Departmental Priorities: What We Want To Achieve
Research & Instructional Services (RIS) librarians collaborate with the larger University of Memphis community to further the University Libraries’ strategic plan. Our instruction introduces our users to and reinforces information literate behavior practices, as informed by the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy
University Libraries identifies curricular initiatives and develops partnerships with faculty outside of the Libraries. RIS librarians develop curricula for general and discipline-specific information literacy skills. The following list defines the current priorities and informs future instructional planning and development.
Activities in Progress
- Update and maintain a curriculum folder of standardized and suggested lesson plans and instructional tools for frequently taught classes.
- Rationale: The folder will make standardized lesson plans more accessible to teaching faculty and RIS librarians.
- Maintain currency of Instruction Services Research Guide.
- Rationale: Goals, plans, learning outcomes of the instructions services plan should be made public for the collaborative purposes of the Department, the Libraries, and the University, as well as for purposes of shared governance.
- Design, develop, and implement an assessment plan at individual, course, and departmental levels.
- Rationale: Measure ongoing progress and create a framework for future decision-making process at a departmental level.
- Assess student learning at a class and curricular level, face to face and online.
- Rationale: Understand instruction impact and mediate for future progress.
- Instruction outreach to the University of Memphis community and stakeholders.
- Rationale: Increase visibility of and opportunities for Instructional Services department.
- Design, develop, and implement a for-credit information literacy class.
- Work with UM Global to expand information literacy education to more distance learners.
Activities to be Explored
- Face-to face-embedded librarian(s) within research-focused and/or core introductory courses.
- Rationale: Increase access to deeper and more thoughtful research instruction than afforded in the typical one-shot instruction.
- Review current and explore future point-of-need services for departments, faculty, and students and outreach opportunities.
- Rationale: To keep current with departmental requirements and faculty/student needs, increase our presence across campus, and be more comprehensive in our approach to teaching information literacy. To promote the Instructional Services program and seek new instructional relationships [from Strategic Plan].
- Explore grant opportunities to fund new instructional technologies.
- Rationale: As the Instructional Services Department grows, we will need more spaces in which to provide library instruction that allows students to interact with our resources.
- Conduct an exploratory assessment of undergraduate students' (freshmen and seniors) information literacy skills.
- Rationale: Such an assessment will help us advocate for our services across campus and inform our instructional goals.
Recent Accomplishments
- Designed and implemented the UNIV 4995 Senior Project Research Path, a series of interactive learning tutorials embedded in University College’s online classes.
- Rationale: We wanted tools that would increase student exposure to necessary information literacy education. The development of a portal for online classes will supplement the support the embedded librarian already provides and can be redesigned to fit into classes outside of University College.
- Created general Research Path online tutorials for any UofM student to access.
- Proposed ideas for a development of a new modular classroom, now available for use in room 226 of McWherter Library
