Facilitating
PWP Faculty - Librarian Communication
This guide is designed to aid communication between Professional Writing faculty (requestors) and UM librarians (guest presenters) in preparing students for library instruction.
- Joint responsibility to communicate
- Preparing students in advance
- Answers to questions librarians want to know
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JOINT RESPONSIBILITY to COMMUNICATE
It is the joint responsibility of PWP faculty and librarians to communicate with each other in a timely manner (at least one week before the session) to plan the learning outcomes of the library instruction session. Refer to the Faculty/Librarian Teaching Schedule * Spring 2004 for contact information (names, phone numbers, e-mail adresses, location of library session).
Librarians will assume that if PWP faculty request a library instruction session, there is a need for students to come to the library to work on an assignment that has a research component. There are no generic or one-size-fits-all library instruction sessions. Faculty and librarians need to communicate and customize the content of the library session. Consider creating effective library research assignments.
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PREPARING STUDENTS in ADVANCE
PWP faculty should prepare students in advance of coming to the library. Inform students why they are writing this assignment and what purpose it serves. Sudents will ant to know why the library session has been arranged and how it will be beneficial. Refer to the value of library instruction.
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ANSWERS to QUESTIONS Librarians want to know
PWP faculty and UM librarian will need to communicate with each other to prepare the learning outcomes of the library session.
Consider copying & pasting these questions into an e-mail message:
Will students be working independently or in teams?
Students are enrolled in which majors? (Arts, Engineering, Life Sciences)?
At what stage of their research will students be when they come to the library?
How can the librarian get a copy of the course syllabus? If it is on the Web, what is the URL? If not, can it be faxed or mailed?
What are the names and purposes of the assignments students will be working towards when they come to the library?
How can the librarian get copies of the assignments? If it is on the Web, what is the URL? If not, can it be faxed or mailed?
Do the assignments require the use of specific types of sources? If so, how can the librarian get a copy of the list or required sources?
When are the assignments due?
When students come to the library, will they be researching possible topics? Or will they have settled on final ones?
How can the librarian get a list of student's topics?
Will students have already begun their research before coming to the library session?
Is there any additional information librarians need to know in order to prepare for the session?
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