Please note: All times listed below are in Eastern Daylight Time. Attendees will receive an e-mail on the morning of the conference, with a link to conference sessions.

Standard sessions will be 50 minutes long. Interactive sessions will be 60-75 minutes.

Share on Twitter: use #LibInstructTN and tag us @LibInstructTN

Slides/recordings for most sessions will be shared after the conference, with the presenters’ permission.

Wednesday, May 24

9:30 – 10:00 a.m.

Morning Chat & Welcome from the LIT Committee: Get some coffee and chat with us before we start the day’s sessions.

10:00 – 10:50 a.m. (Standard Presentations)

Experiences, Perceptions, and Support of Academic Librarians Teaching For-Credit Information Literacy Courses (Elizabeth Nelson, Penn State University Libraries – Lehigh Valley Campus Library and Angela R. Davis, Penn State University Libraries – Behrend Campus Library).

Most of us know the challenges of one-shot instruction – who hasn’t wished for more time to really dig into a topic in more detail? So why don’t more librarians teach for-credit courses where they would have more time to explore our skills and knowledge with students? And – what is it like for those who do? This session will share the results of a recent survey on the experiences and perceptions of academic librarians who have served as instructors of record for courses that focus on helping students explore information literacy, research skills, or other areas within the umbrella of our expertise. Using responses from more than 100 survey and focus-group participants, we’ll discuss topics including the benefits and challenges of teaching information literacy in a for-credit setting; how these courses are structured within the larger curriculum; how the instructing librarians manage them alongside their normal workloads; and more.

Trap Music Is My Muse: Ideas, Inspiration, and Information for New Instructional Librarians (Cassandra Ifie, Mississippi Valley State University)

Trap music was created in the southern part of the United States. It is a subgenre of hip-hop. Over the past few decades, hip-hop has been used as an instructional tool to connect with students in the classroom. This presentation will offer simple, practical tips on how to engage and introduce college students to the research process using a combination of trap music, hip-hop, and African American culture.

11:00 – 12:15 p.m. (Interactive Presentations)

Showing Our Students We Care: Putting Our Values to Work Inside the Classroom and Beyond (Andy Foskey and Susan Jennings, Chattanooga State Community College)

Librarians are increasingly facing challenges to our core professional values. How we rise to these challenges has the potential to demonstrate our commitment to our patrons, especially those whose communities are most vulnerable. The library at Chattanooga State Community College plays an integral role in promoting campus values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We will examine best practices, share successes and challenges, and brainstorm ways to make a difference inside and outside the library classroom.

Engagement through Empathy: Reducing Barriers through Authentic Connection (Maggie Albro, LaTiffany Davis, Thura Mack and Molly Royse, University of Tennessee, Knoxville)

This presentation will present current research on empathy in the classroom with students from a librarian’s perspective. Recognizing that empathy can be learned and practiced, we’ll be sharing our experiences, tips, and encouragement to engage with empathy. Discussion will include how to approach opportunities for engagement from a place of empathy and authenticity. Using polling software, attendees will be able to practice identifying how to respond to scenarios with empathy. Participants will leave the session with a virtual handout of resources to continue their learning on this topic.

Noon(ish) – 2:00 p.m.

The 11 a.m. Eastern interactive sessions may not conclude until closer to 12:30pm, hence the longer lunch period.

2:00 – 2:50 p.m. (Standard & Interactive)

Standard Session: Cite that Tweet! Social media as an authoritative source in IL instruction (Kathia Ibacache and Elizabeth Novosel, University of Colorado Boulder)

Studies show that students in higher education use social media for academic and everyday life. Based on our research, our presentation explores how teaching librarians incorporate social media in information literacy (IL) instruction. We invite participants to reflect on the tension between scholarly literature and the underrepresented voices that are not considered authoritative, as well as librarians’ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of incorporating social media in library sessions.

Interactive Session: Meeting the Diverse Library Instruction Needs of HBCU Students (Dr. Vanessa Jones and Jennifer Castle, Tennessee State University)

Library instruction is growing and changing the educational environment—diverse needs to integrate into every facet of the student research experience. There are challenges in knowing how to represent multiple cultures in professional communication effectively. It’s vital for college students to learn various research approaches and styles for accumulating reliable sources. Adopting mixed methods to explore databases and printed sources means communication and collaboration bring forth new concepts to meet the demands of the students. In this presentation, we will discuss meeting the diverse needs of HBCU students when providing library instruction. We will address concerns behind various approaches to delivering these new skills (databases, printed sources, communication, and collaboration) and share instructional strategies that challenge students to move beyond their general practices that are more culturally inclusive and sensitive.

3:00 – 3:50 p.m. (Standard Presentations)

With a Little Help From Your Friends: Peer-to-Peer Media Literacy Resources for Secondary Education (Emily Bush and Sarah Stevenson, Vanderbilt University)

According to Pew Research, the average teenager spends 7.7 hours a day on screens – outside of school. Yet media and digital literacy skills are unevenly applied, determined by who your teacher is and where you go to school. Who better to teach students to navigate this complex media landscape than slightly older, slightly wiser college students? We asked students to explore a media literacy issue they wish they’d been taught more about as teenagers; and in the better together spirit share their knowledge with local students. In this session attendees will learn about our experience using open pedagogy to have students create OER media literacy modules to share with secondary teachers and students.

Empowering Undergraduate Students to Use Metadata for Information Searches (Melony Shemberger, Murray State University)

Developments and changes in the information environment have an impact on the skills and competencies required of students for various jobs and careers in the workforce. Empowering students with such new skills as using metadata to seek information will support their professional endeavors. The use of metadata often is regarded as a skill for librarians, but metadata knowledge can benefit students when seeking sources for research. This presentation will showcase a lesson in which undergraduate students explored the use of metadata as a way to navigate knowledge information systems better when seeking sources for their research projects.

4:00 – 4:50 p.m. (Standard Presentations)

Teaching How to Teach: The Library Teaching Institute (David X. Lemons, George Mason University)

Many library instructors learn to teach through personal experience, primarily through trial and error. The Library Teaching Institute (LTI) at George Mason University Libraries attempts to close this gap. Delivered for the first time in summer 2021, this series of online workshops prepares new instructors for the classroom and results in a certificate of completion for participants. Returning instructors could also attend sessions of their choice and refresh their skills without committing to the full series. In this presentation, you’ll learn more about LTI’s creation, as well as develop ideas for bringing it or a similar program to your institution.

A Pilot Workshop on AI Art and Libraries at the University of Mississippi (Alex Watson, University of Mississippi)

The presentation will detail basic background information on “AI Art” before going into detail on a pilot workshop on AI Art and Libraries at the University of Mississippi.

5:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Closing & Feedback: Please stay for a few extra minutes afterwards to chat and let the conference steering committee know your thoughts! We love the feedback because it allows us to improve your future experiences with LIT. This will also be an opportunity to learn from each other in an open forum. We encourage all of our presenters and participants to join us!