Teaching biology students the ropes of library research

Until recently, bibliographic instruction provided by a librarian in the life sciences had been rare. Due to a revival of the liaison program, new opportunities for teamwork have developed. The Library Liaison to the Department of Biology and a Biology professor have teamed up for four successive spring semesters to create meaningful library instruction. The instructional goals are to teach students how to search for scientific literature and to critically evaluate the quality of published research. Library instruction takes place during the assign Biology Lab period and uses both an in-class and out of class assignment to increase student engagement and learning. This instruction has been beneficial to students and since its inception, has led to instructional opportunities with other biology faculty. This presentation will reveal details about the beginning of this partnership, its successes, and plans for continuation of this model of collaboration for upper-division courses in other disciplines.