Teacher Training: Preparing New Librarians for Library Instruction

Type of Presentation

Panel (1 hour and 15 minutes presentation total for two or more presenters)

Target Audience

Higher Education

Location

Room 1002

Abstract

Many librarians do not receive hands-on instruction training while in their graduate programs, if any coursework at all focusing on library instruction and information literacy. To effectively teach information literacy skills, it is important that new librarians have the opportunity to increase their instructional responsibilities gradually while receiving mentorship from those with teaching experience. The University of Houston implements this approach in its library instruction program, and this panel will focus on the development of a new librarian with minimal teaching experience.

The panelists will describe how the Instruction Team customized a training plan for the new librarian using library instruction classes for the university’s required Freshman Writing II course. The collaborative process involved several librarians throughout a semester. Attendees will hear the lessons learned from the new librarian, as well as the programmatic and personal experiences from instruction librarians with teaching experience. The panel will detail steps crucial to the process, including: learning background information on the library’s instruction program, collaboratively planning instruction sessions, instruction observations, co-teaching, and reflecting on instruction experiences at multiple points.

This training program resulted in a strong foundation of instructional experience for the new librarian, unexpected insights for the more experienced librarians, and consequently, benefits to the library’s instruction program as a whole. Outcomes for this session are to identify strategies for incorporating collaborative teaching practices, so that attendees can better support new and seasoned instruction librarians through ongoing active reflection around how we teach information literacy.

Presentation Description

Many new librarians face the challenge of having to teach information literacy without prior teaching experience or training. This panel will share how the library instruction program at the University of Houston supports librarians through these challenges by describing a customized training plan for a new librarian. Attendees will gain strategies for supporting new and experienced instruction librarians through collaboration and reflection.

Keywords

new librarians, training, collaboration, reflection, undergraduate instruction

Publication Type and Release Option

Presentation (Open Access)

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Oct 1st, 11:15 AM Oct 1st, 12:45 PM

Teacher Training: Preparing New Librarians for Library Instruction

Room 1002

Many librarians do not receive hands-on instruction training while in their graduate programs, if any coursework at all focusing on library instruction and information literacy. To effectively teach information literacy skills, it is important that new librarians have the opportunity to increase their instructional responsibilities gradually while receiving mentorship from those with teaching experience. The University of Houston implements this approach in its library instruction program, and this panel will focus on the development of a new librarian with minimal teaching experience.

The panelists will describe how the Instruction Team customized a training plan for the new librarian using library instruction classes for the university’s required Freshman Writing II course. The collaborative process involved several librarians throughout a semester. Attendees will hear the lessons learned from the new librarian, as well as the programmatic and personal experiences from instruction librarians with teaching experience. The panel will detail steps crucial to the process, including: learning background information on the library’s instruction program, collaboratively planning instruction sessions, instruction observations, co-teaching, and reflecting on instruction experiences at multiple points.

This training program resulted in a strong foundation of instructional experience for the new librarian, unexpected insights for the more experienced librarians, and consequently, benefits to the library’s instruction program as a whole. Outcomes for this session are to identify strategies for incorporating collaborative teaching practices, so that attendees can better support new and seasoned instruction librarians through ongoing active reflection around how we teach information literacy.