Cybrarian Extraordinaire: Compelling Information Literacy Instruction

by Felicia A. Smith

Overview

Enhance your library instruction class by using this hands-on guide and learn numerous unique active learning exercises.

The effectiveness of active-learning approaches to instruction is well documented. What is needed now are proven, practical applications. Written for every librarian or teacher looking for such new and creative teaching techniques, Cybrarian Extraordinaire: Compelling Information Literacy Instruction fills the gap. Based on the author's own experiences, the book shares specific active-learning exercises created to make library instruction more engaging for a wide variety of audiences.

Specifically, author Felicia A. Smith illustrates the process of creating "edu-tainment" activities designed to serve serious instructional goals in a manner that is both fun and effective. Her book provides detailed examples of innovative ways to engage students in mandatory library classes. Among other ideas, it explores the use of e-readers as learning tools and describes the planning and possibilities involved in creating classes in online worlds, such as Second Life. Of course, it also explains the evolution of Smith's Pirate Librarian, offering exercises that reinforced the "library material as buried treasure" theme.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781598846058
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/04/2011
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Felicia A. Smith is an associate librarian who specializes in the areas of Latino studies and sociology at the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

1 Cybrarian Roads to Information Literacy Instruction 1

Preprofessional Experiences 3

Resident Librarian 5

2 Resident Librarian 7

Never Give Up 8

The Birth of an Extraordinary Cybrarian 9

The Teacher Is Also the Student 9

Grading Student Assignments 10

Teaching Databases 11

Teaching Hints 12

Active Learning 13

First Time for Everything: Creating the Commercial 14

Storyboarding 14

Script 20

The Importance of Committees in Academic Libraries 22

Groupthink Pitfalls 22

Making Teaching Interesting and Fun 23

Verbots 24

Facebook and Podcasts 25

The Birth of the PiRRRate TeacheRRR 25

The Mechanics of Teaching 26

For-Credit vs. Orientation Courses 27

Fifteen-Minute Drop-in Sessions 27

Outreach Classes and Workshops 28

SmartBoard Workshop for Library Employees 29

Achieving Continued Employment 30

Closing 34

3 Moving into the Virtual World: From Having No Life to Having a Second Life 35

Helping Your Fellow Librarians with Second Life 41

4 Outreach Librarian and Wireless Reading Devices 51

Stall Notes 54

5 Planning and Selling Instruction by the KISSS Preparation Method (Keep It Simple, Significant, Silly) 57

Leaving the Library for the Classroom 61

Sample Educational Games 62

6 Evaluating Your Courses 65

7 Sharing the Present, Preparing for the Future 75

Appendix A Updated Storyboard (PPT) 81

Appendix B Journal Highlights and Evaluation Survey Results 87

Appendix C Sample Daily Syllabus and Written Class Activity 95

Appendix D Stall Notes 97

Bibliography 107

Index 109