Western State College of Colorado

Suggestions for Effective Library Instruction Sessions

Librarians at Savage Library assist students in two ways: through individual consultations in the library and scheduled library instruction sessions with classes or small groups. Library sessions that are timely and well prepared can help students get off to a good start with their assignment.

Establish specific objectives for the session and discuss them with the librarian.

Library sessions are tailored individually to meet the needs of your students. Effective sessions help students learn about resources and tools to find information for their assignments. Librarians also provide presentations reviewing the research process and evaluating information sources. These sessions are also peppered with examples pertinent to specific assignments.

Avoid the tour.

Library tours for individual classes are appropriate in large academic library settings where it may be difficult to find departments and to get assistance. Savage Library is a small, personal setting with librarians that are eager and available to help your students. When students need to check out books, find the magazines and journals, or make a photocopy, we will be there to guide them.

Consider short, multiple sessions rather than one, long session.

Students will retain what is presented if they perceive an immediate need to know. If your assignment is divided into stages, consider a series of short sessions covering resources, tools, and skills needed for each stage. Consider scheduling a session for a date immediately prior to when you expect students to begin working on their assignment or research.

Timing is everything.

Timing is critical in preparing a successful library session. Librarians require sufficient time to talk with you about your assignment, understand your goals for the library session, and plan for the session. Please give us at least 2 weeks to prepare. Ideally, consider a library session as you develop your syllabus.

Participate !!

We expect instructors to contribute during library sessions. Students look to you for reinforcement and feedback and to help them understand why information covered in the session is important. Also, we try to make each session an active learning experience, and you can best encourage responses to our questions. Librarians view sessions as a team teaching opportunity.

To arrange for a library session, contact Nancy Gauss (943-2278).