librarians who love to teach: study results April Cunningham, Ed.D. Library Instruction Coordinator

background I’m reporting the results of my research. I conducted this study for my dissertation in community college leadership at Cal State Fullerton. I took a sabbatical in the spring and was able to finish my dissertation in May. Librarians teach a part of Academic Literacy, a term used to describe skills and habits of successful students. We specifically call it Information Competency. Librarians’ mission is to support students’ development as independent learners, so I think they’re a very worthy subject of study.

purpose + methods I’ve been a librarian for almost 10 years and I needed to know how librarians stayed committed to their work and happy. 16 librarians responsible for instruction at 13 colleges in southern California By haikugirloz http://www.flickr.com/photos/angels_have_the_phone_box/7006739849/

findings: passion + ambition Types of teaching By jonasflanken http://www.flickr.com/photos/48282656@N00/6954769737/

findings: complexity Content changes more quickly than other academic literacy topics Paths don’t always lead where you think Creating the context in which their teaching can be effective Within the library At the college At the state By susanvg http://www.flickr.com/photos/susanvg/3310017757/

findings: frustration With local budget priorities With state budget priorities With faculty

theory Epistemological Paradigm: Expert Knowledge / Networked Knowledge Professional Paradigm: Library / Librarian Curricular Paradigm: Integration / Autonomy Program Paradigm: Tradition / Exploration Classroom Paradigm: Service / Teaching Frustration revealed Paradoxes; problem of creating a context in which our instruction will be meaningful

deciding to play Play Crozier and Friedberg

now what? So now I’m back with this new insight and we’re in a new building. What am I going to make from this? By Elizabeth Horan

our goal: get embedded Here’s the librarian action figure taking her services to the bottom of the sea. We want to follow her lead and get out of the library and into the depths where the action is. And so here’s our plan… By antianki http://www.flickr.com/photos/ankix/2695338636/

the plan Librarian Integration Assignment Development + Student Research Consultations Assignment Development + Tailored Instruction Librarian Integration Embedding a librarian in your class can look like many different things. This shows the spectrum of approaches you can take to embedding a librarian into your course. Research Consultations are… Assignment Development involves… Tailored instruction can look like a class visit, hands-on work in the library, online instruction, or a pathfinder of suggested sources for student research Librarian integration is the most robust and can include multiple meetings with a class or including the librarian in your Blackboard where she can respond to students’ questions, pose questions to students, and become involved in assessments of student learning

Contact me acunningham@saddleback.edu (949) 582-4459 You’re awesome and we’re here to support you in developing your students’ independent learning!