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An Instructor's Guide to Library/Research Instruction
The research instruction session will provide your students with up-to-date
skills in researching their topics using print and electronic materials
available through the Library or remotely through off campus internet
connections. Even if some of your students have been to a previous Library
research instruction session, they are sure to learn something new. The
research databases the Library subscribes to often change their interfaces
and add new features. And we frequently add new research databases. Likewise,
new print sources are constantly added to our collection.
The sessions usually include instruction in using the Library's online
catalog of books and media items, using the research databases to locate
pertinent journal and/or newspaper articles, using reference books to
find background and summary information, and acquiring skills to evaluate
Websites for credibility.
You can be sure the session will be tailored to your students' needs and built
on any previously acquired library research skills they may have. You
will be asked to provide information on the students' assignments, the
subjects they will be researching, etc. To schedule an instruction class,
please fill out the
Library Research Instruction Request Form, e-mail
the Dean's office (), or call 734-973-3379 during
business hours.
Your following these guidelines will help the Librarians prepare instruction for your classes.
- Schedule
your classes' research instruction sessions as far
in advance as possible, especially if you want to
build a certain date into your syllabus. The very
latest we can schedule is a week in advance (by 10 p.m.
Wednesday for the following week.)
- Remember
that other instructors are scheduling research instruction
sessions for their classes and there is often competition
for dates and times.
- Schedule
the research instruction session in conjunction with
your library-related assignment; that is, bring the
students to the library just at the point that they
are beginning their research for an essay, speech,
or other presentation.
- Provide
the librarian with the following information:
-
A copy of the assignment
- Your
explanation of the assignment
- Examples
of subjects your students may choose
- The
types of sources you require (e.g. books, journals,
newspapers, Websites, etc.) and how many of each
type you require
- Plan
on scheduling your class for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
or Thursday, daytimes or evenings.
- Friday
sessions are scheduled only for those classes that
meet once a week on Fridays.
- Do
not schedule research instruction for the day before
or the day after a holiday or other college break.
- An
average research instruction session lasts an hour.
- Plan
to bring your class to the library instruction classroom,
introduce the librarian to your class, and stay in
the classroom during the session.
- Know
that the Librarians do not schedule research instruction
sessions for days when you will not be present, even
if another instructor will be substituting for you.
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