Instruction & Research Help Work Team
Contact: Amanda Nichols Hess, Coordinator of Instruction and Research Help
The Instruction and Research Help work team supports the teaching and learning goals of both the University Libraries specifically and Oakland University more broadly.
Instruction
The Libraries’ Instruction and Research Help work team offers learning opportunities in a variety of formats and to meet a range of instructional needs:
- Course-connected Instruction
- Programmatic Instructional Partnership: WRT 1060
- General Education course: LIB 2500
- Library Instructional Outreach
- Library Tours
- Library Instructional Labs
Course-connected Instruction
Instruction and Research Help team members offer customized sessions connected with OU courses. In these sessions, librarians work with faculty and students on the resources and skills needed to conduct research in a specific discipline or for a particular need. Such sessions often include:
- An introduction to the Libraries’ services and resources
- Instruction in using the Libraries’ online tools to find print and online materials available through the Libraries’ collection
- Using the Libraries’ online databases to find academic journal articles
- Using specialized resources such as handbooks, data sets, and reference materials
- Guidance for searching the internet for reliable and accurate web resources
- Techniques for evaluating a range of information sources
Instruction sessions include hands-on time for learners to begin their research processes, during which the librarian can provide direct and specific support for their needs. Librarians can also create guides to library resources for specific courses – on such pages, students can access links to the most relevant subject-specific databases, online reference materials, course handouts, related websites, and other resources for their research.
Library instruction sessions happen online in video conferencing platforms (e.g. Zoom, Google Meet), in the Kresge Library’s instructional labs, and in other campus classrooms when groups are larger in size. Faculty members should directly contact the Subject Librarian for their discipline or reach out to the Coordinator of Instruction and Research Help to arrange for course-related library instruction.
Programmatic Instructional Partnership: WRT 1060
The Libraries’ faculty have a longstanding, effective partnership with faculty in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric to offer course-integrated information literacy instruction to every section of WRT 1060.
Students work through online content at their own pace – available in eSpace – and then engage in a librarian-led learning experience that aligns with their course format (asynchronous online, synchronous online, hybrid online/in-person).
Find out more about this partnership and access the WRT 1060 online library instruction content.
General Education course: LIB 2500
The University Libraries Library offers a fully-online 4-credit course, LIB 2500: Introduction to Library Research and Technology in the Information Age. This course fulfills General Education requirements for Knowledge Application and Writing in General Education. Check the Schedule of Classes in SAIL for registration details!Library Instructional Outreach
While the University Libraries are designed to serve the needs of the students, faculty and staff at Oakland University, we have established instructional partnerships with local International Baccalaureate high schools and Advanced Placement Scholars programs to support these students in their advanced academic research. Please contact the Coordinator of Instruction and Research Help for additional information. At times, other groups from high schools or community colleges may wish to bring a set of students to use the library's resources. Any such visits should be arranged with the Coordinator of Instruction and Research Help and are subject to the OU policy for visits from non-university groups.Library Tours
Tours are designed to familiarize the users with the overall arrangement of the library and do not include instruction in the use of the online catalog, article databases or other library resources. Please see the OU policy for visits from non-university groups.Library Instructional Labs
The library has three information literacy instruction labs:
- KL222 and KL225A:
- Equipped with 24-25 student computer workstations and an instructor's station
- Vision control software enables the instructor to maintain control of the student monitors for online demonstrations and instruction, and then to turn control of the students' computers over to them for practice
- KL225B:
- Equipped projection capability, an instructor workstation and table/chair seating for up to 38 students
- Currently in use by the Registrar’s office as a classroom space – extremely limited availability
For the first two months of every fall and winter semester, the library instructional labs (rooms 225A, 225B, and 222) are not available for non-library reservations. The labs are used exclusively for library instruction during these times. See the complete lab reservation policy for additional information.
Research Help
For individual research help, we recommend that patrons use our 24/7 research help chat service. They can get immediate assistance from an OU librarian or one of our librarian colleagues around the globe.
Additionally, we offer:
- 1:1 research consultations
- Subject-based research help
- Research assistance in person, over the phone, and via email
See all research help options on our Ask A Librarian webpage.