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Library Instruction
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Request an Orientation |
Guide
to Instruction Services for Teaching Faculty
The Library and Information
Access at SDSU offers a wide range of instruction and tours, from basic orientation
through highly specialized research guidance. Library instruction focuses on
developing students' ability to think critically and effectively find the information
they seek. Instruction sessions are designed to fit the specific needs, objectives,
and timeframe of the course, and librarians work closely with the teaching faculty
to develop the session.
Scheduling Sessions:
Contact a subject
specialist to arrange a session or use the
Request an Orientation online form. To avoid scheduling conflicts,
please request instruction sessions as far in advance as possible and no less
than two weeks prior to the class.
Information we require includes:
- Number of students
- Level of students (lower
or upper division undergraduate, graduate, staff, RA's, TA's, faculty, mix)
- Students with special
needs
- Cause syllabus
- Assignment related to
the library instruction
- Examples of topics the
students either are planning to research or might find interesting
Additionally, librarians
are willing to do presentations in your classroom or lecture hall. For "live"
demonstration of searching systems and techniques, the room should be equipped
with appropriate computing and network facilities. We prefer to utilize our
classrooms whenever possible as we have unlimited database access.
Instructional Facilities:
Map
of Library
The Library classrooms are
used by librarians only. Teaching faculty may use, as the schedule permits,
one of the electronic BATS classrooms in the student computing lab. To book
a BATS room (http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~bats/),
please contact the BATS Coordinator, Carol Tohsaku, at ctohsaku@mail.sdsu.edu.
The Library has two electronic
classrooms (LA-76 and LA-78) for library instruction located on the Lower
Level (Basement) of the Library Addition. Enter
the Library through the Dome and turn left towards the Reserve Book Room.
Take the elevator located in the alcove opposite the Reserve Book Room desk,
to the Basement. The classrooms are straight ahead.
LA-76 classroom is equipped
with 32 Pentium III computers with CD-ROM's, floppy drives, and flat screens
to permit student hands-on practice. Two computers are ADA compliant with
adjustable tables, and trackballs. The instructor's workstation
has a zip drive, and access to Altiris Vision (classroom control software),
and a projection system.
White boards, a Canon Viscam, a Wireless PA system, a Wireless Gyro mouse,
and four stand alone tables complete the room.
LA-78 classroom is equipped
with 18 Pentium Quad computers with CD-ROM's, floppy drives, and flat screens
to permit student hands-on practice. The instructor's workstation
has a zip drive, and access to Altiris Vision (classroom control software),
and a projection system. Six tables to permit learning in small
groups.
Presentation room LL-430, located
on the fourth floor of Love Library, contains an instructor's workstation,
projection system, chalkboard, an overhead projector, 11 tables, and enough
chairs to accommodate about 50 students. A Wireless Gyro mouse for the instructor is
available upon request in LL-453. Hands on training is not available
in this presentation room.
Types
of Services Offered:
Course Specific
Instruction:
Librarians provide formal
assignment specific instructional sessions to class groups.
Sessions range from short
introductions to multi-hour workshops depending on the needs of the professor.
Specialized classes can
occur over subsequent weeks to permit students to work between sessions.
Library instruction is
most effective when an assignment is affiliated with the session and instruction
is close to the time when the students will be doing the research.
Library instruction is
more effective when teaching faculty are present.
Assignment Planning
and Design:
Librarians are available
to meet with teaching faculty who are designing or revising library-related
assignments. This collaboration helps to generate assignments which refer to
the best possible sources, and also permits us make arrangements within the
library to accommodate the needs of the assignment. For example, in some cases
we may be able to obtain needed items or set materials aside in a special area.
To take advantage of this service, email
or call the Library Instruction Coordinator at 594-5864 or the subject
specialist.
Alternatives
to the Standard Term or Research Paper
Sample
Topics for Library Instruction Sessions
Common
Pitfalls to Library Research
Coming
Soon! New online Assignment
Alert service. This online form will alert reference librarians since students
will be going to them for help. What level of assistance should we provide?
Are they expected to use certain books for the assignment? How many students
in the class? Assignment deadline. Purpose of assignment.
Research Consultations:
Individualized and small
group instruction by appointment is available to all library users desiring
more information about the Library and its resources.
Individualized research
consultations are particularly useful for Research Assistants, Teaching Assistants,
and students beginning a thesis.
Librarians are willing
to conduct these sessions in Faculty offices as desired.
To arrange a research
consultation, please contact a subject
specialist.
Research Guides:
Guides for students beginning
research on a topic are available at http://infodome.sdsu.edu/research/research.shtml.
Teaching faculty may request we create guides on specific topics.
Orientation Tours:
A self-guided tour is
available at the Information Desk in Reference Services on the 1st floor of
the Library Addition.
To schedule a tour of
the library for groups of five or more, please telephone the office at 594-5864.
Information Seeking
Resources:
Electronic
Information. A statement on its value.
Coming
Soon! Feel free to adapt or give your students the following "Library
Research Paper Planner" guide.
Coming
Soon! Plagiarism resources
Sample
Websites for Evaluation
Coming
Soon! Search strategy form
Sample
Topics for Library Instruction Sessions
- website evaluation/general
resource evaluation
- Internet searching database
searching (multidisciplinary and subject-specific)
- defining search strategy/analyzing
a research problems
- developing a library
research strategy/summary of the research process
- scholarly vs popular
sources/classification schemes
- organization of literature/publication
cycle
- Library catalog (PAC)
document delivery (ILL, Circuit, Link, Uncover)
- finding statistics /researching
companies/an employer
- researching a speech
- searching for multimedia
sources
- citing sources (eg. APA,
MLA, Internet)/bibliographic citation managers (Reference Manager, EndNote)
- physical tour of Libber
brief library exercises/assignments marked by librarians
Please note that the fewer
topics covered, the greater chance the students will learn. Combining library
instruction sessions with realistic assignments improves retention.
This page http://infodome.sdsu.edu/about/depts/instruction/index.shtml is maintained by Marilyn E. Hall.
Please use our Feedback Form
for your questions, comments, and suggestions.
File saved 07/03/07 14:38 PDT
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