Course-related instruction

The library can aid instructors and faculty in several ways:

Online Guides for specific courses

Course-specific Class Guides help faculty introduce their students to discipline-based research databases, print resources and authoritative websites relevant to class needs and assignments. Partnering with a subject librarian, the faculty member can tailor resource lists for specific projects or assignments, and also arrange for the librarian to deliver in-class instruction sessions and work individually with students needing research assistance.

To initiate a collaboration or to learn more about course-specific Class Guides, contact your subject librarian, or Susan Vega Garcia, Head of Instruction.

In-class course-related instruction sessions

In-class course-related instruction sessions without a web component are also offered by subject librarians. These sessions focus on introducing students to both print and online discipline-based research materials relevant to their class or discipline, and learning the best means to gather and evaluate information from them. Depending on availability, the sessions may allow students to have hands-on practice with the databases and resources being introduced.

To arrange for an in-class course-related instruction session, faculty should contact the subject librarian in their area at least two weeks prior to the date the instruction is desired.

Reserve

The Library's Reserve Processing staff work with hundreds of faculty and courses each semester, and place faculty course reserve lists online in the e-Library. The vast majority of course reserve material is available full-text online via course reserve lists.

However, a small "hard copy" reserve collection maintained in the Media Center located in Room 2, Lower Level of Parks Library, includes entire books, DVDs, and other physical items.

Faculty wanting to place items on reserve for their courses can submit requests via online forms found on the Reserve web pages or come in person to meet with Reserve Processing staff in Room 140, Parks Library. In the near future, "Getting Started with Research" and course-specific Class Guides will be linked with course reserve lists as well.

Distance Learning

The Instruction Department is strengthening the Library's distance learning outreach by consolidating information relevant to ISU students and faculty in DL courses in one easy to access place.

Distance learning

Seminars and webinars

During Fall and Spring semesters, librarians offer specialized research seminars, open houses, and workshops on various topics, open to the ISU community. Beginning in Spring 2008, selected seminars are now available on our Videos of past seminars page as videocasts and also available as podcasts via iTunes.

Seminars and webinars

Tours and research visits

Tours of the ISU Library can be arranged for groups of ISU students, staff and faculty, as well as for alumni and other adult groups, when these can be accommodated. Request tours at least two weeks in advance of the desired tour.

Note that ISU Class instruction needs are best met through instruction sessions (see above) rather than a building tour. Visiting high school classes planning a research day in the ISU Library will also want to review our Research Visits guidelines, and make arrangements well in advance of the planned visit.

Tours and research visits