We are an art museum library with a fairly active instruction program, but we would like to engage more of our constituency which includes curatorial staff, volunteers/docents, and outside groups (mainly art students, art teachers and independent researchers). 

 

Currently our class formats include 50 minute class presentations on the Library’s electronic resources (e.g. Historical Newspapers; Finding Information on Objects in the Museum’s Collection, Auction Resources, and Artstor).  We have also provided 20 minute “drop by” sessions on topics like “using the libraries” and “searching JSTOR”.  These are informal sessions held in a conference room and open to any user questions.  They usually go on longer than 20 minutes.

 

The formal classes are well received but we get fewer of the curatorial staff (the research staff) than we would like.  The drop-by sessions are useful but don’t attract that many people.

 

We are looking for ideas for other class formats or ways of promoting instruction that you have found successful - particularly those that will involve the busy research staff.  (Although we have offered to tailor material and bring the class to them, we are seldom taken up on this.)  

 

Thanks for your time – attracting people to instruction is a recurring challenge.

Renée

 

 

 

Renée Watson

Assistant Museum Librarian

Thomas J. Watson Library

Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10028

212 650 2667