Instruction Services

Scheduling an instruction session in the library (or in your classroom!) provides the following advantages:

• Everyone gets the same information at once.
• You've helped them overcome the most significant obstacle to good research ... getting started!
• You dedicate this time on instruction, rather than explaining research assignments over and over to students who are not "getting it."
• The instruction is geared to your specific course goals - students are directed to the most relevant course resources.
• You've "excuse-proofed" them against complaints of inconvenience of going to the library.
• Students have the opportunity to practice while they are learning.
• Students learn that they may access the majority of our library resources remotely, once they know how to use them.
• Students have access to authoritative Web sites for Internet research, "vetted" by librarians.
• Reinforcement of the value and necessity in using a variety of resources is a focus.
• Students learn how library staff may help them; and build relationships that will help them come back to us as needed.
• Information fluency and creating lifelong learners is an essential function of the community college experience, and librarians are have done their 'book work' in making this happen.

Instruction and Orientation is useful to many audiences

• Recent high school graduates - orientations help them get past the "Internet and library cards" mindset; instruction sessions move them toward monographs, scholarly journals, and learning to create efficient, effective search strategies in online databases to access more journals.
• Students who have been out of school for a number of years - (particularly those who have no college experience) are usually unfamiliar with academic libraries, and frequently feel overwhelmed by the amount of resources, and the technology used to access them. Their high motivation, combined with teaching and coaching from librarians, enables them to overcome apprehension and engage quickly with relevant material.
• Foreign students - students learn that they are free to wander the stacks, use online resources independently, and approach reference staff with any questions or problems they may encounter.
• This is particularly important to those that may come from environments where library stacks are "closed," and library staff closely mediates all interaction with resources
• Nearly all students are unaware of the time required to conduct research, acquire useful materials and absorb information to write or present. Library instruction sessions scheduled well in advance of assignment submission dates enables students to engage quickly and effectively with relevant resources, provides sufficient time for materials from other locations to be acquired, and enables them to follow up on further research, and get more help as needed from reference staff.
• Library instruction sessions offered by our reference department focus on resources relevant to the instructor's course objectives. Library instruction for one course does not necessarily enable students to find relevant materials for another course, nor does it keep their research skills up-to-date. Library instruction is an efficient way of reaching all of your students at one time with tools to enable them to succeed in your class. Individual "walk-ins" needing to learn to use the library from the ground up may not get all of the attention they require due to our instruction commitments, staffing levels and workload.
• Preparation takes place to help the two-year student go on to the four-year institution. There is a different approach to research at the university level, a variety of other databases and resources become available, and the student is more often left to be an independent researcher. Our program addresses these issues and prepares the student to continue doing effective research in other academic environments.

Did you know?

SCC has full service Libraries at Sanford/Lake Mary, Oviedo and Altamonte Springs Campuses.