Undergraduate Women in the STEM Fields and the Use of Academic Library Resources and Services

Women majoring in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields are few in number. This research will be conducted in an effort to understand the use of academic library resources and services by undergraduate women in the STEM fields. Data collection methods consisted of three focus groups and five interviews with undergraduate women in the STEM fields, and three focus groups and two interviews with academic librarians and library staff familiar with library resources and services in each of the STEM fields conducted at a Research I University in the USA. Grounded theory principles provided a basis for the analysis of the collected conversations. The findings from this study indicate that the academic library is providing support to undergraduate women in STEM because they depend on and use the physical space. However, the undergraduate women in STEM want more support from faculty and staff in their departments. A collaborative effort is need from the undergraduate women in STEM, faculty and staff and the librarians in order to provide the support that is needed.