240 p. · $30.00
Text & Activities on disk [paper is out of print]

ISBN 0-9652711-0-2
© 1996

Empowering Students: Hands-On Library Instruction Activities

Marilyn Whitmore, Editor
Active Learning Series, no. 1

From the Editor | Reviews and Comments | Table of Contents
Sample Lesson Plan (260K, PDF) | Order this Book

From the Editor

"This is a librarian's book of "How We Do What We Do." Librarians who are responsible for instruction spend a great deal of time teaching students about libraries, about how to find information, and about how these two go hand in hand. ... We want what we teach students to remain with them until they come to the library next time, or until they have to write a research paper, find a book review, a map to locate a place, the address of a congressman, or fulfill any other information need.

"How can we make learning a fun experience that carries over to other times and various situations? We are told by educators that adults learn best when they are involved in active learning in their own style and at their own pace. One excellent way to help achieve real learning is to provide a structured opportunity to "experience" information seeking. Time is important to students, so we want to save them countless hours of unproductive research time."

Reviews and Comments

Your titles Empowering Students and Unmasking the Internet "are very useful for my orientations and for my Internet class. I am amazed and thankful that you and your colleagues took the time to share and publish such valuable timesaving information. ...your publications are unique. They provide the nitty-gritty of instruction-teaching objectives, exercises, timed activities, etc." - Margaret Traylor, Laney College

Table of Contents

19 lesson plans in 4 sections

Classroom Activities for Teaching Basic Concepts
  • Scholarly Journals vs. Popular Magazines
  • Propaganda or Scholarship: How to Tell the Difference
  • Critical Thinking and the Search Strategy Approach in an Education Class
  • Basic Tools and Unique Strategies in a Speech Communications Class
  • Examining Reference Sources
Activities Appropriate for 2 or 3 Students
  • Focusing Broad Topics
  • Women's Studies
Group Activities for up to 6 Students
  • Broad Topics: Ways to Focus an Unmanageable Topic in English Composition
  • Student Self-Teaching of Basic Reference Sources in Freshman English Composition
  • "And You Are There:" Having Fun with Historical Topics
  • Literary Criticism on William Faulkner
  • "Meeting the Author:" Biographical and Critical Resources of Children's Literature
  • The Library Beat: How to Find Journalism Sources in the Library
Activities for Individuals
  • Research? What Exactly Is It?
  • Evaluating Resources
  • Reading Citations: Is This a Journal Article or a Book or What?
  • History Topics in Research Writing
  • Public Speaking; Instruction for Multiple Sections of a Class
  • Social Welfare Policy; Teaching How to Research a Policy