Join us for a virtual coffee hour to connect with fellow instruction librarians across Oklahoma! This will be an informal chance for us to meet each other and hear about how things are going throughout the state. Feel free to forward your conversation topic ideas to Nicole Sump-Crethar, COIL Chair, at ansumpcre@gmail.com. The Zoom information will be distributed via the COIL email list, so make sure you’re signed up for updates! Whether you have a topic idea in mind or not, we hope to see you there!
The Community of Oklahoma Instruction Librarians (COIL) of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries (OK-ACRL) invites nominations, including self-nominations, for the COIL Library Instruction Award. This award is given in recognition of excellence in instruction through innovative methods or exceptional dedication to providing the highest quality instruction. Nominations will be accepted through May 10th and the winner will be announced at UnCOILed in the summer.
Nominations may be submitted using this form.
On Friday, August 7, members of COIL and librarians from around the region gathered on Zoom for the annual summer workshop. The theme of the workshop was, “Information (Lite)racy: Bite-sized Instruction and Elevator Pitches.”
In the morning session, attendees learned about how to craft elevator pitches and spent some time in small groups practicing. In the afternoon, after a short presentation about short information literacy sessions, breakout groups tackled various instruction scenarios to create possible lesson plans.
If you weren’t able to attend, or would like to revisit some of your favorite parts, the workshop was recorded and can be viewed below.
Additionally, presenters have made their slides and resources available, and links to access them are listed below.
Crafting Elevator Pitches: Advocating Library Services to Your Students and Faculty by Tracy Ashby
Question Formulation Technique by Marla Lobley
Foraging for Truth: The Mis/Dis-Info Quest by Calantha Tillotson
Suddenly All Library Instruction Went Zoom by Tom Thorish
Information (Lite)racy: Bite-sized Instruction by Ashley Bean
“My librarian is always right there for my students and me. Anything I need, I go to her and she is always happy to help. ” – Amy Ward, DSW
“In the past, it felt like ‘good luck,’ but it is more interactive here. With my liaison librarian, if I can’t find something, she is always there to find it WITH me.”
“First, maintain good internal customer service and be approachable for students and faculty. We need to know you will be kind to us. Second, curate updated and relevant information. We expect you to be the expert in information retrieval.”
“My librarian and I care about each other. Collaboration is all about relationships, and if you don’t have a strong relationship, you could be the best liaison in the world and you still won’t be collaborative.”
“Take the library and academic discipline out of the equation and come to faculty openly to try to establish a genuine rapport. Than you can introduce how you can be useful to one another.”
Amy Ward, DSW, is the Director of the Social Work Program at East Central University in Ada, OK.
“Whenever I have a problem,
I immediately say ‘let’s call [my librarian]!”‘
I’ve only had a librarian for 3 years, since I arrived at East Central University in 2016. I had never used a library before, but the experience here has been great.
I need my librarian to be the bridge between me and the library at large by curating a more personalized experience and forging a one-on-one relationship. While I did not have expectations coming into this job, I definitely will for my next position, because I have been pleased with my librarian here.
My librarian and I work well together to develop accurate resources that students actually need.
Be open! What helps most is my librarian’s positivity, friendliness, and willingness to help. Her servant-leadership makes me want to collaborate.
Destany Schafer-Morgan, DSW, is the field director of the Social Work Program at East Central University in Ada, OK.