Faculty librarians offer formal library instruction to all
classes conducted by Salisbury University faculty.
In entry level and core courses, librarians teach basic
library and research skills; in upper level and graduate
courses, librarians focus on advanced
search skills. Sessions are most
effective when course instructors and librarians work together.
Learning Objectives
Goals
The library instruction program has major two goals:
1. Teaching
students to find and use information related to course
assignments
2. Teaching
information literacy and research skills to foster
life-long learning
An information literate individual can:
● Determine the extent of information needed
● Access the information needed effectively and
efficiently
● Evaluate information and its sources
critically
● Incorporate selected information into one’s
knowledge base
● Use information effectively to accomplish a
specific purpose
● Understand the economic, legal, and social
issues surrounding the use of information,
and access and use
information ethically and legally
Policies
Instruction Format
Librarians
enjoy working with course instructors to tailor instruction to class need.
Instruction may take a
variety of formats:
● individual class session (one or more)
● individual class session combined with one
of the following:
- a
resource-specific orientation
- a
class assignment
- a
library-related assignment
● collaborative course teaching
● small group session
● individual student session
The class session combination begins in the
library classroom, followed by an
activity to
examine relevant resources.
Collaborative course teaching
(teaching with a course instructor) is
available for both on-
site and off-site (distance
learning) courses. Formats can be as inclusive as a librarian
and
course faculty team teaching an
entire course or as directed as a librarian monitoring a
MyClasses online Discussion
Board.
Instruction Length
Library instruction
sessions require a minimum of 30 minutes of faculty
librarian teaching.
General library tours are
not considered instruction.
Individual class
sessions include one 50 or 75 minute class period covering
research skills
and resources appropriate for the
course content. Courses with a significant research
component may necessitate more
than one class session.
Instruction Scheduling
Library instruction is available on a
first-come, first-served basis.
Instruction is an English
103 requirement, and is strongly recommended for other
courses
that are research intensive.
Faculty requesting a class session should contact
the Instruction Coordinator or the library
liaison for their department at
least two weeks in advance to ensure availability of the
preferred time slot. Faculty
requesting one-on-one sessions should make contact as early
as possible to discuss location,
availability, etc.
Requests made with less than two
weeks lead-time may or may not be able to be scheduled,
depending on the requirements of
the instruction session, availability of the time slot and
the availability of a faculty
librarian.
Generally, librarians teach no more than four class
sessions a day. Instruction may also be
arranged on a Saturday or a
Sunday. The number of sessions can fluctuate due to demand,
scheduling difficulties and staff
availability.
Library instruction is best scheduled at appropriate
times in the term. Students who are
aware of and understand the
research assignment prior to the time that instruction is
scheduled are much more likely to
be successful.
Course instructors are encouraged to attend class
sessions with students. Student learning
and motivation are enhanced when
instructors are present. Students may also have direct
questions about assignments
requirements or topic-related questions that only their
classroom instructors can
address.
Instruction Facilities
Library instruction sessions receive a priority
status in the use of library facilities. Sessions
may take place in one or more of
the following library spaces:
● the
library classroom (BL203) – 30 student limit
● the
media viewing room (BL126) – 10 student limit
● a
group study room
● other
library spaces or individual librarian offices
Sessions may also be conducted in spaces outside the
library, such as regular course class-
rooms or in other campus
buildings. The librarian and the course instructor will
collaborate
on the location to ensure that
appropriate instruction space and equipment are present.
The BL203 instruction classroom is reserved for
library instruction during the fall and spring
semesters. When not scheduled
for instruction, it is an open lab for students. Consequently,
is it unavailable for other uses,
except through special permission from the Dean of Libraries
& Instructional Resources.
BOOK A CLASS WITH THE
INSTRUCTION
REQUEST FORM
Assessment
An important aspect of refining instruction,
assessment is carried out formally and informally.
Faculty collaboration in
developing appropriate assessments is particularly welcome.
Statistics are maintained on the number of sessions
conducted, the number of students
taught, the number of classes
taught per discipline, and how many sessions each library
faculty member conducts. These
statistics are identified in library reports.
An evaluation survey instrument (print or online) is
employed in a sample of classes that
have received library
instruction.
Informal assessment is made based on personal
remarks and observations. While this is
not quantitative data, it is
nevertheless invaluable to the assessment of our program -
any comments or observations are
welcome.
Contacts
Instruction Coordinator: Stephen
Ford, BL128, 410-548-5972,
saford@salisbury.edu
Head of Reference: Kathryn Kalmanson, BL133,
410-543-6190,
kckalmanson@salisbury.edu
Library Liaisons:
http://www.salisbury.edu/library/subject/index.html
The Library Instruction Coordinator is Stephen Ford,
saford@salisbury.edu
| 410-548-5972
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