Library Instruction

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Last Updated: Aug 28, 2024, 04:13 PM

Morris Library offers course-related instruction, and online materials designed to teach students about information access, evaluation, and use.

Continue reading to learn more about the types of instruction we offer or, if you are ready to request library instruction now, fill out our Library Instruction Request Form.

Schedule a Custom Library Instruction Session

Would you like to request a librarian to give a 50 minute guest lecture to your class? Morris Librarians offer information literacy instruction tailored to meet the needs of your students. Below are the best practices we ask you to follow in order to facilitate the most effective learning experience.

Send us a copy of your assignment

Providing a copy of your assignment will help us tailor our session to your expectations and the needs of your students.

Choose a student learning outcome

Students don't retain information if they are made to drink from the fire hose, which is why we have a limit of 2 outcomes for each library instruction session. Additional outcomes require additional instruction sessions, which we are happy to provide if you are interested. We prefer outcomes that are simple and to the point. Here are two examples:

  • Students will find at least 3 scholarly articles by the end of library instruction (concrete).
  • Students will be able to describe the peer review process (conceptual).

Provide us with a list of your students' topics.

If you would like you students to learn about using library resources or searching library databases, you will need to submit a list of your students' topics along with your instruction request. Students gain the most benefit from library instruction when they are familiar with the details of their assignment and have their research topics prior to the day of instruction.

Submitting a list of topics is optional if you would only like instruction on information literacy concepts. Examples of conceptual instruction topics include academic integrity, citation, copyright, and source evaluation.

Schedule library instruction at least 7 business days in advance

Schedule your class using the Library Instruction Request Form. You will receive a confirmation or cancellation email within 2 business days of your request. For example, if you submit a request on a Thursday at 3:00, we'll get back to you before the end of the day on the following Monday.

Work with your library instructor

Research shows that the best sessions are the ones we create in collaboration with you. In the days leading up to your session, your library instructor might reach out to you with additional questions, lesson plan ideas, or just to introduce themselves. Feel free to communicate with your instructor and please remember to send them the link to your class.

Attend the library instruction session

Your active participation is crucial to the success of your library instruction session. Students are more engaged when their teachers are present and questions about their assignment might arise that only you can answer. If you are unable to be present the day of your scheduled library instruction, your session will be cancelled.

Free Online Tutorials and Activities

In an effort to support information literacy instruction on campus we have freely available online instructional materials that you can embed in SIU Online or assign to your students.

We have discipline-specific research guides curated by librarians. These guides provide guidance for specific courses and lists of recommended lists of databases, books, and other sources.

Check out our Information Literacy page for free videos that you can use in your courses.

Do you have a topic that you would like a video for? Would you like a librarian to create a research guide or activity for your course? Contact Jennifer Horton, our Interim Associate Dean, at jhorton@lib.siu.edu to create custom materials for your course.

Meet with a Librarian

Looking for research assistance? Morris Library offers SIU students, faculty, and staff one-on-one or small group research consultations. If you are working on a project that requires in-depth research, or you just simply need help navigating library resources, please fill out this form to request assistance. We will make an appointment for you with a librarian who has knowledge of resources in the subject area you are researching.

Appointments are generally available Monday–Friday, 9am to 4pm. To get started, fill out our Meet with a Librarian Request Form. A librarian will contact you within 72 hours.

Consultations for Instructors to Teach Information Literacy

Would you like a librarian to help prepare you to teach your students library skills on your own, rather than having one visit your class? Our librarians can help you design meaningful research assignments and lessons that include information literacy knowledge practices and dispositions while advancing your course goals. Contact Joshua Vossler, Head of Reference & Instruction, at jvossler@lib.siu.edu to engage a research librarian in curriculum design.

Credit-Bearing Courses

Morris Library teaches credit-bearing courses on information literacy topics. Below is a list of the courses we currently teach, but we are always open to new collaborations! Please contact Joshua Vossler, Head of Reference & Instruction, at jvossler@lib.siu.edu if you would be interested in developing and/or teaching a credit-bearing research course with one of our faculty librarians.

CI 199: Introduction to College Research

CI 199 is an 8 week, one credit course offered online and in-person at Morris Library. This course will prepare you to find, evaluate, and use information efficiently using library resources. All are welcome but content is more relevant to freshmen or sophomores.

Additional Information:

  • Offered Fall, Spring, and Summer
  • Face-to-face, online, and hybrid
  • See an example syllabus (PDF format) for more information on content, readings, and assignments.

CI 411: Research after College

CI 411 is an 8 week, one credit, online course. This course acquaints students with concepts related to information literacy, such as how the questions we ask can affect the answers we receive, how cognitive biases distort our interpretation of evidence, and how misinformation can be fought. Weekly course work consists of readings, quizzes, and writing assignments. This is an upper-division course and critical analysis of materials and resources will be strongly emphasized. Note to graduate students: while you are welcome to enroll, CI-411 is ONLY offered for undergraduate credit.

Additional Information:

  • Offered Fall & Spring
  • Online only.
  • See an example syllabus (PDF format) for more information on content, readings, and assignments.

MCMA 200: Media and Information Literacy

MCMA 200 is a 3 credit, online course taught by the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts and College of Library Affairs. Media and information literacy are necessary components of being able to understand, function in, contribute to, and change the world we live in - a world that is often described as both networked and media-saturated. Throughout the course, students will be actively engaged by the instructors to think and write critically about information and media in order to resist the corporate environment in which we all are hoped, assumed, and constructed to be passive consumers. This course will tip the balance in students' favor, empowering active learners who will become global producers of media and information.

Additional Information:

  • Meets the Area 2 Social Science UCC requirement
  • Offered Fall & Spring
  • Online only
  • See an example syllabus (PDF format) for more information on content, readings, and assignments.

Workshops

We offer workshops for graduate students each semester. Past workshops have included APA citation, 3D printing, and determining your scholarly impact. The topics vary each semester according to demand. Check out the current workshop schedule and reserve your spot on our workshops page.

To request a workshop, please email Jennifer Horton at jhorton@siu.edu.

College Research Preparation for High School Students

Due to health concerns related to COVID-19, this program is on hold until further notice.