ARLIS/NA Annual Conference: Atlanta, Georgia

Teaching Librarians in the Arts Discussion Group

Meeting minutes

Sunday, April 29, 2007, 3:30-5:00 pm

 

Co-moderators:  Betsy Peck Learned, Roger Williams University, and Rijn Templeton, University of Iowa

Recorder: Andrea Goldstein

There were 38 people in attendance, list attached

 

·        Rijn and Betsy welcomed everyone, and introductions went around the room.

 

·        Rijn and Betsy stated that after five years, they would not be moderating this group any longer and asked for volunteers to take over. Krista Ivy and Andrea Goldstein will co-moderate next year.

 

·        The group agreed that we would like to continue meeting at ARLIS/NA national meetings.  If we have a project or proposal for the national conference, we can submit to the conference program chairs.  A session in this year’s conference grew out of discussion from this group. 

 

·        Discussion on new teaching methods was initiated by Betsy Peck Learned.

 

§         At Roger Williams University, the instruction librarian is experimenting with problem-based learning, a process where a class is presented with a real-life problem and they work collaboratively to gain information about the problem, research it, and then apply the results of their self-directed learning to solve the problem.  Others added to discussion how this method has worked in their institution, including a full-blown program at the University of Cincinnati which has a PBL website and workbook.

§         University of Rochester, River Campus Libraries ethnographic study of student’s research habits. The project, which began in 2004, and has led to a collaborative learning center designed by students, was briefly described. A book will be published later in 2007.

§         University of British Colombia has a learning commons to be completed in fall 2007-. Some classes and university programs will be held right in the building. Seen as an environment where people involved with teaching and learning can engage with resources of teaching and learning.

§         University of Virginia -used the term “outsourced librarian” -librarians embedded in the departments, and are able to sit in on classes in classrooms, studios, etc... and conduct sessions based on syllabus.

§         University of Rochester outreach - all classes have course pages and are introduced to them in their classes. Roving Librarians in Library. Presence in Facebook, MySpace. IM, There is an “unofficial library page in MySpace

§         University of Cincinnati has a very active instruction program for students and faculty. Participate in the UC Integrated Core Learning initiative by developing program for first-year students, mid-collegiate composition, and capstone courses. Coordinate with the Faculty Technology Resource Center and Academic Information Technology and Libraries (AIT&L) to offer workshops such as “e-portfolios” or low-tech classes in how to create pod casts, or how to set up ARTstor accounts Also run weeklong institutes during breaks in winter and spring. They use pod-casts for “low-tech instruction”, use student assistants as “peer-mentors” use RSS feeds to communicate with student assistants. They have a staff lap-top that they check daily for updates and messages.

§         University of Utah is reducing the number of classes taught by librarians, and has trained graduate student to include information literacy competencies in classes they are teaching.

§         Others spoke of overview sessions and/or tutorials for freshmen that cover basic databases, and research techniques, and more refined research being covered later on within their subject specialty.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Andrea S. Goldstein

Temple University