Instructional training for library staff: The benefits of cooperation

This poster presents and discusses the strategies adopted at John Cabot University library for training instructional librarians and the related process of integration from the perspective of the trainee librarian.

The high demand for instruction, which has characterized the last few semesters at John Cabot University, has led to the need for increasing the number of instruction librarians to take care of reference and instruction services. This poster wants to describe the process of integrating a librarian without any prior teaching training to the existing team and to share best practices. To achieve this goal, a training plan has been put in place by the “experienced” instruction librarians to teach the “trainee” how to become an instructor. The key aspect of the training is collaboration on several levels: Document sharing: lesson plans, instruction activities, materials for workshop, research guides, and faculty input are constantly shared. Reference transaction discussion: through regular meetings, reference questions are analyzed in order to understand students’ needs and to make the instructional offer more effective. Participating in an Advanced Composition class: attendance at a course is paramount to better understand the dynamics of teaching, to tailor the instructional offer and to bolster the cooperation with faculty, which can further contribute to the training. The poster will present the trainee perspective and feedback.