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Information Literacy: Best Practices for Effective Library Instruction

The purpose of this guide is to provide information on information literacy programming at Copley Library. For more information, see the instruction page of our website: https://www.sandiego.edu/library/services/library-instruction.php

Making the Most out of Library Instruction Session

To create an engaging atmosphere for students in a library instruction session, we suggest the following best practices followed by other academic libraries:

  • Make sure the session is centered around a specific task or assignment. Students will be most engaged and understand the relevance of the session when the librarian is coming at a point of information need.
  • Provide the librarian with a copy of the assignment and syllabus ahead of time. If they have already been submitted, student topics will also be helpful so that the librarian can tailor examples and questions around ideas students have already generated.
  • Give the students the assignment before the library instruction session.
  • Provide the librarian with any additional information about the kinds of resources the students will need to access to successfully complete the assignment. If applicable, an assignment grading rubric will also be helpful.
  • If time allows, meet with the librarian beforehand or discuss over email your goals for the session.
  • Request the session two weeks in advance to give the librarian adequate time to prepare.
  • Plan to be there. Students tend to be more engaged when their instructor is present and is an active participant in the session. They may also respond more readily to questions from the instructor rather than the librarian, who they may be seeing for the first time.