Our Practice & Policies

Mission Statement

Working collaboratively with faculty and instructors across disciplines, the Library Instruction Program supports the educational and research mission of Utah State University by developing critical thinking, analytical skills and research literacies students need to succeed in their studies, their careers, and their lives as engaged citizens. We support students in creating and communicating knowledge across digital and traditional forms of scholarship in an AI-influenced information landscape.

Student Learning Outcomes

These high-level outcomes are intentionally broad to allow flexibility across a wide variety of instructional contexts, disciplines, and audiences.

Question Development

Develop questions for investigation, considering existing knowledge, potential biases, disciplinary context, and information gaps.

Resource Discovery

Identify library and information services, resources, and collections, understanding how they support research, creative work, and learning across disciplines and contexts.

Strategic Searching

Recognizing the increase of AI-influenced systems, design and refine search strategies through reflective, iterative practice to locate relevant information across a variety of tools and platforms.

Critical Evaluation

Critically evaluate information, recognizing how authority and information production are constructed by social, cultural, political, economic, technological, and disciplinary factors.

Informed Selection

Intentionally select information sources, methods, technologies, and tools that appropriately meet an information need, answer a question, or solve a problem.

Creating & Communicating

Create, synthesize, and share knowledge using media, technologies, and communication strategies while recognizing the broader impact of information sharing and open practices.

Collecting & Organizing

Apply effective strategies for collecting, organizing, managing, and preserving information, data, and digital projects.

Ethical Information Use

Recognize information creation as intellectual labor, and engage with information ethically through proper attribution, respecting creators' rights, and understanding broader implications of how information is accessed, shared, and reused in an era of AI proliferation.

Library Instruction Policies

To have the most impact and provide sustainable support, we target communication and quantitative-intensive courses and classes heavily prioritizing research and information literacy learning outcomes. For classes that are not research-focused, instructors are encouraged to utilize the library's suite of online learning resources.

Library Workshop Policies

Instructors are required to be present during library instruction sessions.
Instruction workshops need to be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance.
Number of sessions per course is limited to two.

Library instruction requested for multiple sections will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. However, for courses with more than two sections, online alternatives are highly encouraged. If we cannot accommodate you on the dates you need, we can help you access and incorporate any of our online resources into your course.

Library Room Use

Library instruction rooms should only be used with a librarian/library staff member present. If you need a room in the library for a non-instruction meeting, please review our room information.

Online Materials & Instruction

Currently, library team members are not able to participate in discussion boards. We suggest discussion board posts be pivoted to a single Canvas announcement or other alternatives. Requests for the creation of online materials, including Canvas modules, need to be made at least 1 month in advance.

Consultations with a Librarian

Due to sustainability and workload needs, we ask that instructors do not require all students in a class to meet one-on-one with a librarian. Successful alternatives could be to collaborate with your librarian to craft a tailored library instruction session, integrate librarian team members as a resource for students in the Librarian Role in Canvas, and direct students to online learning materials as provided/coordinated by your librarian.

Library team members are available to meet one-one-one with students for appointments up to 45 minutes in length.
Consultations must be requested at least 2 business days in advance.
Patrons will be asked to supply detailed information about their research request.

Assessment and Research

Library faculty and staff regularly engage in assessment and research into the impact of library instruction and information literacy pedagogy. Select studies and reports are included below.