Guidelines for Effective Library Assignments
Well-designed course-related library assignments are an effective way to introduce students to library research. The following guidelines will help give students a positive library research experience.
PLANNING
Consult with a librarian before the assignment.
Librarians will work with you to design an appropriate assignment that will
achieve your course goals/objectives. Send a copy of the assignment to your
Head of Library Instruction to ensure that library staff is ready to help
your students.
Assume minimal library knowledge.
Although many students may be familiar with some library tools (e.g., dictionaries,
Readers' Guide), few really understand the intricacies of subject
headings or keyword searching; most students have never used research journals,
only popular magazines such as Time, and Newsweek.
Explain the assignment clearly, preferably
in writing.
Give students a clear idea of what
the assignment involves, suggesting types of sources to be used. Give complete,
accurate citations for specific works.
Ask librarians for help with sources.
Librarians can help instructors
with assignments by providing a list of useful sources, or types of sources.
The librarian can help you verify whether the particular sources you had
in mind are available at the Cofrin Library. Librarians will also be aware
of any new resources that might be useful for your students.
TOPICS
Avoid very current topics or local topics.
If your assignment requires students
to locate scholarly articles on their topic, remember that very current
topics and local topics may only appear in newspapers or popular magazines.
In some cases there may be little or nothing published about the topic.
Avoid topics that are too general.
Some topics are too general and
will retrieve an unmanageable number of sources or may retrieve sources
that are not specific to a student's topic. Encourage your students to write
a topic sentence which will help them focus their topic. The phrase "water
pollution " is too general; the question "What are the pollutants
in urban runoff?" is more specific.
Avoid topics that are too specific.
Some topics are so specific that
there is little or no published information. For example, "What environmental
problems will be caused by the Crandon Mine?" is so specific that information
may be limited to newspapers. This question could be expanded to "What
environmental problems are caused by copper mining?"
LOGISTICS
Always be sure the library has the needed
material or source.
There are few experiences more frustrating than looking for something that
does not exist, (e.g. has been checked out, has been replaced with a different
title, or has not been published.) Use the library's Course Reserves service
for materials that many students need to use. Send a list of required resources
to Reference Librarians to verify that those sources exist.
Avoid the mob scene.
Dozens of students using just one
book, article, or index, or looking for the same information usually leads
to misplacement, loss, or mutilation of materials. It also can frustrate
students by preventing them from completing the assignment. Allow students
to choose from a variety of topics and sources. Use Course Reserves when
a particular source is required.
Avoid scavenger hunts.
Searching for obscure facts frustrates
students, can cause chaos in the library stacks, and teaches students little
about research. If planning a library exercise, talk to the Head of Library
Instruction about designing one appropriate to the class.
Be clear in your use of the term "Internet".
If your students are asked to use
the internet as a source of information, it is important to clarify what
they should use. Many library licensed journal databases and full-text sources
are available through the Internet and could be considered Internet sources.
Do you want your students to find authoritative web sites or use library
resources?
Refer students to library staff for help.
Remind students that librarians
and other library staff are available at reference and information desks
and can provide individual help. Even students who have had a library instruction
session may need additional help.
With sufficient lead time, librarians can provide presentations and written materials geared specifically to your course and assignment, as well as general orientations for more inexperienced students. Please contact: Renee Ettinger, at ettinger@uwgb.edu or 465-2542 for further information.
Adapted with permission University of Wisconsin-Madison,
Library Instruction Program
and the University of Oregon Library System, Eugene, Oregon.