Library Instruction
BCTC librarians provide instruction in various ways to help students learn about using library resources for research.
We are happy to help, whether it is with a classroom visit, a library instructional video, a custom guide, or other instruction. You can set up a consultation with our instruction lead, Maureen Cropper (maureen.cropper@kctcs.edu), if you would like to learn more about what we can offer to you and to your class.
Interested in some quick start resources? We have Library Guides available to help with information literacy skills development and instructions on using various library resources.
We also encourage you to explore our A-Z databases list. You can link directly to these databases from your courses. You can also link to many useful instructional videos from the A-Z database list.
Information Literacy at BCTC Library
Policy and Goals
At Bluegrass Community and Technical College, we aspire to “teaching and learning excellence, student success, and creative solutions for educational, economic, and community challenges” (BCTC Vision). The development of information literacy skills in students is a key component of learning. Knowing how to collect, analyze and use information in effective ways is an essential part of the preparation students need to succeed, whether in the classroom, in their communities, or at their workplaces.
The mission of the BCTC Library information literacy program is to increase information literacy among students at Bluegrass Community and Technical College, in accordance with the academic mission and goals of the institution, and in accordance with any specific disciplinary needs.
The BCTC Library follows the professional library guidance of the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Framework for Information Literacy. The ACRL Framework for Information Literacy defines information literacy as:
The set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning.
Information literate students develop the skills to think critically about the processes surrounding the creation, dissemination, use, and value of knowledge. Information literate students can effectively evaluate and analyze information from a variety of sources, and they can correctly use sources in written and oral communication. The BCTC Library is dedicated to strengthening students' information literacy skills through library instruction and assignments to help them meet student learning goals.
Library instruction will be provided during individual research consultations, through classroom or group instruction sessions, through access to digital learning objects, guides, and videos, and online through Blackboard. Librarians will work with instructors to design research assignments to build information literacy skills. They will provide training resources to instructors so that they can directly share these skills with their students. Instruction sessions can provide a general overview of library services or can be tailored to a specific research assignment. Individual research consultations or asynchronous online learning opportunities are other methods that will be offered to meet the varied needs of our students.
The BCTC Library’s Information literacy program provides curriculum related information literacy training to students at several points within their ongoing education at the college, with key areas as follows:
- Developmental courses
- First Year Experience courses & English 101 courses
- ENG 102 courses
- Disciplinary research (100-200 level courses, program disciplines)
The success of student learning goals will be measured in several ways and the measurement will be determined as part of a consultation with the instructor teaching the course. Active participation in sessions and activities is encouraged. Librarians can assist with developing assessment rubrics when the instructor decides to incorporate a session or activity into their course. It can be beneficial if an instructor allows credit to be assigned to activities or attendance.
Information Literacy skills are integral to meeting the needs of students today, and they play a key part in student success. The librarians will work with instructors to meet their specific curriculum needs. For recommended goals, see below.
Information Literacy Goals for Instruction
Developmental courses at BCTC are designed to support students’ successful transition to college by enhancing their reading comprehension and writing skills.
Librarians can help teach students to be able to:
- Find basic information about the library and its services.
- Navigate and use introductory search tools
- Locate and use resources
- Understand basic principles of attribution and authorship.
- Understand parts of a book
First Year Experience 105 and English 101 are required courses for most incoming students.
Librarians can help teach students how to:
- Find basic information about the library and its services.
- Develop keywords and refine topics.
- Locate books, articles, and web sources.
- Identify basic citation information.
- Conduct basic information quality analysis.
ENG 102 includes a research paper assignment, which typically requires use of peer reviewed journal articles and academic books as sources.
Librarians can help teach students how to:
- Employ specialized searching techniques.
- Understand peer-reviewed vs. non-peer-reviewed articles.
- Critically evaluate content of research materials.
- Select and use appropriate style and formatting.
- Apply in-depth information quality analysis.
In these courses, students need to become familiar with introductory resources related to the area of study covered by the class. They may need help identifying topics of timely concern in the discipline, and how to identify and use various research tools specific to the subject. Subject headings and discipline specific databases or other resources will be of use in these classes.
Librarians can help teach students how to:
- Find a variety of resources related to the discipline.
- Identify specialized key words and important topics related to the discipline.
- Employ advanced searching techniques, including use of relevant subject term searching.
- Evaluate resources based on quality of relevance and scholarly value within the discipline.
- Select and use appropriate style and formatting
