Library Instruction Program Mission Statement
The program’s primary mission is to promote the acquisition of life-long information literacy skills as defined by ACRL. To this end, we help library patrons define, access, and evaluate information, and we encourage them to use information appropriately and ethically. In promoting information literacy across the campus, our goals are to:
• provide individual and course-integrated instruction in the library or off-site
• collaborate with faculty to develop research assignments and guides
• provide specialized research workshops for the entire academic community
• provide orientation and tours for students, new faculty, and staff
• continually assess the program to improve teaching and learning and to adapt new technologies and resources
Instructional Services for Teaching Faculty
The library staff is delighted to help your students learn to locate and evaluate information effectively. Please include plans for library research as you prepare your course syllabi each semester, and call to schedule one or more library instruction sessions for your students
Course-integrated Instruction
The library faculty can arrange in-class instruction tailored to the needs of your students. Classes may be taught in the library or in any classroom across campus, and may include any of the following:
- Using online catalogs
- Using periodical indexes
- Using the collections
- General library tours
- Search strategies
- Internet resources
- Evaluation of resources
They may be taught as:
- Hands-on classes in the library classroom, which is equipped with 22 computer workstations
- Hands-on classes in campus computer labs or in individual classrooms around campus
- Individual assistance as needed in the library
To schedule a session: Call 641–3589 or register on the web site using our Group Instruction Request Form.
Research Guides
Library handouts are available at the library and/or on the library web pages. Examples include:
- Styles guides for properly citing information
- Basic searching tips for English 101 and 102
- How to use the Library of Congress Classification system
- Finding Literary Criticism
- How to write an annotated bibliography
Tips for Planning Your Library Assignments
- Design “applied” assignments.
- Students will find the library assignments more meaningful if they use the retrieved information for a task related to topics covered in the course.
- Teach research strategies where appropriate.
- Students often do not have the research skills that experienced researchers have.
- Provide students with resource lists.
- List specific information sources or types of sources for a particular assignment so that students have a starting point. Remember that many of our scholarly articles are accessible through the Internet, but that they are not necessarily Internet resources.
- Go to this link for additional information on designing effective assignments: http://library.usca.edu/index.php/Instruction/DesigningEffectiveLibraryAssignments
Workshops
Workshops are scheduled at the request of faculty and are designed to aid students, faculty and staff in learning how to better use library resources.
- Introductory workshops cover basic searching skills for finding books and articles.
- Course-specific workshops cover advanced searching skills needed to successfully search subject databases.
- Workshops on plagiarism and using plagiarism software are also offered.
- Faculty/Staff workshops are usually scheduled as needed and are designed to:
- Update faculty and staff on new developments and resources in library resources
- Provide more individualized instruction
- Help develop more effective library assignments
Ask for Help
- If you would like to require attendance at a library workshop, librarians will provide an attendance record at the end of the session.
- Contact Rose Parkman Marshall, Coordinator of Library Instruction for more information: RoseM@usca.edu. We look forward to working with you and your students.
Last modified on: June 26, 2008, at 04:23 AM