The New Instruction Librarian: A Workbook for Trainers and Learners

by Candice Benjes-Small, Rebecca K. Miller

The sheer amount of resources on the subject of information literacy is staggering. Yet a comprehensive but concise roadmap specifically for librarians who are new to instruction, or who are charged with training someone who is, has remained elusive. Until now. This book cuts through the jargon and rhetoric to ease the transition into library instruction, offering support to all those involved, including library supervisors, colleagues, and trainees. Grounded in research on teaching and learning from numerous disciplines, not just library literature, this book

shows how to set up new instruction librarians for success, with advice on completing an environmental scan, strategies for recruiting efficiently, and a training checklist;
walks readers step by step through training a new hire or someone new to instruction, complete with hands-on activities and examples;
explores the different roles an instruction librarian is usually expected to play, such as educator, project manager, instructional designer, and teaching partner;
demonstrates the importance of performance evaluation and management, including assessment and continuing education, both formal and informal; and
provides guided reading lists for further in-depth study of a topic.

A starter kit for librarians new to instruction, this resource will be useful for training coordinators as well as for self-training.

Genres: Nonfiction, Library Science, Professional Development, Reference, Grad School, Librarianship

255 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2017

Reviews

[Elizabeth]

This book isn't just for recent library school graduates: this book is for early career, mid- career, and even late career librarians. I found a lot of great tips and resources, especially in the back with the authors templates for lesson plans and observation feedback.

[Katie]

This is a fantastic book that gives great advice for new instruction librarians and has good suggestions for seasoned professional as well. It covers many subjects that other books haven't that can be uncomfortable. This would be a great text to use in MLIS programs for training baby librarians in the realities of academic librarianship.

[Suzanne]

A great guide for instruction librarians. As someone with no formal teaching education or experience, this was extremely helpful.

[Brianna Wright]

Cheating again but I am a fr librarian now so maybe I can reframe this as reading self help