Innovation was the watchword last year for six faculty-librarian teams that tackled the issue of how to expand the reach of library research instruction into the college's curriculum.
The project kicked off in June 2011 with a Charles Center-sponsored seminar, organized by our library instruction coordinator Paul Showalter, to discuss information literacy and ways for librarians and faculty to collaborate.
The six faculty members -- Joanne Braxton, English; Paul S. Davies, Philosophy; George Greenia, Hispanic Studies; Giulia Pacini, Modern Languages; Betsy Schlabach, American Studies; and John Swaddle, Biology -- then partnered with, respectively, librarians Alan Zoellner, Mary Molineux, Troy Davis, Paul Showalter, Amy Schindler, and Martha Higgins. Each team met separately to design library research instruction sessions, assignments, and assessments for one 2011-12 class.
A year later, in June 2012, many of the participants gathered to review and share their experiences. The consensus was that the project had been a success, with students definitely demonstrating increased understanding of library research skills and tools. Several of the teams plan to repeat this expanded library component in one or more classes in the coming year, and although additional analysis and evaluation are needed to assess the program's long-range value, we're optimistic that the extra effort put forth was -- and will be -- beneficial to all involved.