Chart Your Course

Library instruction is most effective when thoughtfully developed with faculty and integrated in a course. But how do you determine which faculty partnerships will have the most impact? In this poster, we discuss the process of curriculum mapping in an agriculture program, how it reveals new opportunities for library instruction, and pitfalls to avoid when charting your course. In fall 2016, librarians at the University of Tennessee Hodges Library and Pendergrass Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Library developed learning outcomes for library instruction and services using feedback from staff and the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy. We mapped or coded the outcomes to learning objectives in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) at the department and course level. We analyzed frequency patterns in the data to determine (a) which library outcomes are most important to CASNR undergraduate and graduate programs and (b) which departments and courses have the greatest overlap with library objectives. The patterns identified key players who would benefit most from additional library instruction, as well as gaps in instruction and resources. Finally, we developed visual mind maps to illustrate how library instruction supports the college and to serve as an outreach tool. Curriculum mapping is a useful exercise but not without challenges. Lessons learned include: be willing to train library staff on writing effective learning outcomes; investigate your institution’s ability and willingness to provide their objectives; and be flexible and consider alternative ways to connect with the curriculum

STEM Bridges: Evolution of an Academic Library STEM Outreach Program

Big Orange STEM Saturday (BOSS) is a sustainable model of outreach that fosters the STEM cycle of discovery and learning experiences. Through this program, the library creates and reinforces a bridge between secondary educational experiences and higher education that facilitates the transfer of knowledge from the classroom to the world. Local high school students are able to engage with experts in several different ways to explore what STEM has to offer and to look beyond their current experiences. This approach creates a venue for STEM teaching spaces outside the school classroom for enrichment and innovation. Over the past 5 years, the variety of experiences offered at BOSS have expanded and the reputation of the program has grown. This article explores the challenges, lessons, and impact that this program has had on its constituents, with a particular focus on the impact the library can have when exploring nontraditional areas of support and outreach

Assessing Needs of Graduate Students in Professional Programs

We propose a roundtable discussion in which discussion leaders will facilitate conversations on conducting a needs assessment on: The discipline-specific information literacy and writing needs of graduate students How strategic campus partnerships can contribute to graduate student success Library services that contribute to research literacies (data management, scholarly publishing support, research metrics, more) In this discussion, we will discuss our own services and practices at the University of Tennessee and introduce our approach to a needs assessment for graduate students in professional programs to be launched in the coming year. This conversation will generate ideas and promote the sharing of strategies among institutions. We are looking at the range of needs graduate students in professional programs have in order to be successful researchers, and writers, and practitioners. This particular roundtable can ask participants to share: Perceived needs for these students Current practices Challenges in supporting graduate students New ideas Keywords: Professional programs Partnerships Needs assessment Research support Writing suppor