Information for Faculty: Library Instruction

Use the following form to request synchronous library instruction for your course, either in your classroom or online: Request for Synchronous Instruction.

If you prefer to talk to a librarian about asynchronous instruction options, fill out this form: Request for Asynchronous Instruction.

Do your students struggle to identify appropriate resources for their research assignments? Do they rely on Google to find sources for their research papers? Are they getting lost in the overwhelming amount of information available online?

Library instruction provides students with targeted lessons around research and information literacy skills, such as:

• Setting up a search strategy
• Understanding the information landscape
• Choosing an appropriate library database or place to search
• Identifying and distinguishing types of sources
• Creating citations and using information ethically

Having a librarian work with you and your students can result in more appropriate sources used in assignments, a broad understanding of how information is structured online, and life-long skills on how to navigate our online world.

We provide library instruction in many different formats, both synchronous and asynchronous. Your liaison librarian can talk with you about the best options for your class and assignment.

Tips for effective library instruction:

• Don't expect the librarian to cover every aspect of the library - lessons will be targeted for your assignment and students' needs
• If meeting synchronously:
  • Please schedule the library instruction after students have chosen topics and are actively working on research
  • Students tend to retain more of the library instruction lesson when it is immediately applicable
  • If students do not have research topics,  a librarian to come and provide a lesson on how to choose or develop an appropriate topic
  • Consider inviting a librarian to visit more than once to scaffold research skills across multiple visits or combine the live lesson with an asynchronous module embedded in Blackboard that students complete prior to the sessions
• If using asynchronous information literacy modules in Blackboard, discuss the best timing to assign the modules with your liaison librarian

Course-embedded library research guides are a popular, asynchronous way to provide library instruction in your courses. These guides are embedded in Blackboard and can be used to supplement synchronous library instruction sessions or provide self-contained guidance for an asynchronous class. Each guide contains a combination of library resources best for the class assignments, along with videos and tutorials to supplement student learning around relevant research skills. Example guides are listed below. 

• BIO 330 Cell Biology
• MBA 520 Integrated Marketing
• ED 590 Preparing for Capstone
• CI 564 Assessment, Evaluation and Supervision in Literacy Programs
• PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology

If you would like something similar for your class(es), please fill out our form for asynchronous instruction and we'll be in touch.

Library Orientation

Orientations occur in many CSP programs and include a basic introduction to the library’s services and/or space.

Information Literacy Instruction

This type of library instruction generally occurs in undergraduate, general education courses and focuses on basic information literacy skills of finding and evaluating information. It can also take place in upper-level or graduate courses, as needed, in order to refresh returning students on information literacy principles.  

Discipline-Specific Instruction

Library instruction for graduate or upper level students in their majors and focuses on more complex areas of research: discipline-specific resources, complex search strategies, citation managers, etc.

Asynchronous

Librarians can work with you to embed library instruction into your asynchronous classes. We would be happy to talk with you about the options available: class-specific research guides, videos, online modules, etc.