Library: Library Instruction & Classroom

Instruction librarians are available to teach classes in effective use of the library’s resources for research.  Librarians emphasize active learning, providing hands-on opportunities for the students to utilize the library’s resources during the class session.

Librarians will work with faculty to tailor the instruction session to the needs and research assignment of the class. 

To schedule library instruction:

Contact the Reference Desk at: 503-943-7788, or email library@up.edu.

Please contact us at least one week in advance. We will try to accommodate all requests as our schedule permits. 

Elements of effective instruction sessions:

Faculty attendance and participation. Library instruction sessions are most effective when the professor attends and is actively involved in the instruction session. The professor is best able to make direct connections between the content of the instruction and the students’ assignment.

Students are aware of research assignment and have chosen preliminary topics. For those students who don’t find research inherently interesting, studies indicate that students learn best at their point of need. Faculty can make the best use of everyone’s time by bringing students into the library with their research topics chosen and a deadline on a near horizon.

What faculty say about library instruction:

"I was incredibly impressed with the personalized, quality instruction that my students received."

"[The librarian] was very accommodating of the very particular needs I expressed for this session. It was a great resource for my students to have so early in their career."

"An absolutely indispensable learning opportunity for this writing embedded class where research is a main focus."

What students say about library instruction:

“It was useful to learn how to get articles easily-like how to broaden or narrow a search, how to make sure the articles are peer reviewed.”

“I thought this information session was extremely useful. I learned what I should be looking for when I am researching for a paper or project. I am more knowledgeable now and have the tools to research information accurately and efficiently.”

“I leaned how to use the library website for my advantage. I didn’t know so many options were available to me.”

Library Classroom

The library’s wireless classroom has 24 student laptops and one instructor's station. The instructor's station is connected to a projector and a SmartBoard (interactive whiteboard) that can be used for navigating the Internet, projecting images, and writing text. The wireless laptops and moveable furniture permit greater flexibility, allowing the room to be configured in several different ways according to the focus of the session.

The library classroom can accommodate up to 35 students. For larger classes, the librarians can often reserve an electronic classroom in Franz Hall or Buckley Center.