WSU Library Instruction

Creating Effective Library Assignments


Keys to creating and executing a successful library based assignment:

General Principles and Guidelines:
Subject Area Specialist (Librarian) Contact:
  • Identify a purpose or rationale for the assignment that is clearly communicated to the students
  • Make sure the assignment is closely tied to the course content to provide relevance
  • Check with the WSU Libraries' Subject Area Resources and Subject Area Guides to learn of relevant resources for your assignment
  • Work through the assignment yourself
  • Be sure that each resource listed on your assignment has the complete name of the item, accurate usage of terminology is a must
  • Create assignments so that a large number of students are not trying to get access to a very small number of resources
  • Check with your Subject Area Specialist (librarian) to get an idea about available resources and potential resources limitations
  • Check with your Subject Area Specialist (librarian) about putting heavily used materials on reserve
  • Contact your Subject Area Specialist (librarian) to schedule a course-integrated instruction session
  • Contact your Subject Area Specialist (librarian) to see about putting a paper copy of your assignment at the reference desk
  • Encourage your students to stop by the Reference & Information Desk to get help if they need assistance


 

Suggestions for library based assignments (beyond the traditional research paper):

Using (a) component(s) of the course content as a topic:


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