Library Instruction

The library instruction program supports the mission of the Library and of UAH by helping students, faculty, and staff better understand the materials and services offered by the Library and librarians. Sessions provided by instruction librarians focus on developing information literacy skills and promoting life-long learning.

Library Instruction Philosophy & Mission

Information literacy through library instruction is a key component to academic success; as such, every class, instructional session, and workshop will be designed around the information needs of the particular class and student. Salmon Library focuses on student-centered learning, integrating active, collaborative learning theories and activities. Every class and session will be built around learning outcomes which align with student, teacher and information literacy goals, often collaboratively developed between librarians and teaching faculty. Successful integration of information literacy leads to benefits such as better-developed research assignments, use of the library’s collection, understanding of access and evaluation of information, and most importantly, lifelong learning. Library instruction session design accounts for multimodal modes of communication and engagement, promoting skills to locate and synthesize information across analog and digital tools. While supporting research ethics and competencies for traditional academic papers, instruction sessions may also incorporate elements of our MultiMaker Lab or our Digital Initiatives Lab to expose students to new technology skill sets, or integrate elements from our archival collections for students to better understand preservation and access to unique materials. Depending on the needs of the class or researchers at hand, our instruction methods may utilize the expertise of several of our instructional librarians in both design and delivery.

According to the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL, a division of the American Libraries Association), information literacy is a set of abilities enabling individuals to recognize when information is needed and understand how to locate, evaluate, and effectively use information. The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework) is a list of core threshold concepts, or “conceptual understandings that organize many other concepts and ideas about information, research, and scholarship into a coherent whole” (UAB Libraries).

Every library instruction class visit, instructional session, and workshop (either synchronous or asynchronous) is designed around the subject at hand and built specifically for the information needs of the particular class and students.

The Library focuses on student-centered learning, using instructional design theories (including active, collaborative learning). Students will participate in active hands-on learning activities and collaborative practice, in addition to learning theory to help ground the information literacy practices in intellectual pursuits and practical knowledge. Every session will be built around learning outcomes and integrate scaffolding to address information literacy goals and how these fit in with the course assignment and learning objectives. This will result in a solid start on their research project and an understanding of how to find, analyze and synthesize information for their research needs.

Scheduling an Instructional Session

UAH faculty, staff, students, other college faculty and high school instructors may schedule a library instruction session or library tour for their classes. Information about instruction sessions and the request form can be found at https://libguides.uah.edu/libraryinstruction.

  • Sessions must be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance of the requested instruction date.
  • Instructors’ attendance is expected during the library session.
  • At the time of the request, please indicate if there are any students with Letters of Accommodation who would also need to be considered in planning for and presenting the session.
  • Instructional sessions will not be cancelled without prior notice.
  • Instructors may request follow-up sessions for specific class assignments.
  • The Instructional Coordinator Librarian will work with the librarian and with the instructor to accommodate space for the requested session based on class size, room availability, and technology needs.

Instruction for Archives, Special Collections, and Digital Initiatives

UAH Archives, Special Collections, and Digital Initiatives (ASCDI) supports UAH’s institutional mission to “explore, discover, create and transfer knowledge” through providing collaborative learning opportunities to students, faculty, staff, and researchers at UAH and beyond. ASCDI archivists offer in-class instruction sessions alongside a variety of experiential learning opportunities, all intended to teach information literacy and research skills, mentor students, and promote understanding and application of archival practice. Archivists tailor in-class instruction sessions to align with the instructor’s academic goals, and sessions may include, but are not limited to, introductions to ASCDI’s digital resources, primary source research tutorials, individual or group research consultations with students, and tours of ASCDI facilities. ASCDI’s experiential learning offerings may include, but are not limited to, hands-on research sessions using archival collections, collaborative digital scholarship projects, internships, and student research projects, such as Research and Creative Experience for Undergraduates (RCEU). Internships are open to both UAH and external students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. ASCDI archivists design internship projects with the student’s individual needs in mind, and projects may include, but are not limited to, digitization, arrangement and description, research and writing, exhibit development, and oral history interviews. All of ASCDI’s instruction opportunities are available upon request.

Instruction for MultiMaker Lab

The Library’s MultiMaker Lab provides instruction for all equipment and software available in the Lab, recommendations for using and locating appropriate materials and content, and applications of Lab resources to specific projects. This also applies to the Library’s Recording & Presentation Practice Room (with equipment and software coordinated through the Lab). Potential equipment, software, and projects include but are not limited to:

  • Designing models for 3D printing
  • Recording and editing a podcast or other audio project in Audacity, Audition, or other software
  • Preparing and connecting audio or visual equipment
  • Creating graphics and research posters using graphic design software such as InkScape, MS Publisher, or Adobe InDesign

Each instruction session will be tailored to fit the instructor, project, and class needs. Instruction sessions may be delivered as synchronous (live) sessions during in-person or online class meetings or through asynchronous materials for inclusion in Canvas or publication online. Digital supplemental material can be created to accompany synchronous sessions as well. Instruction sessions for the MultiMaker Lab may be requested by completing the instruction request form at http://libguides.uah.edu/libraryinstruction and should be requested at least two weeks in advance. (This length of lead time provides sufficient time for the librarian to coordinate session needs with the instructor, and to ensure that lab equipment and any presentation materials are prepared for the class session.)

Upon request, the Lab will also collaborate with instructors on researching and selecting Lab-related projects applicable for their courses and learning objectives. Interested instructors should contact the Lab Coordinator. Contact information for the Lab Coordinator may be found at https://www.uah.edu/library/services/multimakerlab.

Asynchronous Instructional Content

The Library offers instructional services for asynchronous learning, if an instructor feels that asynchronous materials may better meet the needs of their students (especially for online course sections). These may include:

  • Short instructional video
  • Library subject guide web page (AKA LibGuide) tailored to the request
  • Canvas learning modules

Asynchronous instructional content can also be requested using the same instruction request form at https://libguides.uah.edu/libraryinstruction. Details for asynchronous instructional content will be discussed and coordinated with the instructor after the request is received. (These details may include the content to be covered, the technology or modalities, timetable for creating and delivering content, etc.)

Curriculum Design Assistance

UAH librarians are available to help introduce information literacy competencies into an existing departmental curriculum, or to work with departments and faculty one one-on-one to build those sequenced competencies into a revised curriculum. This may be accomplished by:

  • Embedding librarians in research projects, classes and distance education.
  • Creating subject specific online tutorials.
  • Training faculty in information literacy concepts and activities.
  • Conducting information literacy and research workshops.
  • Providing research support.

Assessment

The Library continually assesses the effectiveness of library instruction by measuring success in the following areas:

  • Gauging how the library instruction helped the students to meet Learning Outcomes.
  • Verifying student retention of information that was presented, including (but not limited to) the use of appropriate Library resources.
  • Identifying areas where the Library can provide additional instructional assistance or other services.

Sources

"Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education", American Library Association, February 9, 2015 https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework (Accessed January 21, 2025) Document ID: 890cccdc-cd7e-4973-981f-92baea71d2eb

"Information Literacy - Libraries", UAB Libraries, 2024 https://library.uab.edu/about/information-literacy-instruction (accessed January 21, 2025)

Updated September 14, 2026