Staff Web - Library Instruction Program

Classrooms

BSC 2011L
ENC1101
ENC1102

Handouts

Preview wiki
Refworks wiki

LI Home

The ongoing mission of the George A. Smathers Libraries is to support the evolving teaching, instruction, and research endeavors at the University of Florida. This support applies to Gainesville based programs, as well as those offered at satellite campuses and online via distance learning. The Library Instruction Program addresses this general goal by defining specific actions that will (1) enable students to acquire information-seeking skills as a basic component of their education at the University of Florida and (2) insure that faculty and staff are aware of and competent in using services and resources of the UF Libraries. The program identifies four increasingly sophisticated levels of information resources and retrieval techniques: user awareness, orientation, general library instruction, and subject-specialized library instruction. The campus-wide Library Instruction Program advocates a pro-active approach to teaching information skills to the University constituency.

Goals of the Program:

1. To enable students to acquire information-seeking skills as a basic component of their education at UF and to become competent in using services and resources in the UF Libraries
2. To prepare UF graduates for life in an information-based society, i.e., to prepare them to make effective lifelong use of information, information resources, and information systems
3. To insure that faculty and staff are aware of services and resources in the UF Libraries and are competent in using those resources for teaching and research
4. To insure that faculty and staff are knowledgeable about the library's role in teaching, and how they can make effective use of library/classroom partnerships and peer assistance programs

Although instruction is the responsibility of all library staff, the Public Service Division is charged with implementing the first three parts of the Library Instruction Program: user awareness, orientation, and general library instruction. The Collection Management Division has primary responsibility for subject-specialized instruction. CM staff analyzes the instructional needs of specific academic program areas, determines instruction appropriate to those needs, assesses the feasibility to carry out the program, and trains those in the subject areas. Even though the Public Services and Collection Management Divisions provide leadership for this program, staff from all areas of the Libraries are expected to participate in instructional efforts.

Objective One: To insure that all new students, faculty and staff are aware of the University Libraries and the specific resources available through the Libraries

Method One: Develop orientation sessions and handouts for new students, faculty, staff, and teaching assistants; participate in programs such as Preview and new faculty orientation

Specific skills and competencies

• Knowledge of existence and location of University Libraries including branch and satellite libraries
• Knowledge of the UF Libraries catalog and appropriate online resources
• Knowledge of information formats available in libraries, including print, microform, video, audio and online
• Knowledge of reference services
• Knowledge of subject specialists who will provide specialized assistance
• Awareness of library/classroom partnerships

Method Two: Conduct presentations and product demonstrations in non-library locations such as the Reitz Union and the CIRCA labs and in meetings such as the University Senate and large orientation events such as PAACT.

Specific skills and competencies

• Awareness of specific resources available in the libraries
• Knowledge of services available through the libraries

Method Three: Radio and television news briefs; articles in the Alligator and the Gainesville Sun and other media sources; displays; posters and flyers for campus bulletin boards; promote library web presence on affiliated university web sites such as myUFL and courseware; collaborate with the UF Libraries' Marketing Committee.

Specific skills and competencies

• Knowledge of specific product or resource
• Greater awareness of University Libraries

B. Orientation

Objective One: To insure that students, faculty and staff understand how the collection is organized and accessed, and that they understand how to use library services, e.g., interlibrary loan and online course reserves.

Method One: Tours and orientation seminars

Method Two: Basic (hands-on when possible) instruction in searching the UF Libraries catalog and an interdisciplinary periodical database such as Academic Search Premier in lower division undergraduate classes.

Method Three: Point of use assistance from librarians, staff and peer assistants: at library information commons computers, in residence halls, online through virtual reference, and handouts distributed at point of use.

Specific skills and competencies for Methods One, Two, and Three

• Knowledge of physical organization of University Libraries
• Ability to use diagrams and other guides which indicate where materials are located
• Ability to identify specific locations and what they signify, e.g., reserve, reference
• Knowledge of library services and how to use them
• Awareness of Libraries' home page
• Ability to find books, periodicals and other materials by author, title, subject or key words in the UF Libraries catalog
• Ability to recognize and interpret call numbers, locations, holdings, and status of items on UF Libraries catalog records
• Ability to understand library vocabulary, e.g., serial, microform, record, citation, fields
• Ability to use interdisciplinary periodical databases and locate articles in online and print periodicals
• Ability to find information on a topic through keyword and subject searches in the UF Libraries catalog and interdisciplinary periodical databases (if appropriate for group being instructed)

Method One: Train the trainers

Specific skills and competencies

• Knowledge of skills and competencies from Section B (Orientation)
• Ability to demonstrate all skills from previous objective
• Knowledge of ways to help peers

C. General Library Instruction

Objective One: To insure that students, faculty and staff understand how to access appropriate resources available in the UF Libraries catalog and web site.

Method One : Advanced workshops (hands-on instruction)

Specific skills and competencies

• Ability to use online periodical databases such as Academic Search Premier
• Ability to use advanced searching techniques, e.g. proximity searching

Method One: Hands-on classes (could be course integrated classes, library/classroom partnerships or special stand-alone classes)

Method Two: Demonstrations (could be course integrated classes, library/classroom partnerships or special stand-alone classes)

Method Three: Instruction upon request and handouts on use of databases

Specific skills and competencies for Methods One, Two, and Three For each database or system students, faculty and staff should have the ability to do the following:

• Select the appropriate database
• Determine contents and coverage
• Utilize search strategy, controlled vocabulary and effectively navigate database interfaces
• Use Boolean logic appropriately (if it applies)
• Perform an effective search
• Interpret citations and retrieve full text of documents
• Determine the relative advantages/disadvantages of print/ online format of source

D. Subject-Specialized Library Instruction

Objective One: To enable faculty to make effective use of Library/Classroom Partnerships

Method One: Train the trainers

Specific skills and competencies

• Knowledge of skills and competencies from Section B (Orientation)
• Ability to set up library/classroom partnerships
• Knowledge of alternative library-based assignments

Method One: Classes for students entering major

Method Two: Self-guided instruction such as videos, tutorials, or home-page links.

Method Three: Point-of-use instruction such as bibliographies of resources by subject

Method Four: Individual consultations with librarians

Method Five: Workshops

Specific skills and competencies for Methods One-Five

• Ability to use resources and services of the library to find information on a topic
• Ability to create a basic library research plan on any given topic
• Ability to evaluate materials for a particular need

Method Five: Course integrated instruction for upper division undergraduates or graduate students, including library-based assignments, and credit courses in subject areas using complex, specialized literature

Specific skills and competencies

• Ability to use print library resources in specific subject area
• Ability to use online resources in particular subject areas
• Ability to use advanced searching techniques
• Ability to understand information structure of the subject area
• Ability to create a library research plan for the subject area
• Ability to evaluate literature critically
• Ability to use information management techniques and software