Faculty Services: Instruction & Orientation

The librarians of the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library view instruction as a starting point in the research process, not the end.

We prepare students for life-long learning and self-education by promoting a network of services, encouraging critical-thinking, and demonstrating responsible scholarship.

We believe that…

• Research is a cyclical process.
• Facts are important, but critical thinking is necessary.
• Scholars grow in research competence.
• Multimodal resources are essential to developing scholars.

We uphold our beliefs by…

• Cultivating strong relationships with our users.
• Asking library users their needs and seeking to meet them.
• Affirming information literacy as a skill-set.
• Teaching and promoting responsible scholarship.
• Employing effective technology in our instruction.
• Marketing library resources and services, while demonstrating how they fit into users' lives.

Subject librarians provide library instruction, training, tours and orientation sessions. Types of instruction offered include the use of information resources, as well as research processes required to locate information.

Our objective is to promote information fluency by equipping students to:

• Employ effective research strategies for locating needed information.
• Understand the benefit of using library resources and consulting library staff during their research.
• Effectively evaluate information from a variety of sources.

To request any of these services, please complete the Library Instruction, Orientation and Tour Request Form. A member of the Reference staff will respond to your request within 72 hours. You can also contact your subject librarian directly.

Your librarian will want to know the following pieces of information:

• The days/times your class meets.
• The size of your class.
• If students have received prior library instruction.
• What you students are currently researching. A copy of the course syllabus and/or a relevant assignment will be extremely helpful.
• Any component of research, information literacy, or citation you expressly want the librarian to cover in the session.