Library Instruction for Classes

The goal of the library instruction program is to help students become efficient, effective and independent researchers who are able to use a variety of library and information resources and to think critically as they gather and use information. In the Information Age, these skills are vital to be successful in academic studies, global citizenship and in lifelong learning endeavors.

To accomplish these goals, we provide:

For Faculty:

• Course-Integrated Library Instruction (Schedule a session)
  • Help your students learn effective research strategies. We tailor each session to meet your students needs. Classes can be held in the library or in your classroom, can be one-time or multiple sessions, and can vary in length. Library instruction is most successful when students have a firm grasp of their research topics and occurs within a few weeks of their assignment's due dates.
  • Example topics include: narrowing a topic, developing search strategies, using SCSU MnPALS (library catalog), finding scholarly journals, magazines and newspapers using MultiSearch and databases, web site evaluation, plagiarism, writing citations, working with government documents and much more.
• English 191
  • We instruct 1200+ English 191 students each semester about finding books, finding scholarly journal articles, and more. We offer a hands-on session based on class topics and assignments.
• Methods to integrate the library and information literacy into your assignments.

For Students:

• Research QuickStart (i.e. biology, history, psychology, etc.)
• Course QuickStart (i.e. ENGL 191, HURL 102, etc.)
• Assignment Calculator (Breaks down your research project into 12 steps and get email reminders, too)
• Request a research appointment with a librarian (sit down with us for 15+ minutes and we can help with any questions you have about doing research)
• Powerpoint tour of Miller Center

For Senior to Sophomore, High Schools and Visitors:

• Senior to Sophomore visits are coordinated through the Senior to Sophomore program.
• Miller Center Self-Guided Tour & Maps
• Powerpoint tour of Miller Center

Our instruction objectives are based on the Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Competency Standards.

If you have questions about our library instruction program, please contact Cindy Gruwell, Library Instruction Coordinator, at 320-308-1508 or cagruwell@stcloudstate.edu.