Instructing Users

Our readings for this week covered the basics of instruction. One reading was on creating a really useful, in-depth lesson plan which can be used by different library staff members teaching the same course so that all students come out with the same result and are given the same quality of teaching as everyone else. I really liked this idea of creating a thorough lesson plan, especially as a novice in library instruction. I have never taught a library class, or any class for that matter, and I think it would be incredibly difficult. I would end up doing one of two things: freaking out over how much I wanted to cover and how, and then probably skipping things I didn't know as well as others, or be overconfident and assume I knew what I wanted to talk about and just wing it. I'm actually really excited, I have signed up to co-lead a library instruction course with one of the librarians at MLibraries where I work, and it's a section that is just like the article suggested: multiple sessions taught by different staff. So the lesson plan is already established, I just have to look over the materials and become familiar with them before class, and it has been suggested that I sit in and observe a class beforehand, as well. I can imagine this format working really well for the academic library community, and I hope that it is pretty standard across the board as an instructional tool in academic libraries. I would find this model especially useful as a new professional once I graduate.

When I think about the kinds of library instruction I have received as a student, I find that I remember a somewhat wide variety. As a grade schooler, we went weekly to the library. I'm pretty sure we were taught once or twice how to use the school's card catalog, though I think even then they were in the process of changing to an OPAC. Mostly the trips to the library were to pick out books we would like. In middle school I recall going into a library computer lab and the librarians instructed us on how to use search engines and type in URLs into the browser. And in high school, the librarians taught us how to search better using Boolean operators (which we all promptly forgot, I'm sure), as well as I recall being taught then how to use the Reader's Guide to Periodicals. Finally, in college I had a few different courses take a little field trip to the library where the librarians guided us in the best ways to search databases, which databases you should use when, etc. It took several trips for me to absorb much of what they were telling us, and I think even now I would still benefit from such a course. I always found that I only retained a very small amount of what the librarians were trying to impact to me because it was not immediately relevant in most cases. The ones that I learned the most from were when we had a particular research assignment and we went to the library to learn the best way to start our research on that exact assignment.

The second thing I really liked from our readings was the idea of embedding short instructional videos at the point of need in the library website. I was really struck by something in one of the readings--a mention that some people may hesitate to ask for a librarian's help when they feel their question is "beneath" the librarian. I am on the social network Reddit, and I "subscribe" to the U of M subreddit, and something I think is a bit funny is that I will fairly frequently come across questions on the subreddit which have to do with library services. The original poster (OP) says they are too embarrassed by their simple question to bother the librarians with it. For example, I came across one recently asking what kinds of library services are available to alumni once they have left the university, and if there is a way they can pay to have more access. To me, a librarian-in-training, this question is far from embarrassing. It's a good question about library services! But if this person is embarrassed to ask a librarian that, imagine how many people are too embarrassed to ask for help on how to use the catalog to find a book. A short instructional video at the point of need would go a very long way.