Library Instruction

Services

Library Instruction

Mission
The University of New Orleans Library Instruction Program is designed to provide students with the information literacy skills necessary to achieve academic success. Information literacy enhances the pursuit of knowledge by teaching students to think critically about information and information resources. The information literate individual can recognize the need for information, locate information using a variety of media and technologies and can evaluate and use it effectively. Information literate students have the ability to transfer these skills across academic disciplines and utilize them in their personal, work and academic lives.

What we plan to teach
The goal of a library instruction session is to develop your students' competence in finding, selecting, and using the information resources needed for a specific assignment. The content of the instruction session will be customized based on your course assignment, the ability level of your students, and the amount of time available for instruction. Students benefit most from library instruction if they can immediately utilize what they have learned, which is why we stress the value of bringing your class in at a point in the semester when they need to begin the research process. Hands-on instruction is highly recommended and will be included if time permits.

Scheduling library instruction for your classes
Requests are taken on a "first-come, first-served" basis. Classes can be scheduled at any time during the semester. Contacting us at least 2 weeks in advance will help us prepare the most effective presentation and will greatly improve your scheduling options.

Giving adequate notice that you need library instruction for your class will ensure that:

A library classroom is available
The subject-specialist librarian is available to teach
The librarian has time to prepare and tailor the session to your class and/or assignment

Your involvement
Your students will appreciate your being there for the library instruction session. The students need to hear from you about the assignment, the resources, and your experiences with finding and using information in the context of your course and discipline. They are likely to have questions about the assignment that only you can answer. Your attitude towards the session will greatly influence your students’ attitudes.

As much information as possible that you can give us about the assignment—syllabus, description of assignment, number and types of sources required, previous experience with this assignment, etc. –will help us with our presentation. Send a copy of your assignment to the librarian prior to the instruction session and plan to spend some time discussing your course and assignment goals.

Class locations
The library has two electronic classrooms available for library instruction (Room 213 & 318). Room 213 is equipped with 24 wireless laptop computers and room 318 has 26 computers connected to the Internet and the campus network. For larger classes (40 or more students), room 407 can be used to provide presentations to your classes. Librarians can also come to your classroom for an instruction session or meet your class at another computer lab on campus.

Instructors
Please contact the Instruction Coordinator, Rodney Clare Jackman rjackman@uno.edu, (504) 280-3273, for lower level courses.

Faculty should contact the subject librarians assigned to their department to arrange an instruction session for upper level and graduate courses.

Library instruction for groups outside of UNO
The primary emphasis of UNO’s Library Instruction Program is on serving the needs of UNO students, faculty and staff. Because of time and space constraints we can only offer training to school librarians or teachers, who will then be able to teach their students how to use particular resources.

For more information regarding this service, please contact Rodney Clare Jackman, Information Literacy/First Year Initiative Librarian.