Laney librarians teach the value of good research

Many people are certain that the Internet and the 21st century Information Age will soon make libraries and librarians irrelevant.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Librarians at Laney College play a crucial role in building students’ confidence about accessing relevant information by teaching students how to find reliable materials such as books, eBooks, and journal articles in databases for their research papers.
Preparing materials and teaching library orientations to support student success requires Laney librarians to specialize in instruction and collaborate across disciplines with other faculty members. Laney reference & instruction librarian Phillippa Caldeira worked with Laney sociology professor Beverly West to develop and teach library orientations for three separate sections of Professor West’s course.
A variety of different approaches are used to teach orientations at Laney Library including multiple sessions with the same instructor’s class, providing one-on-one orientations by appointment, and so on.
Librarians use tours of Laney Library to teach students about the key role the library and its resources play in their academic careers at community college and beyond. As teachers, Laney librarians motivate, inspire, and guide students to use library resources and do research for homework assignments.
When students gain confidence in accessing reliable information via online databases, finding print and electronic books with the library catalog, and so on, they are better prepared to continue their education and thrive independently in the expanding “knowledge economy.”
According to the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), information literacy is a set of abilities that requires individuals to “recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”
Information-literate students are more readily able to meet the rigorous academic expectations of four-year colleges and universities than those who are not familiar with libraries and the many resources they provide.
By actively using the different resources available at the library to learn how to learn, students develop critical thinking skills that facilitate lifelong learning. Laney Library is an invaluable information commons where librarians teach students how to use reliable resources and do research to support long-term student success.