What are we doing well?
Librarians and faculty are actively working together to advance information literacy competencies. Faculty were generally quite satisfied with the performance of librarians in this area and consider instruction as impactful.
- Faculty utilizing librarians for instruction – more than 2/3rd of respondents have requested sessions.
- Faculty engage with librarians prior to instruction in a number of ways with email leading the results. The least used methods were telephone and online request forms.
- The majority of faculty (80%) provide libraries with materials prior to instructional sessions with the majority, over half 51%, always providing these. One comment captured the level of collaboration with the librarian: “Our medical librarian is integral to the formation of topics, delivery, making the lib guide completely reflective of my course needs, meets with every student , makes engaging dynamic interactive presentations, and comes up with super ideas to enrich the course experience. We are team teachers in the best sense- affirming the process of research, analysis, evaluation, communication and synthesis. We show the students that this is a professional, ongoing, fascinating and intellectually rewarding process.”
- Faculty, 99% answering the question, overwhelmingly feel they are able to provide feedback on library sessions.
- Of the 93 responses, 95% of faculty concurred that librarian led instruction has impact, well over half 58%, indicating a substantial effect.
What can we improve on?
Although a fair percentage of faculty requested some form of library instruction, nearly a third did not. The level of engagement in the process and IL instruction varied among faculty. Not all had moved beyond conversation and cooperation to true collaboration.
- Are we meeting all instruction needs given 29% of faculty responded that they have not requested instruction with 1% not aware of this service?
Should PALNI gather further information to determine factors contributing to this?
Should we map sessions to majors or courses?
What further data would be helpful?
- A number of faculty did not answer whether they engage with faculty prior to instruction. Are these part of the 29% who have not requested instruction? One respondent indicated he / she has “no contact with librarians prior to instructional sessions other than to request and schedule the session. Technically not for my class, but as an administrator I schedule regular library research.”
Should librarians do more to reach out to faculty prior to instruction? What do we do now?
- If faculty do not provide materials such as syllabi prior to instruction do librarians find these themselves?
- Though only 1 comment, one faculty felt his suggestions for improvement were disregarded.
- There were no comments to detail the impact of library instruction, which would be useful information.
Did it impact academic performance? Better writing, citing, critical analysis and synthesis? How can or do librarians get this information?
- About a third of respondents do not provide answers to questions.Does this mean it didn’t apply?
What surprises us?
The high percentage of faculty involved with and supportive of library instruction.
