Literacy Instruction
Project Spotlights
Information Literacy Program Design
The Bibliographic and Information Literacy Program at Taylor Memorial Library was built from the ground up, starting with one-shot sessions and growing to include a variety of services.
The program was imagined and continually developed between 2016 and 2021 to increase long-term academic success by integrating library skills-based initiatives into the curriculum through:
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in-person classroom instruction
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virtual classroom instruction
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asynchronous online support
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topical workshops
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in-person research consultations
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virtual research consultations
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embedded librarians
The newly established Instructional Services position was developed to create a program that increased student academic success through faculty-librarian cooperation by integrating curriculum based library and literacy instruction within the classroom. In addition to participating in the design and applied methods of assessment, I cultivated cross-departmental collaborations with various service offices on campus and provided faculty, staff and student library workshop opportunities, advocating for library resources and services.
Efforts resulted in an increase of instruction requests by faculty over time and a more visibly engaged academic student body, both on campus and in virtual classrooms.
Experiential Learning SWOT Assignment
This project included a librarian-faculty teaching collaboration involving a library-centric assignment and a new online instructional environment with direct, free access to an online textbook. The assignment explored the value of cross-departmental collaboration and the benefits of co-teaching strategies on the business student learning experience across several semesters.
Students were required to meet with a library representative to discuss trends within the information industry and provide feedback through a SWOT Analysis for improvement of library services utilizing a course specific online resource guide for industry research.
While the first iteration of the study was intended to examine information seeking behaviors of students, subsequent iterations have uncovered unexpected but welcomed feedback for inclusivity. For example, this study exposed gaps in library services across patron populations, which encouraged library staff to reexamine outreach efforts and generate ideas to better serve transfer and commuter students.
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Assignment Descriptions:
Virtual Library Orientation
The Virtual Library Orientation, a course of six informational videos, was designed in response to the Covid-19 Pandemic and supported the First-Year Experience of incoming freshmen students in 2020.
The Orientation proved beneficial to not only returning students looking for a library re-fresh, but also faculty members wanting to more easily incorporate library instruction into their syllabi.
The Orientation included five informational videos and a bonus "Welcome to the Library" introductory video. It took students approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete the course.
In its entirety, the Orientation introduced the library's services and resources to help students understand and start using all the Library had to offer.
While it was possible to watch the videos out of order or as a stand-alone lesson, it was recommended that each part be completed consecutively.
