Arranging Course-Integrated Library Instruction

Many students are unfamiliar with specialized research tools, effective information-seeking strategies, and the organization of large libraries OR library information resources. They often fall back on inappropriate sources, especially from the open web, because they don't know how to identify useful library materials. If you are giving your students any kind of assignment that requires them to find, evaluate, and use information not provided in their textbooks, the students will benefit from library course-integrated instruction.

Such assignments include:

  • Finding information about a person, a place, an event, an issue, etc.
  • Research paper or project
  • Finding statistics, documents, or primary sources
  • Speeches
  • Finding book reviews
  • Annotated bibliographies

Types of Library Instruction Available

Classroom introductions provide the opportunity for liaison librarians to meet your class and provide contact information. The librarians can outline the many ways that students can consult with them and ensure that students are aware that librarians are available to provide help for all of their research needs.

Classroom Instruction covers search strategies, choosing and using resources, evaluating sources (including Internet web sites), overview of major research tools on a topic or in a discipline, searching the UR online catalog.

Course-specific web pages (LibGuides) guide students to appropriate databases and web sites. These guides are tailored for specific classes or research assignments and your liaison librarian can work with you to create one for special topics, individual classes and assignments. See all of our course guides.

Individual research appointments to discuss research strategies and/or resources with students for papers or projects.

*All first year students complete two Library Labs in their First Year Seminar courses. However, this instruction does not address the research needs of specific assignments, nor does it go into detail as to the types of research competencies that are needed to complete General Education and upper level course research. We encourage course-integrated instruction throughout the curriculum. Consult your liaison librarians -- they are valuable resources.

How to Schedule Library Instruction

Librarians offer course-integrated instruction in their subject specialties. Please contact your liaison librarian at least one week before the date on which you would like to schedule instruction.