Steve -

I was struck by this point: “In the medium term, the library will need to engage with major shifts in research and learning practice.” Learning practice is what I’d like to focus on.

I’m struggling – having no background in pedagogy – with how best to teach students when they come to the library. Though we’ve discussed these issues before in another context, I’m still no sure what the librarian’s immediate role is, as teacher. Is it as a lecturer, a supervisor of “active learning,” or a hodge-podge?

I guess it would work on a case-by-case basis (like everything in libraries), but that seems to me like a cop out; if everything is relative, we don’t need to solidify a pedagogical belief. We just do without thought.

Sometimes I think LIS programs need a required class in teaching approaches.

Has anyone read anything good about teaching, about students, or about approaches to foster active learning in a classroom?

Dave, I agree that this is an important part of librarianship that does not have a solid set of best practices or any general form of guidance that is widely accepted or agreed upon. I hate to say it, but it really seems to be case by case to me. However, if we can’t necessarily lock down exactly what the librarian’s role is (“lecturer, a supervisor of “active learning,” or a hodge-podge”), I think we can come up with a clear idea of our pedagogical domain: the research process.

This has been my approach to teaching either in and ad hoc session in the library or in a student’s class. The information literacy and research skills of each student are different. In each case, though, I could share some knowledge of my library’s information world that bridges the gap between the collection and the research needs of the case at hand.

Barry, Ginger and Toby, did any of you take the bibliographic instruction practicum as opposed to a self directed one? I did my practicum with the Digital Content Group and I think Dave did the same. What are your thoughts on this?