Faculty Guidelines for Requesting Library Instruction
As a Salve faculty member, you can arrange either a visit to McKillop Library for library instruction or a librarian visit to your physical or online classroom. The McKillop Library Information Literacy Program supports the educational mission and institutional learning outcomes of Salve Regina University by
- Training students, faculty, and staff to use information critically throughout their academic, professional, and personal lives,
- Creating active learning opportunities to find, evaluate, and use information wisely and responsibly,
- Developing and managing online library resources and user-centered services for Salve students, faculty, and staff.
Librarian's role:
- To provide an overview and demonstration of the research process, which can include finding, accessing, evaluating, and citing resources,
- To tailor content to meet the needs of your class with the inclusion of subject-relevant library resources and services,
- To reinforce learning through active learning exercises,
- To provide opportunities for students to ask questions and seek advice on navigating general or specific research problems.
Instructor's role:
- To schedule the library instruction session at least two weeks in advance,
- To set aside at least forty minutes of class time for library instruction,
- To attend the library instruction session along with students in order to answer both content- and assignment-related questions that may come up during the session.
Important guidelines:
Schedule strategically. Research shows that the best time to schedule library instruction sessions is after a research assignment has been introduced and students have had time to select (or at least narrow) their topics. Students are more likely to benefit from library instruction when they see how it will help them succeed in their graded work.
Attend a pre-session meeting. Plan to meet with a library instructor at least one week before library instruction. Share your course syllabus and research assignment before this meeting so that your librarian can tailor a lesson plan to your specific class goals.
Avoid scheduling general library sessions that are not linked to a specific assignment. Students are more motivated if they can clearly see how they will apply what they are learning. Our annual surveys show that students become frustrated when they are repeatedly brought into the library to receive the same basic overview of library resources and services.
Set aside enough time to allow for active learning exercises. This allows students to practice what the library instructor has modeled for the class. We recommend a time commitment of at least forty minutes for library instruction.
Ensure that your students have the tools they need for library instruction. Library instruction sessions can be booked in a library classroom with devices for up to twenty-five students. If you’d like a librarian to come to your classroom, ask students to bring their own devices so that they can get some hands-on practice.
Consider scheduling more than one library instruction session. If your students would benefit from library instruction on a variety of topics (e.g. finding books, accessing scholarly articles, evaluating sources, citing sources), consider booking more than one library session throughout the semester. A librarian will be happy to work with you to develop multiple sessions that scaffold library instruction in a way that exposes your students to new practices in manageable chunks. This is particularly useful for substantial research projects, including capstone projects.
Encourage your students to follow-up with their library instructor on their own time. If you have a student that is struggling with his/her research, you can suggest booking an appointment with the same librarian who provided library instruction for your entire class. Students can use the library’s online booking system to schedule an appointment with the appropriate librarian.
Ready to discuss an instruction session with a librarian? Click to fill out the instruction request form or contact your subject liaison directly.