Reinventing information literacy instruction through experimentation and

play

Jemima McDonald & Sophie McDonaldUTS Library

lib.uts.edu.au

@jemimaeve @misssophiemac

Where we were

Scary anonymous library

Stern shushing librarians

Sit down and face front classes

The walled garden

Wordy webpages are woeful

The B word

Image credit: Young Woman Sleeping On A Pile Of Books. Photography.Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 2 Nov 2011. http://quest.eb.com/media/image.htm?mediaId=154_2887017

What changed

Library of the futureStaff encouraged to experiment with new ways of thinking and doing things in preparation for our Library of the Future. Plan to move in 2016. Leading to cultural change.

Web 2.0New tools and ways of engaging with information has changed the way our clients find, use, create and share information. Leading to changed needs and expectations of our clients.

Info lit changesMore expansive view of information literacy Delivered in non-traditional ways e.g. via social media and blogsScreencasts for interactive online support

Simplify the language, structure & content of the class (more hands on)More in line with what/how students are using their own searching tools e.g. Google ScholarUse basic search interface in databases

Gaming elementsQuizzesNo more B word (at least not to undergrads)Use of web tools into classes

Cultural changePirate hat WednesdayPlanning dayEdible booksSustainabilityEngagementForumYammer

Collaboration

Work with student support units to:

• Deliver IL

• Feedback on what students need

• Events library staff can be involved in

Work with Faculty to:

• Showcase student work

• Joint projects

Image: Cell Biology student posters displayed in the library

What we’re doingFace to face classesFaculty workshopsPower sessions for staffGame-based learningOnline supportInstant chatStudy SkillsYouTube screencastsJust in time learningFlexible deliveryMobile supportQR codesPromoting IL via social mediaFocus on First Year ExperienceFocus on Research students and ECR

Information Literacy f2f classes

• Orientation program

• Intro to Library research - Xtranorml quiz http://youtu.be/Q4rU4_LhZmA

• Classes in Chinese: library research &referencing

• Referencing: how to reference using Harvard UTS style

• Mobile searching: finding information via UTS Library mobile website, apps to help with study/teaching/research

• Google Skills 1 and 2: including Google Scholar, RSS feeds using Google Reader and iGoogle

Optional classes

Information Literacy f2f classes

• Collaborative tools: using Diigo and Google Docs

• Finding images: creative commons licensing, educational use and reusing images correctly

• Advanced database searching: including mindmapping

• Finding statistics for Sciences and Social Sciences

• Make me famous: how to publish more strategically by using ERA journal lists, impact factors and maximise your impact by using the h-index and other measures

• Get connected: how to use databases and social media to connect with other researchers and share your research

Optional classes

f2f Faculty classes

• Treasure hunts

• In lecture demonstrations

• Embedded information literacy instruction in subject

• Embedded Library support in the uni Learning Management System (LMS)

• Power sessions for staff

• Proactive approach to seeing opportunities for IL

• Design students “Amazing race”

Organised by librarian and Faculty member

Evaluating the funInformal:

• Are people paying attention?

• Lots of positive feedback after the class “You guys give the most wonderful workshops!”

• Feedback from interactions with students in classes, Research Help Desk

Formal:

• Evaluation form on the library website

• 2 Question Survey each month (Jemima anecdote)

Break time

Fun day

Why?• First year experience• Engagement• Library is fun!

Games: • Online quiz• Murder mystery• Perfect paper plane• Treasure hunt• Technology petting zoo• Kinect• XBox• Sausage sizzle• Librarian or not• Face painting• Photo caption competition• Rogues gallery

Treasure hunts

Treasure hunts using QR codes

Nursing treasure hunts

Scavenger hunt apps

Online treasure hunt

Lesson: f2f treasure hunts more successful

Screencasting• Increase coverage of online tutorials

• Available for revision after class is over

• Specialised for academic staff to embed in LMS

• Introduced interactivity/quizzes

• InfoSkills Bank

• Youtube

• Embedr

• Trying different software

• Goal is to teach all information services staff how to create screencasts

QR codesStarted using them in 2009

Using them on posters, bookmarks, brochures to link to online content and competitions

Using them in the library to link to instructional and informative video via YouTube

Recently usage went through the roof when we introduced ‘flush ads’ with QR codes. That is back of toilet door promos

Used them for Fun Day treasure hunt to deliver clues

Usage is increasing along with awareness and usage of our mobile services

YouTubeStarted in 2009 with the Lib:flicks competition

Now have over 43,000 views with 20,000 of those for one video

We have video tours of the library, instructional videos, student and staff videos about their vision of the library of the future, competition winners and events

We link to YouTube videos via our website, library news, Facebook and Twitter sites, and QR codes

Library staff are encouraged to create content

Benefits: accessible on all newer mobile devices, easily embedded in website, LMS and shared on social networks

FacebookStarted in 2009. Created a social media policy, staff awareness and training.

Took at least a year to build up a strong online community. Now have over 1400 Likes and over 5000 check ins. 1300 monthly active users

Library news feeds through automatically. Also share links, tips, vodcasts, workshops, competitions and photos

People like and comment on our updates, ask questions, make suggestions

Web stats show Facebook is the highest external referrer to our website after Google

Facebook quiz

Facebook

Photo captioning comp during orientation

TwitterStarted in 2009

Not as popular as Facebook for our community – over 1000 followers

Follow what people are saying about us and respond directly

Watching official mentions @utslibrary or uts library or event hashtags

People checkin on Foursquare

Encouraging staff to tweet from library events and conferences to share information with colleagues outside the room – Global reach

Flickr

Showing human face of library

Visual history

Engagement

Sharing

Competitions

Transparency

Blogs: Culture of reading

Encourage reading

Communication skills

Academic language

Indigenous Reading Group

Fortnightly Reading Group

Blogs: Research support

Save me time

Make me famous

Writing group for researchers

Diigo group for sharing links

Vodcasts of Research Week

Promoted via Facebook and Twitter

Research tools & data

Research Week 2011Collaboration with support staff from across the university

Developed new workshops with needs of researchers in mind

Expertise development for library staff

Stronger ties with research community

Blogging, tweeting all week

Vodcasts available

Research Week workshops

MobileMobile Library website, catalogue with location maps, room bookings, PC availability, subject resources

Increase in people wanting to know how to use tablets for study, teaching, research

Developing mobile literacy for clients and staff by running mobile searching workshops and staff mobile learning program

Delivering mobile friendly IL support via YouTube, Facebook and Twitter

Testing mobile databases

Major projects for our Library of the Future: RFID and library retrieval system (LRS) – we MUST be mobile ready

What next?

Study Skills launch

Managing a large load of classes

More formal evaluation of IL over time

Embed Study Skills into UTS Online (LMS)

More game based learning investigating new software

Mobile learning

Continue to listen, watch, learn, experiment, play, design, implement and evaluate

Take aways

Information literacy has a huge role in the future of libraries

As long as we consider the whole information world of our clients and not take a narrow view

We must consider digital and mobile literacy

We must be engaged with our clients and learn new skills to support them

We must promote what we do – where they’ll hear it!

Thanks!

Jemima McDonald & Sophie McDonald

UTS Librarylib.uts.edu.au

Jemima.McDonald@uts.edu.au @jemimaeve

Sophie.McDonald@uts.edu.au @misssophiemac

Questions?

And a huge thanks to all the UTS Library staff who have worked so hard to make all these

wonderful things happen