Apples and Apples: Putting Teaching at the Core of the LibrarianProfessor Connection

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Apples and ApplesPutting Teaching at the Core
of the Librarian/Professor Connection

• Joan Ruelle, University Librarian
• Kevin Unrath, User Services Librarian
• Hollins University www.hollins.edu/library
• LOEX, May 13, 2005

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Todays Bushel

• Why change is needed
• Focus on the librarian/faculty relationship
• Change philosophy, strategy, and practice
• Share experiences

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Background at Hollins

• Hollins University
• 1100 students
• New library opened in 1999
• Then, research instruction not a priority

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Background at UVA

• Science Engineering Library
• 600-700 1st 4th year Engineering Students
• No in-class time for library instruction
• Library sessions were held during the first three
  weeks of the Fall semester
• 4 liaison librarians
• Low faculty interest and buy-in
• Quantity ? Quality
• Librarian burnout

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Impetus for change

• New general education requirements developed
  campus wide
• Applied Research Techniques course a requirement
  starting in Fall 2001

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Even the best laid plans

• One size fits most Blackboard course developed
• Customization attempted

• Students (faculty librarians too) were
  unsatisfied with the library component

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should sometimes be laid to rest.

• Rethinking of practice, philosophy and strategy
  needed (and fast!)
• Opportunity to rebuild the instruction program
• How best to rebuild?

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Shift in philosophy

• Look for opportunities

• Information Literacy not one size fits all
• Varies by
• Discipline
• Institution
• Individual

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Shift in strategy

• Faculty/librarian liaison relationship key
• Goal put teaching at the core of the
  faculty/librarian connection

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Liaison structures
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Practical steps

• Rewrite job descriptions
• Distribute instruction among more librarians,
  according to liaison roles
• Communicate new roles to librarians and faculty
• Scalability for larger institutions

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Support liaisons

• Allow for a transitional period
• Offer different support models for different
  people
• Discussion groups
• Mentoring

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Build relationships

• Focus on new faculty
• Make librarian visibility and campus-wide
  interaction an annual goal
• Allow for independence in faculty/librarian
  relationship

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Build on success

• Encourage sharing of ideas
• Keep administration and campus informed of success

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Results at Hollins
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Results at UVA
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Discussion Notes

• Different approaches to organization of
  instruction
• U. New Mexico has traditional selector model,
  looking to move toward team-based model, possibly
  learning comms.
• Duke subject librarians, worry about eval. of
  instruction from instruction libs.
• Vanderbilt no gateway course for info. lit. but
  used writing requirement to incorporate library
  research.
• George Washington Instruction Group w/10
  librarian pool, coordinator gets requests,
  distributes, w/all teaching all subjects.
• Dartmouth cross-training pear tutors
  (library/writing center/comp. services)
• Other issues
• Staffing paraprofessionals at reference desk to
  free up librarians, but sometimes union issues
  and problems w/referrals.
• Grad students can teach research meth./sub
  specific courses.

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Thank you!

• Joan Ruelle jruelle_at_hollins.edu
• Kevin Unrath kunrath_at_hollins.edu