To support the education of our University's students, Heterick Memorial Library offers instruction sessions on information literacy for any courses taught at ONU. These sessions can help teach your students of useful research methods that they can utilize for the projects and papers they'll be completing in your courses. Below is an overview of what these sessions can entail, along with some examples.
Information literacy sessions at the library can cover basic concepts regarding research, which includes an overview of our library services, our Research Guides, and popular research sources based on the subject of the course. The librarians can also help students to develop appropriate research topics, adjusting the scope based on the parameters of the assignment, and work with the students to begin the research process by teaching search techniques and identifying useful resources.
Students in an information literacy session at Heterick Library will understand the difference between using sources from the open web and library sources from the deep web, how to evaluate both types of sources for credibility, and when it is appropriate to use them. Students will also learn to recognize the differences between scholarly, popular, and trade sources, and understand the value of each type in their research. Identifying primary and secondary sources in their fields, methods to evaluate currency, reliability, authority, accuracy, and purpose, as well as identifying possible biases are also covered.
Information literacy sessions at the library can teach students how to use SearchONU to find articles, books, ebooks, and media available to them through the Heterick collection and OhioLINK. Students will also learn how to search for and find articles available in general and discipline-specific databases, and current and historical news sources available from the Heterick collection. Librarians can also discuss how to effectively utilize Google Scholar in conjunction with Heterick's electronic journal subscriptions. Sessions at the library will also impart students with an understanding of the value of using books and how to use books effectively in their research, including books available at Heterick, Taggart, or through OhioLINK.
Students in information literacy sessions will gain an understanding of plagiarism and academic dishonesty and learn how to avoid it. Students will also learn the basics of copyright and how to find uncopyrighted or creative commons resources available for their use. The basics of common citation styles such as MLA or APA are covered in information literacy sessions, along with resources to help students with more challenging citations. Students in information literacy sessions can learn how to create a Zotero account and how our most popular databases work with Zotero to help simplify the citation process.
In addition to the above, the librarians at Heterick Memorial Library are happy to work with professors and instructors on tailoring the information literacy sessions to fit their courses unique needs. Additionally, the librarians can provide a number of other services outside of the classroom, such as:
Contact your liaison librarian for more details and information, or list any additional library support you'd like using the form below.
Complete the form below to request an in-person library research instruction session at Heterick Memorial Library. Please include the following information in your request:
A librarian should be in touch with you as soon as possible to schedule your information literacy class. If you have any questions, or if you are interested in a different type of instruction session, please contact your liaison librarian or email us at reference@onu.edu.