CRD Conference Corner Volume 2

Our look at PaLA Annual Conference sessions sponsored by CRD continues with a look at two sessions focused on information literacy.  The first session listed focuses on introducing audio books to students (especially those who don’t enjoy reading), while the second session dives into the idea of focusing information literacy sessions across multiple disciplines on consistent outcomes instead of specific assignments.

Title: Are You Hearing This? Introducing College Age Reluctant Readers to the Joy of Audio Books

Presenter: Annie Jansen, Reference and Instruction Librarian, Penn State Brandywine

Abstract: This session will relate the findings of a pre- and post- cohort survey of students in an entry level composition class for students with low SAT scores. The survey asked about levels of engagement with “leisure” reading texts before and after the semester, which included two book club lunches and small group discussions of a book of their choosing. The book was available on a Kindle Fire, which allowed for reading text, listening to audio, or simultaneous text and audio. Research shows that literacy skills are built using audio just as much as with visual reading. Audio is used to improve fluency, expand vocabulary, and increase motivation to interact with books. Students are able to listen to the text and follow along, but most importantly, are able to jump the hurdles that may have impeded them from reading.

Time: Sunday, October 14th 4:00pm-5:15pm

Title: Seamless Library Instruction: Scaffolding Lessons across the Curriculum

Presenters: Jill Carew, Librarian, HACC-York
Kathleen Heidecker, Librarian, HACC-Gettysburg
Andrea Metz, Librarian, HACC-Gettysburg
Allyson Valentine, Librarian, HACC-York

Abstract: Librarians strive to design unique lessons to support specific assignments and work diligently with classroom instructors to address information literacy. Yet, there are concerns that library instruction is repetitive and generic. Often classroom faculty request the same type of lesson across multiple disciplines and course levels. HACC has eight full-time and 16 adjunct librarians who provide instruction across five campuses and virtually. In 2017, librarians taught 958 faceto-face classes and were embedded in 143 virtual classes. The challenge is teaching consistently in courses across campuses and meeting the needs of a diverse student population. We addressed this challenge by building a scaffolded instruction program that connects course learning outcomes with the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) framework. After listing course learning outcomes, we identified library activities corresponding with those specific outcomes. We then connected specific ACRL frameworks to our scaffolded lessons. This allowed us to look at student learning as a whole, moving instruction from assignment specific to outcome specific. It offered an opportunity for campuses to share and organize lessons and opened conversation between librarians and classroom faculty about scaffolded library instruction. Join us for this session to discuss how you can implement a similar structure at your institution.

Time: Monday, October 15th 9:00am-10:15am