Schedule a Library Instruction Session
Please email the librarian ([email protected]) to schedule a library session for your class.
We request that you send us information about your course content and any upcoming research assignments your students have, as well as any requests you have for the session.
Please also let us know if you would like a customized Library Research Guide for your students, which will feature helpful Library resources based on the course matter.
Library Instruction Sessions: Strengthening Information Literacy Skills
Library instruction sessions are meant to strengthen information literacy skills and offer students guided direction and hands-on practice with the Library’s resources and services. Possible content for the session include:
- Locating books and other materials in our catalog
- Searching for periodical articles in GALILEO’s databases
- Identifying effective search terms
- Database searching skills and / or advanced searching methods for databases
- Identifying and locating scholarly information and understanding the peer-review process
- Exploring, narrowing, or broadening a research question
- Citation Styles — MLA, APA, CSE, Chicago / Turabian, and others
If you would like, part of the time can be used for a hands-on activity, which strengthens the students’ acquisition of information. Let us know if you would like an activity tailored to the session.
We also would be happy to design for you or send you suggestions for rubrics or other assessment tools to measure students’ acquisition of information literacy and library research skills.
Resources / Instructional Materials
- The Library website
- GALILEO
- Library Database Exercises, if desired
- Periodicals, to emphasize quality of sources
- The Library’s print and audiovisual collections
- IPad, Apple TV, and Projector
Program Objectives and Learning Outcomes
Program Objectives
The Library Orientation Program supports the academic program by:
- Providing an introduction to Library services and resources in order to assist students in making a successful transition to college by attaining academic success skills, which includes library use and research skills
- Introducing the concept of applying evaluative criteria to information in order to impart critical thinking and analytical skills that assist students with determining the validity of information
Possible Learning Outcomes
Depending on the session focus, after attending a library session, students will be able to:
- Identify library services and resources in order to find materials in multiple formats to meet their research needs
- Search a database using Boolean logic (“AND,”“OR,” “NOT”) and flexible vocabulary in order to retrieve articles that are on-target and topic relevant
- Apply evaluative criteria in order to select scholarly articles
- Define how librarians can assist in research in order to facilitate continued learning outside of library sessions.
The Library Orientation learning outcomes are consistent with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, and will specifically introduce the students to Standards 2 and 4.
| Standard 1 | The information literate student determines the nature and extent of information needed |
| Standard 2 | The information literate student accesses needed information effectively and efficiently |
| Standard 3 | The information literate student evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system |
| Standard 4 | The information literate student, individually or as a member of a group, uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose. |
| Standard 5 | The information literate student understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally. |
Contact Information:
Anne Salter, Director of the Library
Toni Zimmerman, Reference Librarian
Eli Arnold ’06, Reference Librarian