on the events has been overwhelmingly positive. “It was very helpful and got me moving in the right direction,” one attendee said. Another student cited the “… free food and productive environment” as benefits of attendance. Said another: “It’s really helpful! The librarians and tutors are nice and patient.”

The library encourages all students, both grads and undergrads, to come and get help with their research at the next Research Party.