Designing Effective Library Assignments

• Consult a reference librarian. Working with a librarian will result in a better instruction session for the students.
• Student's research skills vary from the non-existent to the very sophisticated. Assume your students have minimal knowledge of the library -- minimal library skills may be inadequate for upper-level research assignments.
• Check the MU online catalog (MERLIN) to verify that library resources necessary for a library assignment are available.
• Provide librarians with a copy of the assignment. Sending a copy ensures that the staff is ready to help students at the reference desk.
• Specify to students and librarian(s) the level of research expected and be specific about topics and the mechanics of the assignment.
• Encourage students to consult librarians at the reference desk.
• Make sure students have complete and correct citations.
• Design assignments requiring students to use a variety of sources. This avoids a mob scene of students looking for the same book or article.
• Use the Reserve Desk for resources most likely used by students in their assignment(s).
• Avoid scavenger hunts or treasure hunts that make students search for obscure bits of information -- work with librarian(s) to emphasize library research processes.
• Web assignments: Discourage students from using the Web as the only source for information. Provide specific sites or specific directories to help students find authoritative, timely, and useful information. Help students understand that a web-based database is not the same thing as the internet or the Web.

Working together, faculty and librarians can develop assignments that are beneficial and less frustrating to students. Class instruction sessions can be arranged by contacting your subject librarian or the Library Instruction Coordinator. English 20 classes contact the Library Instruction Coordinator