Librarians integrate their information literacy instruction sessions into your course goals and objectives. Instruction can take place in the library or be embedded into your online courses (zoom and Canvas). The aim of library instruction is to build your students’ research skills, increase critical thinking and evaluation of resources, and connect students with the most appropriate sources available to meet their research needs.

Library instructional services offered:

• Course-related library instruction sessions
• Customized online course guides and instructional handouts
• Online research guides (LibGuides) for each major discipline
• Print and electronic course reserves
• Individual research consultations for students and faculty
• Ask-a-Librarian service by phone, e-mail, or chat
• Online tutorials

For instruction services support, contact your subject liaison librarian. To schedule an in-person library session, fill out a request for library instruction.

For live synchronous instruction sessions (zoom or in-person), we can provide:

• Introductions and brief overviews of the available tutorials and resources, making sure to clarify how they connect to your assignment.

• Facilitation of discussions or activities related to research and information literacy, if it is not possible to conduct these asynchronously.

• Dedicated time to answer student questions and provide direct research assistance. Breakout groups can be helpful for this, and Student Peer Research Consultants may be available to assist with small groups.

To schedule an in-person library session, fill out a request for library instruction or contact your subject liaison librarian.

Research Toolkit

For an introduction to library research and information literacy, the Research Toolkit is a great place to start.  All topics can be integrated into Canvas.

This guide covers common topics for introductory library sessions including:

• topic development

• developing search strategies

• use of databases and the Library catalog to find sources

• recognizing different types of sources

• source evaluation

• citation basics

• how to get help from the Library

• links to upcoming events and online collections

Canvas Modules and Library Integration

We have developed Canvas quizzes and other activities to accompany our Research Toolkit, which you are welcome to copy and adapt.

The following resources can be integrated into Canvas courses to enhance student access to research materials:

• Librarians can be enrolled as a participant in your Canvas course. They can support your class in a variety of ways including answering student questions and providing helpful resources. Please contact your liaison librarian for more information before enrolling them in your Canvas class. If you are not sure which librarian to contact, please send an email to askalibrarian@seattleu.edu.

• Link to Course Reserves available

• Link to full text articles, ebooks, and other items available

• Link to Library research (subject) guides and customized course guides

• Link to Ask a Librarian research help options for students, including 24/7 drop-in chat services and research consultation appointments

Upon graduation from SU, students should be able to:

• Ask informed questions in order to encounter the world

• Develop diverse research skills in order to navigate disciplinary information landscapes

• Use information purposefully in order to produce meaningful work in a variety of contexts

• aBe self-reflective in the use of information in order to develop their meaning and purpose in, and relationship to, the world

• Critically engage with information in contexts of justice and ethical action

Adapted from:
Seattle University Undergraduate Learning Objectives and Association of College and Research Libraries “Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education”