About Library Instruction

» Mission Statement
» Policies
» Goals
» Library Instruction Statement of Principles
» Facilities

Library Instruction Home

MISSION STATEMENT
The Library Instruction Program at M. Louis Salmon Library supports the curriculum offered at UAH with instruction that addresses specific assignments & promotes lifelong information literacy for all library users. As academic communities confront the information age, library instruction aims to be responsive to cultural, technological & curricular change within the University.

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POLICIES

SCHEDULE A UAH SESSION:

•Sessions must be scheduled 2 weeks in advance of the requested instruction date.
•Instructors’ attendance is required during the library session.
•To schedule a session(s), click here, then complete & submit the online form.
•E-mail will be sent confirming the session(s), date(s), time(s) & librarian(s).
•Please indicate at the time of the request, anyone attending with special disability needs.

SCHEDULE A NON-UAH SESSION:

Library instruction sessions & tours are provided for the non-UAH educational public. This includes but is not limited to local area high schools, colleges & universities. Any questions regarding the use of the Salmon Library by visiting schools should be directed to the Library Instruction Coordinators at 256-824-2176.

•Sessions must be scheduled 2 weeks in advance of the requested instruction date.
•Please identify school, instructor(s) & class(es).
•Instructors’ attendance is required during the library session. In addition, schools sending more than 1 class must provide an instructor for each class scheduled.
•To schedule a session(s), click here, then complete & submit the online form.
•E-mail will be sent confirming the session(s), date(s), time(s) & librarian(s).
•Please indicate at the time of the request, anyone attending with special disability needs.
•Instructors are responsible for their students’ conduct in the Library & if it is disruptive the student or group may be asked to exit the building.

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GOALS
•Learn how information is produced, disseminated, and organized.
Students should be aware of the variety of world information and communication channels, and they should be familiar with the differences among primary, secondary, and tertiary sources (including the differences between popular and peer-reviewed literature), as well as how libraries organize knowledge.
•Learn how to formulate questions.
Students should be able to frame questions that will help them assess the types of information they need and determine where they will find that information.
•Learn how to access information.
Students should know how and when to use a variety of information sources and services in both print and electronic formats (such as catalogs, indexes, abstracts, bibliographies, full-text sources, and the World Wide Web), and they should know how to use those sources efficiently and effectively.
•Learn how to evaluate information.
Students should be able to evaluate the quality of the information they find and determine its appropriateness to the assignment at hand.
•Learn how to use information.
Students should be able to synthesize and reconcile differences in information obtained from a variety of different sources and viewpoints, as well as properly cite information sources.

These goals are in accordance with the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education prepared and approved in January 2000 by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).

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LIBRARY INSTRUCTION STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES
For the well-educated individual, the ability to identify, select, critically evaluate, and utilize relevant information are skills as important as verbal and numerical proficiency. Since many library resources have become decentralized and are becoming more available where people live, work, and study, libraries now are but one connection in a global information network. Consequently, library instruction is increasingly important in helping university students acquire the necessary skills which will enable them to cope with the exponential growth of information and to become independent, life-long learners.

To this end, information gathering and evaluation skills must be learned and developed within the context of academic course work. Through a course-integrated, "active learning" approach to library instruction; the development of students' information-retrieval skills will parallel their academic and intellectual development. Library instruction coupled with academic course work will improve measurably students' academic studies, regardless of the discipline.

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FACILITIES
The Salmon Library has 5 computer labs with 2 labs– 206 & 207, dedicated to Library instruction on the 2nd floor of the South wing. Lab 206 has 28 pc’s & Lab 207 has 24 pc’s for hands-on instruction.

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Questions regarding Library Instruction?
Contact the Instruction Librarians:
Lisa Hullett, 256-824-2185 or via e-mail at hullettl
Annette Parrish, 256-824-6313 or via email at parrishs

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