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UMBC
Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery

New Staff Training Manual: Instruction

Philosophy

In accordance with the mission and goals of UMBC, the Library plays a critical role in supporting the University’s commitment to academic excellence. The goal of the Library instruction program is not just to describe resources and techniques necessary for the successful completion of specific assignments. Rather, it is to teach information literacy concepts and processes as outlined in the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) division of the American Library Association (ALA). The library instruction program works to ensure that students develop the knowledge and attitudes needed to become effective producers and consumers of information.

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Goals and Policies

New librarians and staff are encouraged to review the following:

UMBC Library Program Level Outcomes for Instruction
UMBC Library Instruction Program Portfolio
Outcomes Map
 

Instruction

Reference Librarians may by contacted directly by their liaison faculty for instruction, or the Reference Department may receive requests for instruction through the Instruction Request Form. 

Subject librarians are encouraged to accept all (if possible) instruction requests in their subject areas. Reference staff should try and respond to these requests within one working day.

  • Librarians should schedule all instruction sessions in the LIB-259/BI Google calendar and invite themselves as a guest, whether the sessions will take place in 259 or an outside classroom. 
  • When creating the title of event, please write in this format, "Course Number (Instructor's last name/librarian's initial) – Location – Time".
  • 259 contains mobile tables and chairs for up to 45 students (30 fit very comfortably). A locked laptop cart contains 30 laptops. 
  • If a class is larger than 40, schedule the session in the instructor's assigned classroom.
  • 259 is ONLY available for use by a library staff member or a faculty member working with a librarian. 259 Use Policy outlines details for reserving the space.

Instruction 

  • In order for the Department to gather statistical data regarding our instruction sessions, instruction librarians must report submit information about their classes into the Bibliographic Instruction database here: https://umbc.libinsight.com/dataseta.php?id=5587.
  • New staff need to be added to system by the Head of Reference.

Faculty Success (Faculty Annual Report or FAR)

Faculty Success is a web-based application that allows faculty to store and track their activities and accomplishments. Librarians are required to update their portfolios in Faculty Success yearly, and print out a Faculty Annual Report (FAR) for the past calendar year.

Subject librarians should make themselves available for at least three different time periods in a week for consults with patrons. 

Steps:

  • Log into LibApps
  • Select LibCal
  • Select Appointments (the rest is self-explanatory. Make sure to schedule time slots for th entirety of the semester)

Assessment

1. How should instruction sessions be scheduled?

2. How many hours a week should you offer for consultation? 

3. How many students comfortably fit in 259?