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Library Instruction Program

The University Libraries instruction librarians are dedicated to helping your students gain a deeper understanding of the research process and to think critically about information. We work with faculty to teach research sessions that meet the course needs.

Who We Are

The teaching team includes librarians who are responsible for library instruction support for ENG114, ENG198, ENG200, and SSC200; subject liaisons, who focus on instruction for upper level courses; and archivists and special collections librarians, who teach with collection materials.

Meet our subject liaisons, many of whom provide instruction for their related subjects.

Our Teaching Approach

We teach students how to think about information and conduct advanced research across all disciplines. We utilize active learning techniques to reinforce concepts and skills, much of which is based on the Association of College & Research Libraries' Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.

We want students to think critically about research and search strategies — and we enjoy coming up with creative ways to do so. Our teaching classroom, the Collab, is designed to facilitate thinking and engagement. Our librarians adjust pedagogical approaches, from directed group work to active learning through technology, based on the needs of the class.

A Sample of Our Work

We curate and create individualized course guides to support student research, from introductory courses like CMM100 and BIZ200/201 to graduate level courses like EDU990 and everything in between. We also have guides to help students avoid plagiarism and address the basics of citing sources. View all library guides.

These guides can be easily embedded in your Canvas course site. Follow these instructions.

Librarians are also adept at creating videos that cover a range of research topics, including information about signing up for a free New York Times account, using Google Scholar and Digital Object Identifiers, finding Mintel market reports and more. You can find these and other videos in our Warpwire video library (UD login is required).

Common Academic Program and Institutional Learning Goals

Our teaching is aligned with the Common Academic Program, and we work closely with the  ENG114, ENG198, ENG200, and CMM100 courses, in addition to providing support for SSC200. We can support course learning outcomes associated with just about every CAP component  for example, the Humanities Commons, Crossing Boundaries, Diversity & Social Justice, Capstone, and others.

We also support the University’s Institutional Learning Goals. Our work aligns with Scholarship, but we also support Critical Evaluation of Our Times, Diversity, Faith Traditions, and more.

Teaching with Collections

The Marian Library, the U.S. Catholic Special Collection, and the University Archives and Special Collections contain materials that are unique to our Marianist, Catholic and University heritage.  Librarians and archivists can work with you to schedule an instruction session if you would like to utilize their resources.  Connect to the Marian Library, University Archives, or the U.S. Catholic Special Collection.