Instruction
Phone: 724-738-2638
Instruction at Bailey Library is designed to support the integration of information literacy into all levels of Slippery Rock University's curriculum. To this end, Bailey Library offers the following instructional services: Basics of Library Research, Subject Specific Classes and Workshops, FYI, Online Tutorials, Research.com, Library User Guides and Self-Guided Tours.
Information literacy, as defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association is "the set of skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze, and use information." These skills are critical to the success of students as they evolve from learners in the structured environment of college into independent lifelong learners in the information-rich 21st century. Such information literate citizens are able to:
- determine the nature and extent of their information needs
- access needed information efficiently and effectively
- evaluate information and its sources critically
- use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
- use information ethically and legally
More information on information literacy, including the complete standards from which the above are derived, is available from the ACRL's Information Literacy Website
Basics of Library Research
In these sessions, librarians introduce the skills and tools needed to begin to use the library's collections and services.
Subject Specific Classes and Workshops
For these sessions, which are tailored to the needs of a particular class, librarians design a class in consultation with the course instructor. These classes focus on the specific skills and tools students need to understand in order to succeed in their coursework. Classes might include lectures on source evaluation, demonstrations on the use of specific electronic databases, and/or an introduction to a print resource or microfilm collection. Bailey Library's state-of-the-art classroom allows students to practice the skills they need in class.
Online Tutorials and Videos
A number of online tutorials are available that can be incorporated into student assignments. See the library's Research Guides page for more information. Usa.gov offers numerous tutorials on finding government information.
Videos include:
Boolean Searching
From UCLA: 21st Century Literacies
From Penn State: The Information Cycle
From Ebsco: Introduction to EBSCOhost
From Media Education Foundation: A Fair(y) Use Tale (explains copyright)
From Michael Wesch, Kansas State University: Web 2.0: The Machine is Us/ing Us
From Prentice-Price Evans: Evaluating Web Sites
From Common Craft: Wikis in Plain English
Research.com
This one-credit, self-paced online course (INDS 110) teaches students the information literacy skills they need. Please keep it in mind when working with your advisees.
Library User Guides and Self-Guided Tour
Various instructional handouts and tours are available at the Reference Desk.
See more options for customizing an instruction session.
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