IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group Spring Conference 2025

Thank you to all who were able to attend this year's IPAL Instruction Interest Group meeting! Especially now, connecting with friends and colleagues feels so important! We had 15 people attend the Instruction Interest Group session held Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at Drake University's Cowles Library in Des Moines. 

We started with a little orientation to the session and our activities, and outlined our expectations for everyone to get the most from our time together. We then went around the room and introduced ourselves. Because conferences are about connection, we wanted a way for people to be able to identify others who would be open to folks reaching out after the conference—What better way to indicate this than by having everyone self-select by wearing stickers? That way if something came up later in the conversation, we could be sure to get that person’s contact information for a follow up conversation.  

We spent the bulk of the time exploring Table Topics. What are Table Topics, and how do they work? 

• Participants joined a group discussing a topic they had an interest in. (There were prompts for each topic to help get the conversation started.)
• Each table appointed a note taker for their table.
• We structured the session to emphasize participation -- Conversations are made richer by everyone's expertise and experience!
• We wound up doing 3 rounds. At the sound of the buzzer, attendees had the option to pop over to another group to discuss a different topic but everyone was so engrossed in their conversations we all wound up staying put at our original tables!

We've brought together the notes from each group and posted them in the embedded Google Doc below. There were so many rich conversations happening during the entire session, and it's particularly nice to find folks who are also interested in what you're interested in to be able to share around the table. The topics were: 

• Navigating change
• Campus
• Curriculum
• Legislative/administrative pressures
• How are you staying informed? Finding balance? Advocating for your needs?
• Neurodivergent working, learning, & teaching
• What works for you? 
• What has helped you grow with your colleagues and students?
• Tech tools to make life easier *including AI
• Tools and tricks we just can’t stop telling people about
• Things that have changed how you work, teach, stay organized, communicate, and/or learn
• Professional development ideas
• How do you stay up to date with instruction approaches? How are you staying fresh?
• Articles/books you're consuming
• Info-lit-themed common read suggestions for groups of colleagues?
• What resources do you revisit time and again for inspiration?
• Whole person station
• Self-care and recharging – what works for you? Others in your orbit?
• What strategies, tools, resources (books, podcasts, mindfulness or wellness approaches) help you find balance?
• How do your hobbies help? What are your comfort hobbies? Jump-start hobbies?
• Let’s talk about boundaries!
• How can we support each other in chaotic times?

Throughout the session, participants also had access to some fidget toys, bubble wrap to pop, and coloring books to help de-stress or focus throughout our time together.

Thank you again to everyone who participated! There were so many important and supportive conversations happening throughout the session, all made possible because of your participation! We are grateful to have such caring, innovative, and dedicated colleagues throughout Iowa! 

Instruction Interest Group May 2025 Drake by cstone

 

Link to 2025 IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group Table Topics Notes in Google Drive.

IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group Spring Conference 2024

Thank you to all who were able to attend this year's IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group meeting! It was wonderful being able to connect with so many new faces and reconnect with friends and colleagues we’ve known for years! We had 31 people attend the IL Interest Group session held May 29, 2024 at Iowa State University's Parks Library in Ames. 

We divided time into a few segments: 

• We started with a little orientation to the session and our activities and outlined our expectations for everyone to get the most from our time together. We went around the room and introduced ourselves and then took a brief moment for mindfulness (you’ll find the videos we used embedded in our slides below). Those who participated in person also had access to Cara's stress-relief box which has some fidget toys and coloring books to help de-stress or focus throughout our time together.
• Then we transitioned into Table Topics - We've brought together the notes from each group and posted them in the embedded Google Doc below. There were so many rich conversations happening during the entire session, but it's particularly nice to find folks who are also interested in what you're interested in and share around the table. The topics were: 
• Whole Person Station: self-care & recharging.  
• AI & You: your campus, your work, your tools, your instruction
• Instruction Motivation: what fills your cup, keeps you coming back, outreach, prep process, delivery, assessment, debrief/reflect
• Tech Tools to Make Your Life Easier
• Share & Tell Instruction: ideas, favorite lesson plans, lessons learned, things you wish you could try
• We were so enjoying the Table Topics conversations that we opted to extend them into the Solution or Sympathy time. 
  

Thank you again to everyone who participated! There were so many important and supportive conversations happening throughout the session, all made possible because of your participation! We are grateful to have such energized, creative, and committed colleagues throughout Iowa! 

   

 

Link to 2024 IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group Table Topics Notes in Google Drive.

IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group Spring Conference 2023

Thank you to all who were able to attend this year's IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group meeting! We so appreciated being able to connect with so many new faces, and touch base with friends we’ve known for years! We had 21 people attend the IL Interest Group session held May 24, 2023 in Dubuque, IA at Loras College. 

We broke our time into a few segments: 

• We started with a little orientation to the session and our activities and outlined our expectations for everyone to get the most from our time together. We also took a brief moment to breathe deeply together (shout out to so many of the free videos from Headspace that are available on YouTube – you’ll find the one we used embedded in our slides below). Those who participated in person also had access to some fidget toys, coloring books, and candy to help de-stress or focus throughout the session.
• Then we transitioned into Table Topics - We've brought together the notes from each group and posted them in the embedded Google Doc below. The topics were: 
• Self-care and recharging
• Building community in trying times
• Tech tools to make your life easier
• Chat GPT & AI
• Instruction ideas
• As facilitators, it is always hard to stop when we’re hearing all of the fantastic conversations happening in the Table Topics time—But we did, switching gears to allow time for the Solution or Sympathy activity where participants wrote down instruction/library-related questions or concerns; shared the questions anonymously to see if the group has experienced something similar; and offered up possible solutions, or sympathized to let the person who submitted the question know that at least they're not alone.
• We wrapped up our time together by celebrating the big and little things in the Wins: Now and Later segment. We asked for your successes, to share something you're proud of--whether it was a major project or a singular moment. We enjoyed celebrating our colleagues’ accomplishments!

Thank you again to everyone who participated! These sessions are truly so valuable because of what you bring to the conversations! We are grateful to have such intelligent, creative, and invested colleagues throughout Iowa! 

Link to Table Topics notes in Google Drive.

IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group Spring Conference 2022

Thank you to all who were able to attend this year's IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group meeting! It was wonderful to see familiar faces, and get to know folks who are new to Iowa's academic libraries! We had 17 people attend the IL Interest Group session held May 20, 2022. 

We broke our time into 3 segments: 

• We began with our familiar Solution or Sympathy activity where participants wrote down instruction/library-related questions or concerns; shared the questions anonymously to see if the group has experienced something similar; and offered up possible solutions, or sympathized to let the person who submitted the question know that at least they're not alone.
• We celebrated the big and little things in the Wins This Year segment. We asked for your successes, to share something you're proud of--whether it was a major project or a singular moment. We enjoyed celebrating each others' accomplishments.
• Then we transitioned into Discussion Groups (AKA Table Topics) - We've brought together the notes from each group and posted them in the embedded Google Doc below. 

Thank you again to everyone who participated! These interest group sessions are so rich and meaningful because of what you bring to the conversations! 

IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group Spring Conference 2021

Thanks to all who were able to attend this year's IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group meeting! Especially now, it felt great to connect with wonderful colleagues from around the state! This was a new conference format being fully online, but the conference planners did bring back some familiar elements by continuing to combine the Iowa Library Association ACRL conference with the IPAL conference. We had 28 people attend the IL Discussion Group breakout room on May 21, 2021. We began our time together with our familiar Solution or Sympathy activity where participants reflected using Padlet. Then we transitioned into New, Old, & On-Trend - an activity where participants reflected on new things they tried this year and wanted to keep, things they used to do but now realize energy is better spent elsewhere, and those things that we used to do/are still doing that aren't going away anytime soon. This year instead of more breakout rooms, we transitioned Table Topics into an asynchronous format for folks to share and reflect. All are linked in the embedded Google Doc below. 

 

IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group Spring Conference 2019 Recap

Info Lit Interest Group 2019 by dbqreference

Thanks to all who were able to attend this year's IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group meeting! How fortunate are we to have such rich conversations and be able to connect with wonderful colleagues from around the state?! This was the second year for the new conference format which combines the Iowa Library Association ACRL conference with the IPAL conference. We had 31 people attend on May 23, 2019 at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids. We began our time together sharing out wins from the year. We celebrated victories, big and small, with the large group. Then we transitioned into Table Topics groups. The various topics and associated group notes are embedded below. 

 
Thank you to all who attended and shared ideas, resources, and experiences! We're looking forward to carrying the conversations and connections into the next year!

IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group Spring Conference 2018 Recap

IPAL/ILA ACRL 2018 by cstone

Thanks to all who were able to attend this year's IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group meeting! We had rich conversations and were able to connect with many colleagues from around the state. We had a new conference format which combined the Iowa Library Association ACRL conference with the IPAL conference, and we had 27 people attend on June 1, 2018 at Drake University in Des Moines. We began our time together sharing out ideas for Professional Development on a shoestring. Those ideas are embedded below.



 After that we broke into Table Topics groups. The themes were:

• Communication: how can we communicate with colleagues and college constituents? convey value of IL, libraries, and more?
• Across: how can we collaborate across institutions for research, presentations, scholarship? 
• Resource bias and "real news:" how do we acknowledge bias in sources and translate that into resource credibility/assessment understanding w/ patrons
• Techniques and strategies: successful instruction and student engagement strategies, lessons that worked, teaching/class activities, ways to engage through IL
• Social justice: diversity, equity, inclusion in the IL context

We've done our best to interpret handwriting, but let us know if we missed something! We've embedded those notes below.

Finally we wrapped up with Solution or Sympathy. We've embedded below the talking points, and we'll also include the asks we weren't able to get to in person -- feel free to continue the conversation in the comments on this post!

Thank you to all who participated in the conversation and for your helpful feedback and interest in helping in the future! We're so grateful to work in a state with such wonderful colleagues!

IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group Spring Conference 2017 Recap

Eighteen attended this year's in-person IL Interest Group session. We began with brief introductions sharing IL instruction session successes and then shifted into Conversation Circles. Attendees could choose from one of the following topics for their discussions:

• IL Reflection 
• Lesson Planning
• Instruction Materials and Management
• Reluctant Instructors
• Distance Learners

As you'll read below, the conversations were rich and the idea sharing was valuable! We allowed folks to rotate after about 30 minutes of discussion, because sometimes it's hard just to choose one topic! Embedded below are the notes from those conversations, as well as notes from the Solution or Sympathy activity. One additional thing to note was the election of Sarah Slaughter, University of Dubuque, to serve as a member of the Richard Fyffe Scholarship Selection Committee. We thank her for her willingness and enthusiasm to serve!

Conversation Circle & Solution or Sympathy Notes:

IPAL Information Literacy Interest Group Spring Conference 2016 Recap

Twenty-three attended the Information Literacy Interest Group session held March 19, 2016 at Grand View University in Des Moines. We began with brief introductions followed by a guided reflection on teaching characteristics and non-traditional learning objects or experiences based on Char Booth’s Reflective teaching, effective learning: Instructional literacy for library educators. Individuals articulated influential instructors from their past or peer group and the attributes they most admire or wish to emulate in their own teaching. Participants also identified three memorable non-classroom-based learning experiences that connected them with a meaningful way to learn. That prompted a lively small-group discussion.

Kristy Raine provided an instruction example that modeled connecting instruction and outcomes to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. The small groups then reconvened to discuss and brainstorm how they may apply the Framework and modify their current instruction. Each small group recorded their Framework brainstorming, which is shared below.

If you are interested in being part of the planning process for future events like this, fall ILA conference meet-ups, online hangouts, or would like to contribute guest posts to the blog, please indicate your interest here: http://goo.gl/forms/cWAoMJ75zvRyqEmP2





Below are the materials used or created during the event.

Slides/Prompts:

Reflective Teaching Activity prompts/chart:


Kristy Raine's lesson example connecting instruction and outcomes to the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education:

Be a Volkswagen Detective: Show Me What You Know:

Defeat Devices and Mistakes: The Emissions Scandal and the Future of Volkswagen:

ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education Pocket Guide:


Framework "Solution or Sympathy" group brainstorming:
Group 1


Group 2


Group 3


Group 4


Group 5

Idea Generators from Social Media

https://www.flickr.com/photos/souvenirsofcanada/16667983308 

I lurk on social media. 

I watch and listen and wait for inspiration to strike (or ideas to steal). Occasionally I’ll post a note or share something in a group, but mostly I listen and appreciate the community that is librarianship. But there’s a certain level of pressure associated with social media. Who should I follow? How much should I participate? What if I want to stop following this big, important, well-known library person because it winds up I’m not interested in their kitty pictures (because sometimes, I’m just really not in the mood). Just as it takes some of us a bit longer to realize that it is okay to give up on a book that’s just not doing it for us, we can do the same with social media. I quit Snapchat so hard, and I’m more than okay with that. We all have the right to say “Nah, that’s not my deal” and walk away.

But sometimes I need a reminder, so here are some things I remind myself about social media:

• It is what you make of it, and what you want it to be. Do all of it or none of it or something in between. It’s okay.
• You can’t read everything on Twitter, or even Facebook, now. There’s just too much content. It’s ok to sit back and see what rises to the top. If it’s important it will likely be shared more than once and you’ll catch it then.
• What rises up will likely be under this bubble or filter of bias, meaning like people share similar views and, thus, similar things. Remember to step outside of that bubble to get multiple perspectives, especially if it is something that is important to you.
• Different networks are for different things, even though the same content is sometimes shared across multiple platforms. Try out a few, figure out which is the best fit, and go from there.
• Feel free to lurk. I lurk in Facebook groups, on Twitter, on Foursquare, and learn a lot about what I like and don’t like about certain formats.
• If you have something to say, if you feel like it’s worth sharing then put it out there! We’re all just learning from each other!

In terms of library idea-sharing, which groups do I appreciate the most? Here are just a few (certainly not a complete or exhaustive list), along with a brief description:

• LMaO - Library Marketing and Outreach: https://www.facebook.com/groups/acrl.lmao/?ref=browser
• This group is so awesome! I love the pictures and questions shared! The group description says, “An ACRL group created for Academic Librarians interested in Marketing and Outreach. Please share ideas and events from your libraries! This group is for: - Sharing ideas, resources, websites, software, etc. to help us market our libraries and their services. Emphasis on FREE or low cost resources! - Show off the work you do: your success stories and your failures, ask for help from others, and plan for local meet ups in your state to exchange ideas!”
• eLearning in Libraries: https://www.facebook.com/groups/459190367552515/?ref=browser
• According to the description, “This is a group for anyone who is interested in developing e-learning for library purposes. We will share ideas and engage in discussion about e-learning.  Public, academic, school, and special library staff are all encouraged to join. E-learning can include screencasts, tutorials, videos, and any other training delivered in an online format, and may be for library staff or patrons.”
• I love taking ideas and seeing how many different formats I can deliver it with--Can I take an online video idea and turn it into a classroom activity? Let’s try! Plus, learning about new tech tools is always a good idea!
• ILA ACRL: https://www.facebook.com/groups/120059458020282/?ref=browser
• I love staying connected with local folks and hearing about issues, successes, and everything in between, so this group is great! “Iowa Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries division discussion group. Membership in this Facebook group is open to everyone, everywhere. Maintained by ILA ACRL Electronic Communications Committee.”
• ALA Think Tank: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ALAthinkTANK/
• I know there are tons of folks who absolutely love this group. I was in for a bit and decided it was 1) too much stuff, and 2) not always relevant to me in my small-library life.

If you’re looking to lurk on other libraries’ pages, check out this compilation of links from 2013:

• http://www.mattanderson.org/blog/2013/01/31/100-libraries-to-follow-on-facebook/

Pages I don’t follow but probably should:

• Web Junction: https://www.facebook.com/WebJunctionNews
• Library Journal: https://www.facebook.com/Library-Journal-11249119181/
• Learning Round Table of the ALA: https://www.facebook.com/ALALearning
• CILIP Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals: https://www.facebook.com/CILIP-119527011399432/?ref=ts
• School Library Journal: https://www.facebook.com/SchoolLibraryJournal
• ALSC: https://www.facebook.com/Associationforlibraryservicetochildren?ref=ts&v=wall
• YALSA: https://www.facebook.com/yalsa?ref=ts&v=wall
• PLA: https://www.facebook.com/pla.org
• The Digital Shift: https://www.facebook.com/thedigitalshift/

Things I forget about on Twitter until they pop up:

• #CritLib https://twitter.com/hashtag/critlib?src=hash
• #Infolit: https://twitter.com/hashtag/infolit?src=hash
• Kathy Schrock: https://twitter.com/kathyschrock
• #IALibChat: https://twitter.com/IAlibchat
• Inside Higher Ed: https://twitter.com/insidehighered
• Barbara Fister: https://twitter.com/bfister
• Creative Library Practice: https://twitter.com/creativelibprac
• American Library Association: https://twitter.com/ALALibrary
• Lauren Pressley: https://twitter.com/laurenpressley
• ILA: https://twitter.com/IowaLA
• ALA Booklist: https://twitter.com/ALA_Booklist
• Bookriot: https://twitter.com/BookRiot

Where do you lurk to find the best ideas? Where do you find the best sense of community online? Share in the comments below!

Guest Post: Taking a Step Back: When Instruction Basics Need to be Revisited in a New Environment

iLOVE welcomes a guest post from Holly Schettler, Reference & Instruction Librarian at Morningside College in Sioux City, IA.

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Humans in general are always looking forward. Time pushes us onward even when we wish to reminisce or scrutinize the past. It only makes sense, then, that we do the same in our careers. Librarians focus on building the literacy skills of our students, creating a scaffolding that will (hopefully) carry them through their future research; but what happens when that scaffolding fails? Without a strong enough foundation, that is exactly what we face--students that fall short of their research goals.

Academic research is often associated with peer-reviewed academic journals or other resources deemed to be purely scholarly, yet such a narrow viewpoint has its downfalls. More and more freshmen are entering college with a limited knowledge of library databases and keyword searching; these “digital natives” are immediately drawn to Google to find resources for academic research. Often their default search-engine-instinct results in research based upon unreliable sources. I listen to faculty lament their students’ failed attempts at quality research, despite the abundance of subscription resources supplied by the library.

So what is a librarian to do in this situation? I suggest we look to a new environment to build these research skills--Google. Yes, students are already using Google to do their research. Yes, they are not finding great resources by doing so. But if we can teach students to use Google (and other search engines) effectively and truly evaluate online resources before using them (instead of as a mindless default), then those skills can carry them forward into unknown territory--that of library databases.

Thankfully many of our first year course instructors have embraced online research due to the nature of their topics or themes. Some common themes we see include: popular culture, environmental awareness, science and technology, current issues facing the world, etc. These themes lend themselves to utilizing both resources we find in our databases as well as resources that can be found freely available online.  In these cases, we can start where the students are familiar (Google) and build up to using more advanced platforms (library databases). We can evaluate resources on the web, and then transfer those skills to different types of resources provided by the library. Instead of saying “NO! Don’t use Google!” and causing students to lose confidence in the way they have been researching, we can say “Google is an appropriate starting place for your research in these types of cases...”

The concept extends beyond first year courses as well. Consider the business department--a number of sources utilized by business students can be found free (or at least partially free) online: Forbes, Business Insider, Advertising Age, and Bloomberg Business, just to name a few. When doing company research, where should students start? The company website, of course! But often, without teaching students how to find, use, and evaluate websites, they land on the company’s consumer website, not the site that will give them the information they need for their research. Surprisingly, most students I have worked with do not even know how to locate the “About” page on a website in order to evaluate the source! If the information is not in plain sight, most students will give up or use the resource without evaluating it. Thus, we need to invest time into training students the proper way to “Google,” particularly for first year students and those in specific departments like business.

Once students have mastered their skills in Google, the next logical step would be a discovery service, where students can search in a manner similar to Google but locate resources provided by their library. Again, we are building skills and scaffolding information literacy, but simply starting the process in a new environment--one that most students believe they are familiar with already. Essentially, this allows students to build confidence in their research skills without having to get over the initial shock of being told they can’t or shouldn’t use Google for their research. It is a tale some of them have heard before in high school--a knee-jerk reaction to the overconfidence of digital natives--but one that should not be continued in college.

It should be noted that some students will have received more preparation for scholarly research in high school than others, meaning some students may be more comfortable jumping into library database research immediately. I am not proposing a complete abandonment of library resource training in the first year courses. At Morningside, we also cover basic database usage in our first year classes, including research within Academic Search Premier and Opposing Viewpoints in Context. But even for students who are somewhat familiar with certain library databases, effective Google searching is important. Many digital natives do not realize how poor their search skills are and can become increasingly frustrated by not being able to locate that for which they are searching.

Of course, this discussion of beginning research skills in Google lends to a discussion of information literacy skills being taught in high schools, which unfortunately are lacking due to the inadequate number of librarians employed in those institutions. A revisiting of the topic may be warranted upon a change in the landscape, but currently most college librarians are left starting from scratch when it comes to educating students on information literacy. So what can we do in the current landscape? Build a foundation of skills that is strong, and that will carry the students forward, even if that foundation is in Google.

Guest Post: Resist the Urge to Google: IL Challenges with Business Students

iLOVE welcomes a guest post from Kristy Raine, Reference Librarian and Archivist at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, IA.

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In the early-2000s, my campus’ library began its consultant program, pairing staff with academic programs and departments.  Most of us, at the time, were “humanities kids,” literature and history types. As we divided up responsibilities, someone had to take the business department. Knowing the gaping hole in my knowledge about the field, I volunteered to assume the role, a “baptism by fire approach,” as my mother would say.  A decade later, I am still working with business students and have seen several changes in the department, including two thriving graduate tracks (MBA and MSL), now accounting for almost 250 students.

Our campus is commonly known as a “nursing school,” but we have twice as many students in business. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including a high volume of adult students working on a Bachelors or Masters’ degree at night.  We also have a significant number of adjuncts teaching night courses, many with long-term associations to the campus, implying they know my role with the department and that library services are available for them and their students. My usual, shameless approach to ingratiating myself with an adjunct is to help with some task and then ask if his or her students will also need to know the same process.  If so, how about letting me come to class to show them how to find a company report? Search a subject in one of our databases?  Find a book in the collection or compare company financials?  It’s a slightly wicked way to step into a class, but nonetheless, has started many nice relationships with faculty.  Most are quick to acknowledge that they needed help, and in turn, students should ask for help too.

As the web continues to promote content that passes as “business research,” we keep pulling our students back to subscription databases that offer them reliable options.  We know the Internet is not a level-playing field. Explaining that reality with a CRAP test or your favorite, similar mechanism can be a healthy wake-up call for students at any point in their journey.  At times, I feel like a lawyer, cross-examining a witness, asking him/her to explain one’s reasoning and why a website appears in their source list. However, if this grilling makes them reconsider using commercial content (aka “garbage”) for a class assignment, I am delighted.  This phenomenon of poor resource choices exists across the spectrum of students and courses.  Giving students hands-on activities that evaluate web content continues to be a part of my work, with the idea that we move from simple to complex situations, all the while applying the same criteria to the evaluation.  I’ve seen graduate students laugh at my declaration of a “CRAP test,” but those same students then struggle to explain why a website should or should not be used in a formal writing situation.

Our library also has a second sword to bear -- APA style.  The business department mandated (some years ago) that it would be the standard for citing.  Some instructors are highly familiar (and talented) with the conventions, given their own research.  Some have a general sense of the structure, and others have no clue as to the mechanics.  Despite this variety of scenarios, students are told to use it, even though many receive no guidance in class as to why we use it, what it looks like, what the components mean, etc.  How do we face that mountain? Some years ago, our library designed our own APA guide, a blue handout that remains the library’s most popular offering for academic support.  We take it with us to class visits, share it online, and promote it with faculty.  We offer class visits specifically to give practice with citing, explaining how it works, and answer questions whenever they come in person, by phone, email, or chat.  We’ve recently expanded our APA offerings to include instructional videos, sample papers, and advanced help with more complex scenarios.

I am no master of APA, no matter how often I hear that comment.  I’ve practiced it for years, sometimes believing I can see it in my sleep during spring paper rushes when a hundred or more students ask for a second pair of eyes with a references list. This fall, I decided to make sure that our upperclassmen could prove they “knew” APA.  Confident, this group of seniors was excited when I declared that we’d be doing an activity called the “APA Olympics.”  I noted that there would be no partial credit, no second guesses, and prizes for the top three teams (medals, you know).  Following three blistering rounds of heading hurdles, a citation marathon, and an in-text citation relay, I had scared some of them, which truly, was my intent.  They spoke to their faculty, mentioned how the activity had shown them they still needed help, and we saw more of them at the desk than we’d seen in some time. The activity can be modified for any sort of subject or course -- it’s just the paces you put them through that counts.

In spite of this litany of challenges, I thoroughly enjoy my relationship with the business department and know that the faculty want the best opportunities for their students.  They advocate for the library’s services, and we continue to break down the wall that seems to keep management and marketing students from regularly gracing our doors.  If that means being a roving librarian with handouts and candy, I’ll do it.  If it means a five-minute presentation to a class, I’ll try it.  Night and weekend class visits are also a reality, as is the new APA information series offered to our graduate students.  Making connections to the students is crucial for all of us, and we’ve felt some success with these efforts.  We’ll keep looking for new ideas and activities to share the importance of quality research and successful citing. And somewhere in the midst of this journey, I hope business majors are running away from Google, running very far away.

Guest Post: Solidifying a Foundation of Learning Through Scaffolding

iLOVE welcomes a guest post from Dan Chibnall, User Services and Instruction Design Librarian at Grand View University in Des Moines, IA.

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Instruction librarians have the difficult task of not only needing to understand lots of different ideas and topics but also the information literacy skills surroundings those topics. But how do we know if we truly understand something well enough? The key is how we communicate it and how much the students understand it when we’re finished. One approach that I take with quite a few of my embedded librarian courses is scaffolding assignments and activities to help promote understanding of a new skill.

Scaffolding is an instruction technique that gradually moves students towards an understanding of a concept or skill set. Also, scaffolding aids students in becoming more independent learners by having them work on a skill over a longer period of time, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, get frequent feedback, and eventually seeing how to use it in multiple courses or situations.

Information literacy skills and scaffolding go hand-in-hand. The skills we’re all familiar with are the types of skills that require frequent trial-and-error sessions in order to learn them (having a purpose, retrieving sources, analyzing a source, etc.) One of those skills is evaluating sources, which college students need to do often. Scaffolding allows a step-by-step approach.

For example, while working with a literature course the faculty member and I decide to try a scaffolded approach to web evaluation. Students frequently attempt to use websites right away in their research, so we wanted to make sure they knew how to evaluate them properly. The first step was to teach the students some basic criteria they could use to evaluate websites pertaining to a specific topic of Realist authors. Students were then asked to create a rubric using the basic criteria and use that rubric with the websites they found. The faculty member and I then assessed their choices and their rubrics. 

During the next session we talked to the students about what worked and what didn’t, gave them tips for improving their rubrics, and gave them more advanced criteria to evaluate websites. They then worked with partners and in groups to go back to the drawing board and try again. The results the next time around were much more promising. From that point on the faculty member and I could look at their websites in their annotated bibliographies and give more feedback to the students. Each time they were asked to find a web source, they got better at it.

I take another approach with large, end-of-semester projects. In a seminar class that I teach, students are asked to investigate a local nonprofit organization. The assignment asks them to pull together research, interviews with employees, observation information from their visit to the location, etc. In years past I have noticed that students will often wait until the final weeks of the semester to work on big projects, so I scaffold the nonprofit assignment to allow them to work on it throughout the semester.

The nonprofit assignment is broken down into components called Status Updates that ask the students to work on different skills from week 3-week 12. For example, in the first Status Update the students are asked to explain what their nonprofit is, find some basic outside information about them, and find some opinion pieces written about them. This is the first step in retrieving info and evaluating it. Every Status Update builds on this, asking them to find and evaluate more difficult sources, higher amounts of information, and integrating it incrementally into their writing. By the end of week 12 or week 13 they have almost nine-tenths of their final assignment complete.

There are a variety of ways to scaffold an assignment or activity, but the key to it is patience and starting with the end in mind. Determine what it is you want the students to learn or know by the end of it all, then work backwards. Make the project big enough so you can break it into pieces. The most important part, though, is giving lots of feedback to the students about how they’re doing. They won’t learn much from it without feedback at each step of the way.

So good luck if you want to try it! Contact me if you have questions or you can read the article that my colleague and I wrote about our collaboration.

Guest Post: Archives and the First-year Student in IL

iLOVE welcomes a guest post from Stella Herzig, Reference and Instruction Librarian at St Ambrose University in Davenport, IA.

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Talking about saving stuff for future historians has always been a subject of interest to me. I urge my relatives to use archival quality folders and print out best photos from their iPhones. When it came to my Information Literacy 101 class, a one-credit required course at St. Ambrose University, I would usually jump onto my soapbox for a few minutes concerning that subject and, more often than not, all I achieved were rolling eyes. One year it occurred to me and to the University archivist, Onnica Marquez, that instead of the “Special Collections and Archives” being a 5 minute stop on the big library tour I gave on the first day of class, we could spend a class period actually in the room being interactive and maybe frame some IL concepts.

I generally err on the side of fun and wanted it to be hands on. So the archivist and I collaborate to teach a 75 minute class. (She does a great first 30 minute CSI: Archives activity before the activity below that I hope she will share in this very blog one day.) She gathers and sets out a collection of old yearbooks, college catalogs and student handbooks from the very start of the college in 1880’s through to the 1980s.

The students break into groups for each decade and find fun and interesting facts, rules, tuition rates, photos to share with the big group. There is often laughter from the restrictions, clothes styles and various ads, even font styles du jour, etc.…

We then come back together and each group shared what they found starting with the first decade chronologically. It shows a progression of change we comment on – we all see history and social mores changing. We talk about primary sources and how useful it is to view the originals without filters. We discuss the manner in which their cohort of the 21st century would be included in the archives. Digitally? It is a chance to expose the fragility and gaps of historical documentation of campus life today.

I take a group photo of them (with one kid wearing the woolen school beanie from the 1950s) with my own iPhone and print it out on archival paper and store it in those very archives for the students in 60-100 years to look at and laugh at! The students love it! I encourage them to submit digital photos that they take on campus or at campus events to the archivist who can print them out and save in the archives for their story to carry on.

Outcome? A lesson on the use of primary sources, an understanding of what an archive is and how they could use it, not only here, but elsewhere and a commitment to preserve their own present for future generations -- not to mention, as first-year students, a sense of collegiate loyalty and buy-in (retention, anyone?).

Inspirations:

Phillips, C. N., & Shaw, D. W. (2011). Fact, fiction, and first-years: Helping students imaginatively engage the archives (early!). Journal for the Society of North Carolina Archivists, 9(1), 50-60. Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database.

LeFrance, A. (2015, October 28). Raiders of the lost web. Retrieved from the Atlantic web site: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/10/raidersofthelostweb/409210/ 

Guest Post: IL Instruction Reflections from a New Librarian

iLOVE welcomes a guest post from Greg Ludwig, Student Employee and Circulation Services Librarian at Loras College in Dubuque, IA.

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At the interview for my current position at Loras College, one of the members of the search committee asked, “Which responsibilities for this position do you feel least prepared for?” I didn’t have to think a minute, because I had exactly zero experience teaching information literacy concepts to classrooms of undergraduates. Fortunately, teaching is not the primary responsibility associated with my position, or it’s likely that I wouldn’t have gotten the job. Even more fortunately, my fellow librarians at Loras have patiently helped me to ease into the process of teaching by involving me in curriculum design, modelling effective teaching in the classroom, and providing feedback about the classes that I have taught. Now that the semester is within a few short weeks of its conclusion, and I have a number of classes under my belt, I’d like to share a few of my observations as someone entirely new to teaching in a formal setting.

Let me start by discussing curriculum design. During the summer, I worked with my colleagues on revising our approach to the foundational information literacy courses that we teach. To orient ourselves to the problem of developing a curriculum that would be engaging and responsive to the needs of our students, we read and discussed Reflective Teaching, Effective Learning: Instructional Literacy for Library Educators by Char Booth. If you are looking for a good text about learner-focused library instruction, this book would be well worth a read. As an outsider to IL instruction, I found the following highlights particularly useful:

• The instructional design process is recursive, driven by ongoing evaluation of classroom outcomes.
• Not everyone can teach effectively in exactly the same way. Developing an identity as a teacher is a huge part of reaching your audience.
• Whether designing instruction or teaching, it’s essential to keep the needs of your audience in mind. Ms. Booth refers to this as the “What’s in it for me?” principle.

Based on our discussions of the book and an analysis of our information literacy assessment from the previous year, we developed a program that we hoped would build upon the strengths identified in our IL assessment and shore up some of the areas that were not as strong. This was the hope, but of course, I didn’t want to be the one to dash our hopes right off the bat with a lackluster performance.

I was saved by the grace of my colleagues, who allowed me to audit several of the classes that they taught using our new curriculum before I had to teach my own. By closely observing how they interacted in the classroom, taking notes, and asking questions at the end of each class, I felt much better prepared to begin teaching. I know that many librarians have been introduced to classroom instruction via a “sink or swim” approach, learning on the fly how to manage a classroom and convey information literacy concepts, but I’m really glad that I was given a “life jacket” first.

When the time came for me to teach my first classes, my colleagues switched places with me, auditing my classes and giving me notes, feedback, and encouragement. During these initial classes, I learned to keep a close watch on the time and use a checklist to make sure that I was staying on schedule. I learned to modulate the volume and tone of my voice to hold the attention of the room. Most importantly, I learned when to stick to the script of the curriculum that we had designed and when to improvise and make changes.

At this point, it would be too much for me to say that I think that I’ve become a great teacher, but I do feel confident to lead a classroom, and I do genuinely enjoy the experience of teaching. Could I have developed this ease as an instructor without the same immersive and gradual approach to learning about instruction? Perhaps. However, I’m pretty sure that I arrived at my current place with greater efficiency because I didn’t have to invent myself as a teacher whole cloth. I hope this can be food for thought for those hiring new librarians who will be teaching. I’m curious about the experience of other information professionals out there. What education/training did you receive related to information literacy instruction? How did you feel the first time that you were in front of a classroom? Please feel free to post comments!

ILA Informal Meeting Notes 10/15/15

The Information Literacy Interest Group met for our annual informal gathering at the ILA Fall Conference recently. Seven different institutions from across the state were represented by ten librarians, including two librarians new both to Iowa and the profession. Much of the meeting was spent introducing ourselves and talking about the state of IL at our respective institutions. Across the state Information literacy is embedded in pieces across required courses, an explicit Core outcome, a component of the Core without a dedicated course, in IL-designated courses, and in a professional development type course. There was talk of portal courses, integrating research and writing centers, and the “suggestion” model (meaning the variety of levels that faculty are expected to incorporate IL instruction with their course, ranging from strongly recommended to lip service with minimal library contact). The topic of incorporating more storytelling into teaching was raised and Josh Vossler’s work about constructing stories (presentation & handout) and using active ideas framed around big issues was shared. Kristy Raine, from Mount Mercy University, also talked about a course in which she compiled a backpack containing what a local child might actually have to better illustrate and make personal the idea of poverty impacting women and children in the U.S. The group plans to meet again during the IPAL and ILA-ACRL spring conferences.

We started with introductions, welcoming two new-to-the-profession (and to Iowa) librarians to the group. Then we went around the table and shared where we currently are in terms of IL within our institutions.

Those from Central College shared that they have been embedded in the first-year seminar course since 2000, with a big change in that course's organization having taken place last year. Previously the courses were all common, meaning texts and syllabi were the same. Now the courses have shifted so that a fourth of the content is shared across all sections (to meet the same learning outcomes) but the readings or approaches are not common. The librarians are working to find a balance in how much instruction they are able to do with each section; 4 sessions was too much, 2 was too few, so working to find the sweet spot. Currently they're working to modify their approach and brainstorm new ideas for working with this first-year population. Beyond that, librarians have involvement in the research and writing class where they work to bridge the divide between research and writing.

One of the new professionals in the group was from Wartburg College, and is still growing in her understanding of the level of library/librarian involvement, but provided the group with the following information. Currently there are 5 IL librarians embedding in a variety of classes, withing within the upper level courses/subject specific courses, but also working with a first year course for basic collegiate skill stepping stones such as ENGL 101 and other 100-level classes wherein they usually do approximately 2 workshops per semester per section.

Librarians from Grand View University shared that their focus has shifted from 1-shot sessions (though they do still happen in upper level courses) to a focus on embedding within the core courses after a curriculum update a few years ago. Each section of their first-year seminar has an embedded librarian where the librarian sees their section between 4-8 sessions. Instructors work with the librarians to meet the needs of their students, using a "menu" of sorts where they can select when various skills/approaches to IL will be covered in their course. This embedded relationship ensures all traditional freshmen receive instruction to help build their IL foundation in their first year. Then that foundation is built upon in a way that is subject/assignment specific, using different activities and approaches, should they return to the library for future instruction in upper-level courses. This helps prevent "library fatigue" and the "I already know this because I was in the library for class all freshman year" response. Throughout the curriculum there are courses that have to meet an IL requirement, which has led to faculty seeking out librarians as they develop assignments and look to teach their students more.

Librarians from Simpson College shared that they use scavenger hunts to increase engagement with students, getting them into the library and exploring the resources and space. Information literacy is part of the core, and IL instruction from librarians is suggested for faculty to incorporate (which many do). They've also found success in having students be required to meet with them for a research appointment (and then receive the librarian's signature after it is complete). They've cultivated a good relationship with the Writing Center where they refer students back and forth depending on their needs (i.e. Editing? Writing Center. Finding good stuff? Librarians.)

At Brown-Mackie College their non-traditional student population tackles month-long classes, which can be intensive. The librarian has access to the new, incoming student classes approximately three times. Because it is an iPad campus, 2 sessions are allotted for technology (iPad use, Apps), with the other being databases use/resource finding and APA citations. There is some interest in composition classes and others, but it can be difficult given time and staffing constraints to get into more classes.

Those from University of Dubuque shared that the campus has a wide range of student populations, academically ranging from traditional undergraduates, non-traditional/adult learners, seminary students, and masters level students. IL has been a core objective for the last 5 years, and librarians have been highly active with their instruction for the last 10-15 years, which took time to build up. In many of the core classes, students see librarians several times (6ish?), and there are many IL menus/modules lessons for professors to select from (and then are tailored to their class, particularly upper-level courses). They also work with the BRIDGE program, which is set up to help at-risk students be successful and develop strategies for how to approach assignments and classes at the college level. Librarians also help with assessment of student presentations/posters, both in developing the IL rubric, and assessing student work using the rubric.

The Mount Mercy representative indicated that, while there is no free-standing IL dedicated course, IL is a part of their core curriculum. There are portal courses for all freshmen, built around a theme, and several student support services are incorporated into the course, including the library. However, the level of involvement/buy in varies depending on the professor. Some departments have more interest in having a librarian partner with them in their courses for IL instruction than others (i.e. nursing has a lot of involvement and it is difficult to make headway in business). The librarian emphasized the importance of building relationships with faculty and advocating for library instruction; by building connections and serving faculty, the students are also served.

Interest was expressed in using more storytelling in library instruction. Josh Vossler’s work about constructing stories (presentation & handout) and using active ideas framed around big issues was shared. Kristy Raine, from Mount Mercy University, also talked about a course in which she compiled a backpack containing what a local child might actually have to better illustrate and make personal the idea of poverty impacting women and children in the U.S. In the bag she included what these kids (in the specific community they were examining) would have or not have, i.e. food, supplies, latch-key kid type foods that they could make or eat by themselves, etc. Others have mentioned using icebreakers, like having students pair up and share the story behind their name, can start to get conversation going.

We also briefly mentioned the Evernote repository where attendees of previous iLOVE events have shared resources, ideas, visuals, etc.

We're looking forward to seeing folks again soon for the spring conference -- Keep your eyes peeled, but it is looking like it will be held May 19, 2016.