Best Practices for Library Instruction
The Information Literacy Team compiled this list of recommended best practices in library instruction with the intention of inspiring library staff to reach for the highest standards of teaching excellence. It is unlikely that any single person will meet the highest level of every practice listed here, but the Team encourages all library instructors to be aware of these best practices and strive to achieve them.
In formulating work plans, instruction librarians are encouraged to cite these best practices and to share them with their Peer Review Committees.
Before a class:
- Respond to a professor's requests for instruction within two business days after receipt of message.
- Conduct pre-assessment of students' backgrounds, needs, and preferences, either before or at beginning of class.
- Discuss the learning goals, content, and format of class with professor.
- Define learning goals clearly.
- As appropriate, prepare supporting class materials: handouts, exercises, or other.
- As appropriate, create Web-based teaching outlines and ask professor to link to them from her/his online syllabus or WebCT.
- Design for active learning in the classroom.
- Organize presentation and class materials in a clear and logical sequence.
- Prepare for visual, aural, reading, and kinesthetic learning styles.
- Learn how to use instruction lab equipment, as well as procedures for troubleshooting and getting assistance while class is in session.
During a class:
- Introduce self and welcome students.
- At beginning of class:
- Preview content.
- Explain how session will be conducted and why (expected outcome).
- Describe the value of the class.
- Speak directly to students; do not read a script or paper.
- Show enthusiasm for subject.
- Emphasize main points; eliminate unnecessary detail.
- Emphasize concepts, not procedures.
- Relate smaller pieces to each other and to the big picture.
- Be flexible about changing teaching plan while class is in progress.
- Allow for questions and interruptions.
- Solicit questions and wait a sufficient amount of time for students to respond.
- Manage difficult students so they do not disrupt the class.
- Cope with technical failures or other emergencies.
- Repeat important information in a variety of ways.
- Build appropriate activities into session that show whether students have achieved learning goals.
- Know limitations and say, "I do not know but will look into it," or refer students to other experts.
- At end of class:
- Summarize the content.
- Tell students how to follow up with you or other library staff after class.
- Assess student satisfaction.
- Assess student learning.
After a class:
- End class on time, especially if another class is following immediately.
- If no class is following, turn off projector and microphone.
- Restore lab to good order: chairs arranged, trash collected, lights out, door locked, etc. (refer to manuals for each lab).
- Assess professor's satisfaction.
- Report problems with lab equipment to ITD Help Desk.
- Report need for materials for general classes to User Education Services.
Outside of classes:
- Promote library instruction to appropriate target departments.
- Take initiative with professors for specific classes that involve student research papers, projects, or proposals.
- After conducting a particular class during one semester, offer to do it again the following semester.
- Improve teaching skills by participating in development activities (workshops, conferences, reading and discussing literature)
- Visit other librarians' classes to gain ideas and insights about teaching.
- Solicit feedback from peers when co-teaching, or invite peers or member of Information Literacy Team to observe (may use Teaching/Learning Effectiveness Assessment for this purpose).
- If appropriate, keep up with subject knowledge, literature, and resources in particular field/discipline.
- Maintain and build knowledge of library collections and databases, services, and policies, and resources available on the Web.
