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Library Instruction

All about how library instruction works and how sessions can be scheduled at Foley Library.

How to Request an Instruction Session

There are three main ways to request a library instruction session for your class:

  1. Contact the liaison librarian who works with your department or program. Learn who "your" librarian is and how to reach them by checking this list
  2. Contact our instruction coordinator, Kelly O'Brien-Jenks, for assistance with scheduling a library session and for answers to any questions you have about how library instruction works and the scheduling process.
  3. Use this form to submit a library instruction request. You'll give details about your class and your students, what date(s) you'd like to hold the session on, and any information about assignments that might be linked with this session (i.e. the final paper for your class requires 5 scholarly sources).

Library Instruction Mission Statement

The goal of the instruction team is to develop information competence in our students, preparing them to be life-long learners able to contribute to intellectual and social progress.

The library instruction team is here to help students and faculty navigate the world of information literacy. See our contact info to schedule an instruction session.

Library Instruction Labs

Foley Center Library has three instruction classrooms on the main floor of the library:

  • East Classrooms (A & B) - "the Glass Classrooms." Movable furniture, outlets for personal devices, 2 instructor stations with wall monitors. Partition can be opened to accommodate large classes in a single room.
  • West Classroom - 6 tables, 24 seats, 1 instructor station with wall monitors. No computer stations.

To learn more about our classroom spaces, please contact the Library Instruction Coordinator at libraryinstruction@gonzaga.edu or at 509-313-3829.

While these spaces are not available as a location for regular classes, departments outside the library may schedule a lab for single uses such as a one-time class, meetings, or workshops at the discretion of the Library Instruction Coordinator.

Library Instruction During COVID-19

While the era of COVID-19 lockdowns and all-online instruction have passed for now, we still offer a variety of online instruction options for those who might find them useful. Here are our main options:

  • Fully synchronous instruction (typically via Zoom), which would be the closest analog to a "typical" library session. 
  • Fully asynchronous instruction, involving multiple components such as videos, guided online activities, and other materials created specifically for your class.
  • hybrid of these two options, such as a “flipped classroom” model: students complete some work, possibly watching a video or doing a short activity before meeting with the librarian synchronously for further instruction and support.
  • Online Library Orientations (“OLOs”), a more hands-off model of instruction, covering the basics of available library services and online research at Foley. [Link.]
  • We also always offer individual research consultations via Zoom [link]. This is always a good option to inform your students of, although it’s not usually a great replacement for an instruction session.

We create all of our materials specifically for the classes we work with, taking into account your intended course and assignment outcomes, our own library instruction outcomes, and the needs of the students depending on their year and area of study. We work in partnership with Disability Access and EITA to make sure that our material is accessible for you and your students.

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