Designing Effective Library Assignments
Putting Library Research in Context
An effective library assignment does more than just get students
into the Library and into the stacks. It should, ideally, both flow
from and advance the goals of the course as a whole. While
"scavenger hunt" style assignments have been used to introduce
their students to a variety of sources, unless designed carefully,
these assignments do not always provide the kind of experience that
make the sources meaningful to students or help them understand how
they might use these materials for their research. The most
effective library assignments are those that directly relate to
texts or other assignments.
How Librarians Can Help
Subject bibliographers or reference librarians can help faculty
design assignments meaningful to students and also can advise
faculty if the assignment needs advanced preparation. In addition,
the librarians can be aware of the project and be prepared to
assist students when they come for assistance.
In many cases the collaborative relationship between an
instructor and a librarian can result in assignments and class
sessions that help further the goals of the class, allow students
to understand the role of the Library in their College experience,
and stimulate class discussion. Here are some examples of how the
Library worked with faculty on class assignments:
- One instructor recently asked his students to locate
contemporary reviews of assigned novels to better understand the
way the texts might have been originally received. He set up a
session with the bibliographer for English literature to explain to
his class how to find materials in 18th and 19th century
periodicals. Later, with on-the-spot assistance by reference
librarians, the students located materials that directly related to
texts they were reading.
- In an Art History survey course, the instructor wanted to use
the online version of the Grove Dictionary of Art as a text for the
class. While it is a wonderful source, the online version has some
limitations that can be quite confusing to novice users. The
instructor contacted the Art and Cinema Bibliographer, who
explained to the class the source's peculiarities. The ten-minute
presentation reduced potential student frustration, and her
discussions with the instructor helped assure workable
assignments.
- A College English class assignment demanded placing a key theme
of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park into historical context. A
librarian at the Special Collections Research Center brought in the
first edition of the novel, a triple-decker printed in 1814, and
explained how the physical book could be used as historical
evidence and contributes to the story of the book's initial
reception. A reference librarian then helped the students develop
effective search strategies to locate both primary and secondary
materials concerning the key themes of the novel. After the class,
reference librarians continued to help the students locate relevant
information related to their assignment.
To learn more about how the Library can be integrated into your
course, contact the Library.
