Library Instruction

The OWU librarians are thrilled to support your research and instruction needs in a variety of ways. One frequent request is for a librarian to visit the classroom to work directly with your students. This page is meant to introduce you to different ways we can do that, and the frequent subjects we are asked to speak on.

We can be flexible in how we work with you and your students. Here are a few of the most common ways the library can intersect with your classroom.

• Single class session
• Series of sessions
• Short session on a focused topic
• Library tour
• Blackboard integration
• Online guide targeting specific resources
• One-on-one student research consultations
• Guided Special Collections project 

Library instruction can reach beyond a database demonstration. If students in your classes need to do research for a project, we can support your students with many different lessons. Below we list common topics we have covered in the past and an estimate of the time we need to teach each topic. We are happy to combine topics in one or more sessions or work with you to tailor the session to your exact information literacy need. 

• Library Overview
  • Short (15 minutes)
  • Long (50 minutes)
• Topic Creation and Keyword Brainstorming ( 50 to 75 minutes)
• Developing a Search Strategy (30 to 50 minutes)
• Popular vs. Scholarly Sources (30 minutes)
• Evaluating Sources (30 to 50 minutes)
• Citation Workshop (30 to 50 minutes)
• News Literacy (50 minutes to multiple sessions)
• Object Research (Special Collections - 50 minutes to multiple sessions)
• Assignment Specific Research Workshop (50 to 75 minutes)