Librarians as Information Trainers: Using Training Techniques to Improve Information Literacy Instruction

Just as a trainer addresses the continuing education needs of employees in the workplace, librarians teach research skills needed to improve academic performance. Like trainers, librarians are frequently asked to meet specific learning objectives within the span of a single session, and they must navigate the challenge of meeting and motivating a new group of participants each time. There is a wealth of information available on designing and delivering training, yet a review of the library literature shows little evidence of direct adoption of these techniques for library instruction. This presentation will outline best practices in training design, delivery, and assessment, such as creating learning objectives, including alternatives to lecture, and evaluating results. These methods will be compared to existing library instruction techniques, with a focus on increasing student learning. The presenter will also share initial results of her application of methods from a train the trainers course in her own library instruction sessions

Connecting with AIM: The Search for a Virtual Reference Niche

Launching virtual chat reference at the University of Richmond Libraries has been an interesting, multi-year challenge filled with trial and error. After trying several different software programs and staffing options, librarians have finally selected AOL\u27s Instant Messenger service. Learning about the world of virtual reference has truly been a moving target experience for them as software, professional philosophies, and user preferences have changed rapidly in recent years. This presentation will describe the development of virtual reference and experimentation with different instant messaging software at the University of Richmond Libraries. A brief history that includes early collaborations with the computing services help desk, a variety staffing patterns, technical and financial challenges, and marketing the service to students will be shared. The significant success of the service in the last year will be documented with statistics. Presenters will discuss other pertinent issues, including training, guidelines, advertising, and staffing. This data will touch on a number of themes and learning outcomes, including the value of experimenting with a variety of chat reference software programs, the need for library staff to stay current with new technologies, and a focus on integrating library services into user technologies. Finally, the presenters will provide concrete examples of the usefulness of archived IM questions for data collection, through which librarians can discover common point-of-need queries, and can take action to respond to those needs

Connecting with AIM: The Search for a Virtual Reference Niche

Launching virtual chat reference services at Boatwright Library at the University of Richmond has been an interesting challenge of “trial and error” over the years. After trying several different software programs and staffing options, librarians have finally found a niche with AOL’s Instant Messenger service. The first section of the article describes a path of experimentation, including early collaborations with the computing services help desk, staffing patterns within the library, technical and financial challenges with virtual reference software, and attempts to get students to use reference chat services. The second half of the case study will describe the great success with AIM service in the last year, providing statistical information as well as coverage of training and guidelines, advertising, and staffing. This article will touch on a number of themes, including the value of experimenting with a variety of chat reference software programs, and the need for library staff to stay current with new technologies

In the Highways and Hedges: Library Support for OER Adoption Efforts at Higher Education Institutions Across Virginia

A growing number of Virginia higher education libraries are involved in supporting and leading Open Educational Resource (OER) adoption efforts. Statewide, OER initiatives include a unique blend of administrative and grassroots organizations and individuals that work hand in hand to leverage the economic benefits and educational advantages of open educational resources. This article highlights library engagement and leadership, successes and growing pains, on the many levels of OER efforts in Virginia Higher Education

Blending Credit & Non-Credit Courses: Best Practices, Opportunities, Barriers

Community colleges offer an array of programs designed to help students meet different goals. Noncredit education provides training for students seeking targeted, often shorter, courses for personal and professional enrichment (Cohen, Brawer, & Kisker, 2014). Many community colleges are now increasingly emphasizing noncredit workforce education as they support regional workforce development efforts and strive to meet the needs of their local industry partners (Van Noy, Jacobs, Korey, Bailey, & Hughes, 2008). Despite the millions of students enrolled in these courses and their potential to generate revenue for the institutions delivering programs, Voorhees and Milam (2005) refer to noncredit community college education as the “hidden college” and existing research on noncredit offerings is limited. Blending community college credit and noncredit programs with thoughtful and intentional strategies will benefit the students and the institutions. Van Noy, Jacobs, Korey, Bailey, and Hughes (2008) made five recommendations for strengthening noncredit education based on their research. They included the need to expand state funding with clear goals, to increase coordination of credit and noncredit offerings, to promote articulation of noncredit courses into credit programs, to establish non-degree forms of validation for noncredit programs, and to capture more information regarding employment outcomes resulting from noncredit training. These recommendations provide the framework for an analysis of current VCCS programming