Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Using Library Experts Wisely


Please take a few minutes and read about "sell it, know it, think it, show it" in "Using Library Experts Wisely", by Rob Weir, just published in Inside Higher Ed. A few favorite quotes:

"We [librarian and professor] munched, brainstormed, and hammered out a work-in-progress whose basic premise was: do less, but do it more often until less became more."

"This time the accompanying assignment was titled "Why My Database Rocks, and Why it Wobbles;" in other words, assess its strengths and weaknesses. The follow-up was to e-mail Dave [the librarian] with the name of the database they consulted, tell him why it was "wobbly," and ask him to suggest others. (These exchanges were copied to me [the professor].)"

"I can’t emphasize this enough: contact your library specialists."

And from the comments: "librarians (myself included) need to do a better job explaining the various possibilities of library instruction."

This article could easily be part of Library Departments' package/handouts at new teacher orientations. At a minimum, it's worth some discussion about different perceptions and changing roles.

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