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Faculty Resources: Appointments (Instruction & Visits)

For HFC faculty.

Information Literacy Scrabble tilesThe Eshleman Library offers a variety of services for your classes including Information Literacy instruction, class visits, collection development, research assignment design, and more. Please contact the library or come visit us to discuss all the ways the library can help you and your students!

As the Eshleman Library offers in-depth instruction sessions tailored to your class assignments, please schedule your library instructions in advance.

Please keep the following in mind when considering library instruction:

  • Library instruction is most effective at the "point of need" during a class assignment. Research shows that students conduct better research when they know
    • 1) What their assignment is
    • 2) What they need to find for said assignment and
    • 3) Are ready to begin the research phase for the assignment.
  • Please have the following information available when scheduling a Library Instruction Session:
    • Date and time for instruction session
    • Class and number of students
    • Your contact information
    • A copy of all relevant assignments

Need A Library Instruction?

Contact a Reference Librarian at (313) 845-6377 or send an e-mail to: tbetts2@hfcc.edu for further information.

Did you know you can schedule a Library Instruction session dedicated to citations? Just let the librarians know when you would like to schedule your appointment and which citation style you would like to have covered. For our resources on MLA and APA styles, try Citations.

Help with Research assignments

Librarians are available to work with you to design assignments that effectively use library resources and help accomplish lesson objectives. You may also contact us for more information:

Tessa Betts - tbetts2@hfcc.edu or 313-845-9763
Janel Mills - jmmills1@hfcc.edu or 313-845-6376

Guidelines for successful Library assignments

Librarians are available to work with you to design class assignments that effectively use library resources and help accomplish lesson objectives. Incorporating library research into your class assignments can help your students to better understand how information is organized in the library and online.

  • Purpose of the Assignment - What do you want your students to learn? Are there specific reference sources you want them to use (or avoid)? Consider including a list of important sources with the assignment.
  • Availability of Resources - The Library and its collections are constantly changing. Electronic databases, including ebooks, offer great access. Encouraging students to use authoritative sources in online databases can help wean them from overuse and abuse of unreliable online information.
  • Clarity - Please remind students to bring their assignments with them to the Library when they do research. Giving Library assignments in writing (rather than verbally) can help reduce confusion and ensure that we are all on the same page. For example, if you want them to use scholarly articles, be sure to define what you mean by scholarly articles. Sometimes a good article in a magazine can be more appropriate than an esoteric academic journal.
  • Use of Terminology - Students tend to interpret assignments literally and may be confused by unfamiliar terms. Students are likely to only use the terms/phrases they have heard without realizing that alternative terminology may be necessary. Definitions of discipline-specific terminology, with possible synonyms, can help the student accomplish their research.
  • Topic - Choosing a topic is often difficult for students. Even if you are not using a specific "menu" of topic choices, some samples will help us get a feel for your expectations.
  • Avoid scavenger hunts - The least effective assignment asks students to locate random facts. It lacks a clear purpose and is frustrating for students and librarians. Such assignments often become exercises in futility as items are misplaced or disappear. Librarians, not students, often end up locating the information. We would be happy to work with you on designing a meaningful and practical hands-on exercise.

Reserve Library Computers for Class

The area next to the Reference Desk on the first floor may be reserved by faculty and staff to hold sessions for collaborative learning. Please contact us in advance if you would like to bring your class or a group for a visit so we can clear the space in a timely and respectful manner.

When scheduling a time, faculty should have ready:

  1. The date and time for the reservation
  2. Class size
  3. If the students will be conducting research, please also let us know about their assignment. The Reference Librarian will be nearby and can assist your students best when they know about the assignment.

Meet Your Librarian

Hello! My name is Tessa, and I am a librarian here at HFC!

Librarian Tessa

If you have any questions or want to schedule instruction, please don't hesitate to email me. I am here to help!