This final, formal session at the 2023 Sheffield conference was facilitated by committee members. Delegates were arranged into four groups at separate tables. During the conference delegates were encouraged to pin discussion topics on post-it notes to a whiteboard. Each table was given a topic, poster paper and pens. After a few minutes discussing and noting their thoughts, the groups moved to the next topic and table. Finally, all attendees could mix around, broaden their discussions and further contribute to any topic. Photos of the posters and transcription are provided below. Please feel free to comment on this article with any further thoughts/ideas you have.
How do you build interactivity into your sessions with students? Give examples of what works:
Transcription:
- Use mentimeter [good for large groups] for fun quizzes and to evaluate teaching
- Post-its on a wall/board – prefer the analogue approach ♡ [‘old skooll’]
- Finding exercise as part of Library tour –> Library treasure hunt 💼
- Literature search exercise (e-resources)
- WooClap – build in quizzes for referencing & plagiarism sessions
- Engage students in discussion. How do we do this? Snowballing?
- Encourage think-pair share activities – either in formal session or through technology (peer learning) – e.g. in lecture discuss a question with the person next to you, then as a pair with a pair in an adjacent row (as a four)…
- Group/poster work; peer to peer learning; practical exercises/experience; sketchnoting?
- Use cards with element of a reference and get them to put it in the correct order – looking out if we can do this with technology, maybe voting on the order through menti or wooclap –> physically rearrange elements of referencing…
- Stand-up/sit-down activities
- Padlet as an icebreaker
- Using materials from the the materials library to prompt engagement
- Drawing tasks/responding to questions with drawing
- Encourage audience interaction in online sessions by giving positive feedback e.g. thank you for sharing… have you thought about… an excellent comment from…
- Photo selfies around the library – share on Padlet (prescribed questions)
- 1-2-1 sessions encourage participation
- Before induction check whether there are specific interests e.g. Postmodernism or more general induction
- Catatlogue searching – ask students for examples – their ideas or things they are working on in university; active: go and find the reference on the shelves (treasure hunt)
- Moving pieces of paper around! e.g. ocean of information – place academic sources deeper in the ocean
- Plagiarism quiz
- Mentimeter; discussion in group; I invite a student to co-deliver the topic and their experiences; encourage students to create a simple map on Digimap
- “Scavenger hunt” – find some info on library website and bring it back (in Chat if on Teams) e.g. name of a resource off libguide
How could we teach AI? Are you already doing this?
Transcription:
- Having to wait for official steer
- We’re developing reference guidlines [done too / working on it]
- Important to include in information skills training
- We need to embrace it beacuse students will use it
- It’s not that much different to previous tech introductions e.g. Wikipedia
- It’s all about being able to evaluate it and use it critically
- Information professionals are well placed to do this and incorporate into information literacy teaching
- Back to IL basics – critical evaluation!
- Change the language around what we already teach
- Wehave already written a series of workshops on AI and academic integrity plus guides, appropriate use, referencing
- Move back from teaching how to navigate our website and use a resource to teaching proper IL skills e.g. evaluating, academic integrity etc.
- Show how AI hallucinate sources with examples
- Next academic year, yes. Execercises/tasks for students to interact with AI but which exercise? Citation styles ✓
- Integrate into workshops on academic integrity
- Keep on keeping on ♡
Visitor and alumni access – how do you welcome your community into your library?
Transcription:
- Reader and borrower access (free). Asylum seeker access and tours
- Refugee reading project; Portsmouth City of Sanctuary. Volunteering dept. Illustrating students
- Schools as part of wider journey around Uni
- Free alumni borrowing, limited e-resources for alumni; visitors welcome in weekends, evenings, outside of semester weekdays. School visits and Widening Participation activities; visiting researchers and special collections back to normal post-covid
- AMA: all(?) welcome to use the library; no borrowing; alumni events
- Visitors self-book via Libcal. Restricted numbers each day – includes alumni and sconul. Free access!
- This year we were at capacity in week 3. We do allow private subscribers, alumni and sconul but at times we limit entrance
- Appointment system gives better services for some institutions not others
- Newcastle -> Alumni = £20 annual fee (& borrowing); Individuals = £50 annual fee (& x8 borrowing)
- Open to all non-members, members, everyone [us too!]. Produce photo ID. Sign in at Enquiry desk. (Appointments necessary for photos, drawings and archives). Check opening hours. we have longer closed periods now around around Christmas, Easter and Summer
- Security issue? Lecture theatres in building too
- We don’t. Not enough space. 80 spaces : 500 students. Situated in a public space where it could be disruptive
- Alumni walk in access 3 years [our walk in access stopped working]
- We welcome everyone – no gates! No ID checks. Just come on in!!
- No gates but under 18s have to be accompanied at AUB
- Kuleuven – alumni = get a lifelong fee(?) library membership – they can borrow – e-resources on campus – no inter-library loan. Visitors: one day visits = free. One year memberships = €20
“The Library will go out, will knock on doors, will ask and will listen, will convene and contribute” [from the Library manifesto by Ben Cornish and Dr Katherine Quinn / Studio Polpo]. Discuss:
Transcription:
- No knocking. Go to Teams!
- Work with Student Union – what do you ask? I usually answer their questions! Post-pandemic – just ‘light’ conversations
- No – go out inot your school/dept. Knock! Cafes; “Common Rooms”
- A ‘cultural’ thing- some like real spaces – others online
- Looking into spending time in school office regularly. Pop round to academics offices and academic mentor offices. Attend internal teaching and learning and professional development events. Presence at student facing events such as freshers fair and welcome sessions. –> Events in the library e.g. in the materials library. Stand in library reception – students will ask questions or you can offer assistance to people who look a bit lost
- My ‘going out’ -> to Volunteering team to help get a collection used!
- I have found taking an iPad or laptop and hanging around academic corridors very fruitful. Going out to lunch with academics. Invite new academics to tea and a chat. We offer a series of bespoke workshops at the beginning of year that they can book their students on
- Studio drop-ins / visits
- Student takeovers of social media
- Focus groups with students seeking feedback i.e. on library spaces
- Library as part of the civic institution
- Respond to/act on NSS qualitative comments. Work with Uni Outreach team – group visits, work experience
- Librarians going to Student-Staff committees rto listen and share. Going to Faculty Education Committees and Boards of Studies. Going to department away days
- Exhibitions / ? / lectures / inviting myself to studios
- Getting feedback! = listening -> students and staff (stakeholders) = Library feedback strategy –> focus groups
- UX activities for gathering info and planning e.g. spaces. Inviting new SU Sabbatical officers to visit and perhaps take part in some behind the scenes library activities
- Responding to SU ‘Top Ten. Responding to Uni priorities/themes e.g. Sustainability, DEI, decolonisation and other initiatives
- Collaborating with other professional services on activities around these – and central comms teams and central social media – using these tools to get engagement
Would you like to contribute to these discussions?
Please add comments below about any of these topics from your experience at your library/organisation. It would be great to discuss these further. In some cases we posed additional follow-up questions, or perhaps you have your own. Let’s keep the conversations going!
Report by: David Stacey | University of Bath
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