Mission
The mission of the Stewart Library instruction program is to provide the Weber State University (WSU) community with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively identify, find, evaluate and use information for academic success and to support lifelong learning.
Statement of Purpose
The library instruction program supports the mission of Stewart Library of Weber State University by offering expert instruction that enables students to access and evaluate information across disciplines in support of lifelong learning. The instruction program team oversees and supports the WSU Computer and Information Literacy (IL) requirement. A primary purpose of the instruction program is to enable students to achieve information literacy competency as defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries. The program also conforms to the accreditation standards of Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges, Commission on Colleges.
The library instruction program is offered through a comprehensive curriculum of for credit courses, subject specific/course integrated instruction, and general orientation sessions. Instruction is delivered in traditional settings, electronic classrooms, and online. Instruction activities are designed to meet the needs of on campus, online, and distance learners. The team is committed to instruction that respects the diversity of learners and learning styles, emphasizes active learning, and incorporates the latest trends in available technology and pedagogical approaches where appropriate. The instruction program is designed and implemented by the library instruction team, which consists of library faculty and professional staff. All activities are designed based on learning outcomes, which are regularly assessed. Assessment information is used to continually revise and improve teaching and learning.
The library instruction program develops effective partnerships with WSU students, faculty, staff, administrators and members of the Utah Academic Library Consortium (UALC) to enhance information literacy at WSU and in the broader community.
Responsibilities
Members of the library instruction team are responsible for engaging in the following activities:
-
Teaching LIBS for credit courses (LIBS 1704, The Information Navigator; LIBS 2504, Information Resources in History; LIBS/EDUC 2604, Information Resources in Education; LIBS/BSAD 2704, Information Resources in the Business Disciplines; LIBS 2804, Information Resources in the Social Sciences; LIBS/HTHS 2904, Information Resources in the Health Professions)
-
Providing general instruction sessions (English 1010 and 2010, UNIV 1105)
-
Presenting tours and other general sessions for WSU courses or for community groups or visitors
-
Teaching course integrated instruction sessions
Assessment
The university is committed to university wide programs for planning and assessment. Members of the instruction team serve on the university’s General Education & Assessment Committee (GEIAC) and share the university assessment initiatives, goals, and activities with the library and the instruction team. The Stewart Library’s Instruction Program provides evidence of quality through a variety of methods and measures. Because the assessment and evaluation of our program is closely linked to planning, it is designed to provide information that may be used to improve instruction and services, and is a continuous, iterative process. Coordinating assessment with teaching faculty is a strategic goal of this program, because student learning outcomes are a shared responsibility.
Assessment findings are based on WSU’s general education competencies for information literacy, and are reported yearly in GEIAC’s General Education Assessment Summary Reports.