Do you have a significant research assignment in your course? Or do you just want to introduce your students to library resources? Ask a librarian to visit your class!
Librarians teach:
- Course-specific information (with follow-up online research guides and print handouts)
- Online databases and library catalogs
- Effective web searching
- Citing information
- Evaluating resources and more!
What should you know about requesting an instruction session?
- Submit a library instruction session request as early in the semester as possible. Instruction session requests will be accommodated on a first-come first-served basis due to limited librarian availability. Please enter three separate dates to help us accommodate your request.
- Request the session a minimum of three weeks before the desired session date in order to allow for customized material creation.
- Send a copy of your assignment along with the request in order to assist us in tailoring the instruction to your students’ needs.
- Participate in the library instruction session. Your participation is expected, welcome and tells your students it is important.
What should instructors and librarians do to prepare?
We ask that instructors…
- If the session is synchronous, attend the session; if not, study the library materials as you expect your students to. Your attention motivates the students to become more engaged in the learning experience being provided. Should questions arise about an assignment, your presence at these sessions provides an invaluable opportunity for students to receive clarification and direction in conducting their research.
- Thoroughly explain to students the requirements of the assignment for which the librarian is providing library instruction.
- Schedule a session to be held with a librarian after the assignment requirements have been discussed with the students, but prior to the assignment due date.
- Communicate your content expectations to the librarian well before the session.
- Encourage students’ preparedness for the session, including formulating and testing research questions and/or research strategies prior to the session and noting difficulties encountered during the research process.
- When applicable, provide the librarian prior to the session with specific examples of research difficulties students are encountering in the course of the assignment.
- Fill out the online faculty session evaluation, which will be emailed to you after the session.
We expect librarians to…
- Request a copy of the syllabus and/or assignment from the professor at the start of the scheduling process if the professor has not sent the documents along with the session request.
- Consult with instructors about assignment specifics and the instructors’ desired content well in advance of the scheduled session.
- Communicate with the professor to establish the students’ information needs/research difficulties, preferably including difficulties from the students’ perspective.
- Tailor the session to the specific assignment.
- Produce appropriate materials for the session (LibGuides, PPT, handouts, tutorials, etc).
- Review student and faculty evaluations after they are tabulated in order to discern areas for improvement.
