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Guidelines for Effective Library Assignments

The guidelines below were drafted by librarians with many years of experience assisting students with research assignments. By taking these into consideration, you will insure that your students will have a positive and productive experience in the library, and reduce their anxiety about using the library and its resources.

  • Consider Feasibility: Consult with a reference librarian and/or do the assignment yourself first to ensure that the needed materials are available (not missing, not on reserve for another course, not discontinued, etc.).

  • Assume Minimal Library Knowledge : Many students have only had experience in libraries with card catalogues, books, and popular periodicals. Few really understand the intricacies of subject headings or periodical indexes/abstracts, and most have never used research journals or electronic databases.

  • Provide Guidelines and Explanations for Assignments: When possible, provide students with written guidelines, explanations, and expectations for assignments that a librarian may consult when helping students. Many times, students cannot clearly articulate for librarians what it is they are expected to do in assignments. We will welcome such information for our own files as well.

  • Use the Correct Library Terminology for Students: Asking students to "research it on the computers" will yield less efficient and effective results than asking them to "use the online catalog for books and videos" or "search the research databases, such as Academic Search Premier, for refereed articles." Feel free to consult with a librarian for the most precise terminology.

  • Avoid Mob Scenes: "Mob scenes" can occur when too many students are asked to use just one book, article, or index. They usually result in misplacement, loss, or mutilation of materials. Provide students with a variety of topics and sources. Take advantage of the library's electronic reserves (ERes) system.

  • Avoid "Fact-Focused Scavenger Hunts": Asking students to locate obscure facts in the library seldom teaches anything substantive about conducting library research. Consult with an Instruction Librarian about assignments that will engage students in meaningful learning activities in the library.

  • Teach Research Strategies: Include a list of steps involved in the research you assign students, go over the information literacy standards included in this guide, and/or invite an Instruction Librarian to share this information with students in your class or in one of our GOLD Workshops.

  • Remind Students to Approach the Web Critically: In general, discourage students from using the Web as the only source for information. Students need to know that the library subscribes to many databases that provide quality, academically appropriate information that is much easier to find than the hit-or-miss Web searches they commonly conduct. When you do advise students to use the Web, recommend specific sites, specific expert lists of links, or specific directories to help them find authoritative, timely, and useful information.

These are just a few of the many guidelines for library assignments compliled by librarians. If you have questions about any of these or would like to more about constructing good library assignments, please contact a reference librarian or the Interim Library Instruction Coordinator, RIch Dreifuss, at dreifuss@geneseo.edu.