W&L librarians teach information literacy concepts and skills necessary to find, evaluate, select, and use relevant, credible information resources for their research needs.

Librarians can:

• provide direct instruction to your students or learning group
• help you integrate information literacy into your course, lessons, and assignments
• point you to existing instructional guides and tutorials for DIY or additional research support

For effective library instruction that enhances critical thinking and information literacy skills, please adhere to the following:

• Schedule library instruction after the first week of the term. (Exceptions may be made when a librarian will be embedded into a course and/or when the course includes a major research component. In these cases, course instructors should still be present.)
• Request library instruction two weeks in advance whenever possible, to help ensure librarian availability and proper lesson planning time.
• Ensure one-time library instruction corresponds with an assignment and/or learning outcome. Students should have research topics in mind by the session date.
• Share relevant course materials with your library instructor, such as a syllabus or assignment guidelines.
• Be present for the session(s) whenever possible, as students are more engaged when the course instructor participates.

Tips & Tricks

• You can schedule more than one session! Two 50-100 minute sessions usually provide better retention and learning than a single session. At least, plan on scheduling an additional class to cover MLA, APA, etc. citation formats or Zotero (citation tool).
• Notify the library of any upcoming assignments that require students to seek out library assistance. With notification, the library can better support student success.
• The library will acquire resources needed for library assignments within reason. Contact a librarian with purchase suggestions if resources are needed to support course curricula, information literacy, and lifelong learning.