Requesting Librarian-Led Information Literacy Support: Instructor Approaches, Experiences, and Attitudes

abstract: This project sought to better understand why course instructors request librarian involvement to teach information literacy skills. Librarians at two large institutions surveyed 29 instructors and then interviewed 11 about their experiences working with librarians, their motivations for involving librarians in their courses, and their goals for including information literacy instruction. The study found that instructors had many different levels of experience with the library. Motivations for inviting librarians to their classes included creating a support network and sharing librarian expertise with students. The researchers also discuss instructor participation in library instruction sessions, including commentary, where they reinforce points made by the librarian during class, and bookending, where they sandwich librarian involvement between preliminary or concluding remarks.