Information Literacy Outreach to Reluctant Instructors Conversation Circle - 2017 IPAL IL Interest Group

Conversation starters:

• In what ways has this resistance manifested? What have you inferred or been told is their reason for resistance (i.e. overwhelmed by course content/Schedules? Power/control? Etc.)? What strategies have you used to overcome this resistance? What has worked well? What has not worked well? What new things would you like to try?

Conversation notes:

• Manifestations

• No time (changes in class, semester, university schedules)
• Holding grudges for previous perceived “poor” information lit classes
• Not everyone is trained in instruction

• Not every library grad school has an instruction practicum

• University level

• IL sessions are not always sequenced after freshman year
• Some misunderstandings to do with ENGL 101 research assignments due to being taught by adjuncts

• Difficulties with instructors not understanding information lit/research skills

• Instructors want flexibility with topics (which doesn’t always work with IL session)
• Misunderstanding what a research paper is (adjuncts) Hint: you need to do research

• Methods for overcoming instructor resistance

• Personal relationships (how do you do this?)

• Committee work
• Connect to new faculty
• Go to things (judging, presentations, etc.)
• Informal conversations via coffee

• Departmental meetings?

• Very mixed results
• Some departments like it, some HATE it

• Seems more helpful when you have new products to talk about (databases, etc.)
• Be transparency

• Still: face to face is best

• Satellite reference was very helpful for connecting with faculty (less helpful for students)

• New Things

• Drop in sessions

• Teach new databases, collections, technology, etc.
• Worked when you go to fairs, etc.

• Get more allies

Round 2:

• Time is always an issue. First year seminar, library instruction used to be required but now focuses on writing and collaborative leadership

• Only get about ½ of them to do IL instruction and now see gaps with Jr.s who haven’t even known about research help at the library
• Collaborative leadership students can work as an intermediary to learn about the library’s services and then approach the faculty instructor to help collaborate the library instruction content as well as scheduling it into the classroom  - hoping to improve instructor buy-in and entry into classroom

• Luther - very well integrated into Paidea (first-year) and largest challenge is to go beyond that into major-specific courses

• Some majors it is really applicable and others it’s bookended in their first year and their senior years (with memory gaps between)
• Working on sequencing and scaffolding with inroads into departments
• Wonderful when they call you, but what about those who don’t?

• Sending students for 1:1 consultations rather than having to “take class time” for IL instruction (either required or extra-credit)

• A way to make inroads and break through a little bit

• Trackback exercise for students to come to the library and find a primary sources from a secondary resource’s source list (history) - come in for appointments for that
• Small group meetings to help students prep for prezos and then also prepare them to write individual papers
• What are their reasons and how can we allay their fears?

• Their content is so important that we just can “miss” one session, don’t have time
• Faculty may think students already know how to search. (Tech savvy isn’t necessarily information savvy)
• It’s not required so we’re not going to do it (i.e. not requiring research of their students)
• I can teach it myself, don’t need the library to come in for that

• Expand student support team across campus, we want to help them know where they can go for help, we exist and are available when others might not be

• Getting IL instruction librarian name on syllabus, pronouns, photo, contact information, etc.
• Research office business cards for faculty to encourage meetings
• Often we assume people can mine our library website like us, but faculty might not know that it’s not just a PR page, but a resource page instead

• How do we get that image of the library website and its use changed? It’s not just PR, it’s function and use for internal users
• Marketing program to promote for internal users the library website, services, etc.
• Advisory committee? Student on there too to provide input

• Inviting faculty to help with assessment (i.e. program review) will help them better know what you do and where awareness gaps might be
• Sandbox blackboard/moodle to play with and then develop content to copy into courses, practice or develop for student access