Our reference librarians will work with faculty and their students toÌýprovide research assistance designed specifically to meet the needs of a particular course.

Group of students sitting at a table in the library looking at books and papers from the university archives.

Reference Instruction Sessions

Faculty are encouraged to contact our reference librarians to arrange an instruction session for your courses.ÌýPlease contact usÌýat least a week in advance to so we may work with you to plan your session.Ìý

Along with instruction sessions, reference librarians often create to complement their instruction. These guides contain curated, targeted resources specific courses and specific assignments.

Contact Reference to Schedule an Instruction Session for your Course

Information Literacy at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ

When we talk about information competency, information fluency, or information literacy, we are essentially talking about the ability to find, understand, and use information thoughtfully, effectively, and responsibly. The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) more broadly defines information literacy asÌý“the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.â€ÌýInformation literacy is a crucial aspect of a liberal education.

°Õ³ó±ðÌýÌýinforms our understanding of information literacy, but we also draw on our experiences with classes and with our reference and research interactions with students in forming our approach to information literacy at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ. Our framework focuses on four important ideas related to scholarship, research and information:

  • scholarship is a conversation
  • research is a form of inquiry
  • searching is part of strategic exploration of ideas
  • intellectual authority is constructed and contextual

For each of these four ideas, we list dispositions and practices we would like to help our students develop. Dispositions can be thought of as mindsets or attitudes, while practices include behaviors or habits. Explore these ideals in more detail on our .

Assignment Design & Plagiarism Prevention

The librarians are available to help develop your students' research skills.Ìý See our for alternatives to term papers, plagiarism prevention and response resources, and more resources that can be useful as you go about creating assignments and activities for your classes.