Ask a Librarian
Ask a Librarian
Introduction
Looking to support your students' research skills? This guide introduces the information literacy instruction services offered by our library team. Here, you can request a session, explore the benefits of library instruction, and learn about different instruction options to meet your course needs.
Benefits of information literacy instruction
Contributes to Student Retention
Literature shows that library instruction contributes to retention and persistence, particularly for students in first-year experience courses and programs.¹
Raises Grades & Quality of Research
Students who receive library instruction as part of their courses achieve higher grades and demonstrate better information literacy competencies than students who do not receive course-related library instruction.¹
Reduces Student Anxiety & Barriers
Library instruction has been shown to reduce student anxiety with using the library resources and increase confidence with the research process. Once they've been in the library and interacted with a librarian, they feel more comfortable asking for help when they need it.²
¹ Brown, K., & Malenfant, J. (2016). Documented library contributions to student learning and success: Building evidence with team-based assessment in action campus projects. Association of College and Research Libraries. https://hdl.handle.net/11213/17184
² Fleming-May, R.A., Mays, R., & Radom, R. (2015). "I never had to use the library in high school": A library instruction program for at-risk students. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 15(3), 433-456. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2015.0038