Training Library Instructors

Pedagogy impacts all parts of library work and culture. It changes the way we interact with learners regardless of setting and however we name or define the teaching moment from research help to outreach to leading meetings. Pedagogy is a praxis of relation, and studying it can improve all aspects of our work and organizations.

In two volumes, Training Library Instructors collects examples of how we train our colleagues to teach, whether they’re student workers, non-librarian staff, new or experienced librarians, or something else entirely. Volume 1, A Guide to Training Graduate Students, focuses on teacher training for graduate students in LIS programs and in academic libraries. It presents existing literature and theories, approaches to teaching library school students to teach, and critical reflections from librarians about their varied experiences receiving teacher training. In Volume 2, A Guide to Training Librarians, librarians share their knowledge about teaching, learning, and pedagogy through a variety of replicable activities: formal and informal workshops, courses, communities of practice, peer observation, and more.

Training Library Instructors provides detailed, easily implemented and modified plans for courses, internships, teach-the-teacher programs, and other instructional methods and opportunities for graduate students and library workers at all levels of teaching experience.
Published

September 2024

Buy the Books

Training Library Instructors, Vol 1: A Guide to Training Graduate Students

Training Library Instructors, Vol 2: A Guide to Training Librarians

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Some chapters are available through the authors’ institutional repositories. Links are included below where applicable.

Vol 1: A Guide to Training Graduate Students

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Teaching & Learning in the LIS Curriculum: Theory, Practice, and Need

  1. Practice Theory in Information Literacy
    Logan Rath
  2. Library Instruction Training and the MLIS: A Review of the Literature
    Matthew Weirick Johnson

Case Studies

  1. Using Teaching Demonstrations in LIS Instruction Courses
    Melissa A. Wong
  2. Teaching Instruction Librarians by Design
    Dominique Turnbow & Amanda Roth
  3. From Intern to Instructor: Training to Teach With Primary Sources
    Rachel Makarowski & Maureen Maryanski
  4. Empowering Library Instructors: Reflections on the Information Literacy Scholars Program at Syracuse University Libraries
    Kelly Delevan, Breeann Austin, Brie Baumert, Rebecca McCall, Lauren Quackenbush, Olivia Russo, Alayna L. Vander Veer, and B. Austin Waters
  5. Introducing Emerging Library Instructors to Information Literacy Instruction through Programmatic Instruction
    Alicia G. Vaandering, Amanda Izenstark, Colin Braun, Erin Cunningham, Reina Kirkendall, and Laura Marasco

Reflections: LIS Instruction Training

  1. Creating My Own Experience: Navigating a Library Graduate Program to Become an Instruction Librarian
    Kala Dunn
  2. The Impact of a Graduate Assistantship and Optional Courses on Becoming a Teaching Librarian
    Chrissy O’Grady
  3. From Learner to Teacher: Preparing for the Library Instruction Classroom and Fostering Teacher Identity Through Information Literacy Coursework
    Kaci Wilson
  4. From Library Science Student to Instruction Librarian: Using the Science and Art of Teaching to Grow as an Instruction Librarian
    Mark W. Duncan

Reflections: Non-LIS Instruction Training

  1. Benefits of An Elementary School Teaching Background
    Amber Owrey
  2. Thoughts from a Teacher Librarian: Utilizing Training as a Teacher to Become an Instructional Librarian
    Ella Gibson
  3. Adjusting Roles: Lessons Learned from Applying Non-LIS Teacher Training to Library Instruction
    Jeremiah R. Mercurio

Conclusion: Advancing Teaching & Learning in the LIS Curriculum

Author Biographies

Vol 2: A Guide to Training Librarians

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Case Studies: Continuing Training for Library Instructors

  1. Developing Library Instructors Together: A Case Study from the Hong Kong JULAC Consortium
    Victoria F. Caplan, Christopher Chan, Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, and Eunice S. P. Wong
  2. Increasing Inclusive Instruction: Building a Bespoke In-house Teacher Training Programme at the University of Cambridge
    Kirstie Preest & Claire Sewell
  3. Communities of Support: Using the Community of Practice Model for Library Instructor Development
    Melissa A. Wong & Laura Saunders

Case Studies: Training New Librarians

  1. We’re All in this Together: Holistic Approaches to Training New Instruction Librarians
    Randi Beem, Marc Bess, Ryan Harris, Abby Moore, Natalie Ornat Bitting, Catherine Tingelstad, and Angel Truesdale
  2. Learning What Works: The Impact of Change on Training New Library Instructors
    Josette M. Kubicki, Tonya D. Dority, Thomas C. Weeks, and Emma Kate Morgan

Case Studies: Training New and Experienced Librarians

  1. Planning for Instruction Training: Implementing an On-the-job Training for Library Instructors
    Livia Piotto
  2. Supporting Librarian Teachers: The Learning-Centered Librarian Instruction Program at the University of Victoria
    Karen Munro, Cynthia Korpan, Matt Huculak, and Michael Lines
  3. Best of Both Worlds: Training for New and Experienced Library Instructors
    David X. Lemmons, Ashley Blinstrub, Kayla M. Gourlay, Maoria J. Kirker, Janna Mattson, and Anna K. Murphy-Lang

Reflections

  1. The Introverted Instructor: Tackling Library Instruction When It’s Out of Your Comfort Zone
    Ginelle Baskin
  2. (Eventually) Learning to Look Before I Leap: Discovering Instructional Design Mid-Career
    Nicole Westerdahl
  3. Learning from Each Other: Peer Observation for On-the-Job Library Instructor Development
    Alexandra Mitchell
  4. Peer Observation and its Discontents: Using Autotheory to Argue for Focused, Community-Centered Instruction Training
    Russel Peterson
  5. It Takes a Village to Raise a Librarian: Reflection on an Unconference Teaching Workshop
    Sam Mandani & Fannie Ouyang
  6. Go and Get What You Need!: Seeking Out Mentorship
    Jamia Williams

Conclusion: Moving Instruction Training Forward in Academic Libraries

About the Authors

Citation

BibTeX citation:
@book{2024,
  author = {},
  editor = {Johnson, Matthew Weirick},
  publisher = {Association of College \& Research Libraries},
  title = {Training {Library} {Instructors}},
  date = {2024-09-01},
  url = {https://alastore.ala.org/training-library-instructors-guide-training-graduate-students-and-librarians-2-volume-set},
  isbn = {979-8-89255-523-4},
  langid = {en}
}
For attribution, please cite this work as:
Johnson, M. W. (Ed.). (2024). Training Library Instructors. Association of College & Research Libraries. https://alastore.ala.org/training-library-instructors-guide-training-graduate-students-and-librarians-2-volume-set