This document discusses how librarians at Virginia Tech can collaborate with teaching faculty to help first-year students with research challenges. It notes that first-year students often find the transition from high school research expectations to be overwhelming due to having more resources and responsibility to independently explore topics. The document then outlines various ways librarians can work with faculty, such as conducting workshops within class time to help students develop topics, search databases, evaluate sources, and understand citations. It emphasizes the importance of advance planning and sequencing library instruction strategically within the course curriculum. Finally, the document lists additional research support services available to students outside of class.

1. Collaborating with the Library
Teaching Talk | October 12, 2015

2. Your Librarians
Learning Services
Julia Feerrar
feerrar@vt.edu
Contact for: ENGL 1105, 1106, 1204
Jennifer Nardine
jnardine@vt.edu
Contact for: upper-level classes,
research consultations, purchasing
books
Special Collections
Marc Brodsky
marc9@vt.edu
Kira Dietz
kadietz@vt.edu

3. Today we will explore...
How do first year students experience research?
What challenges do they often face?
How can you collaborate with the library to address student
needs?
What kinds of support are available for your students and
for you?

4. How do first year students
experience research?

5. “[In high school] teachers give you an idea they want you to
find, they point you in that direction, they give you links...In
college, there are so few constraints in terms of topics—pick
something that interests YOU and that has something to do
with what we have been talking about in class, and that
forces you to figure out what you are really interested in. For
me, thinking about what I'm interested in is really scary…”
Project Information Literacy Research Report “Learning the Ropes”
Changes from High School to College

6. Changes from High School to College
More resources: library collection multiplies
More complexity: research now involves combining and using new and
different resources
Higher standards: students need to select quality sources and evaluate
for credibility
More agency: assignments require independent choices and intellectual
exploration
Project Information Literacy Research Report “Learning the Ropes”

7. Conflicting Feelings
“overwhelming and exciting”
“overwhelming and amazing”
“scary and exciting”
“stressful and competitive”
Project Information Literacy Research Report “Learning the Ropes”

8. “It’s that anxiety when you type in words
and none of the words match the results”
Project Information Literacy Research Report “Learning the Ropes”

9. “I’ve been thrown into a sea of journal
articles”
Project Information Literacy Research Report “Learning the Ropes”

10. “I need help finding scholarly articles”
“I’ll have to stretch it to make five
sources probably”
Project Information Literacy Research Report “Learning the Ropes”

11. “I have such a hard time not believing
that what they [PhDs] are saying is 100%
accurate.”
Project Information Literacy Research Report “Learning the Ropes”

12. “How do I know what quote to use?...I’m
just kind of picking from here and picking
from there for this paper”
Project Information Literacy Research Report “Learning the Ropes”

13. Research as finding stuff
Writing as using that stuff...for what?
out
& research entering a conversation

14. Shared Goals for Student Learning
Rhetorical Knowledge
Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing
Processes
Knowledge of Conventions

15. How can you collaborate
with the library?

16. Workshops in Our Classrooms or Yours
Consider…
Timing & sequencing
Application to your
assignment(s)
Planning more than
two weeks in
advance

17. Workshop Logistics
Request instruction via the Library Instruction Request
Form: https://www.lib.vt.edu/forms/reserve.html
Receive email from Julia confirming your class and
connecting you with a librarian
Discuss assignment, workshop goals, and teaching
strategies with your librarian collaborator

18. Sequencing Your Lesson Plans: Example 1
Class A:
Introduce your assignment
What makes a ‘good’ research topic?
Topic brainstorming
Class B (Library Workshop):
Refine topic
Develop keywords
Explore in Summon
Class C:
Evaluate information
Identify key arguments and points

19. Sequencing Your Lesson Plans: Example 2
Class A:
Introduce your assignment
Topic brainstorming
Watch video on searching in Summon
Class B (Library Workshop):
Discuss characteristics of a scholarly source
Refine topic
Develop keywords
Explore in Summon
Class C: (Library Workshop Part 2):
Evaluate information
Understand citations

20. Special Collections Workshops
Marc Brodsky
Public Services and Reference Archivist
marc9@vt.edu
Kira Dietz
Acquisitions and Processing Archivist
kadietz@vt.edu

21. Your Assignments and Syllabus
Set intermediate deadlines
Consider your language
Work with us!

22. Teaching Toolkit
http://guides.lib.vt.edu/1106toolkit

23. Further Help for Students
Drop-in sessions and consults
LibGuide resource pages

24. Questions?
Julia Feerrar
feerrar@vt.edu
http://guides.lib.vt.edu/1106toolkit