Library Instruction Policies

Any CSUSB instructor may request a library instruction session; please use the Library Instruction Request Form. Requests must be made at least one week in advance of the desired session time. Instruction sessions are taught by a CSUSB librarian. The sessions last about an hour, and they are always customized to the needs of your class assignment.

Instructors are expected to attend the library instruction sessions they schedule or to make arrangements for a TA or a substitute instructor to accompany the class. When instructors are absent, students frequently do not show up or only show up for a few minutes in order to get their name on a sign-up sheet.

At this time, we are unable to schedule instruction sessions for University Studies, ENG 085, and ENG 095. The Reference Department developed OLLIE, the library's online tutorial, as an alternative for these classes. OLLIE is appropriate for any beginning-level library assignment, and may also be used as a "refresher" for upper-level courses. OLLIE may be assigned for credit; contact Bonnie Petry bpetry@csusb.edu to register your class so that we can provide your students' test scores.

We also offer a selection of librarian-prepared materials for Teaching Library Skills.

The Library Instruction Coordinator is Barbara Quarton bquarton@csusb.edu, x77553.

Library Instruction Rooms

Most sessions meet in one of the library's two computer classrooms. PL-2005 seats 24 students, and PL-5005 seats 16. If your class is large, we would need to make other arrangements, either by splitting the group into two sessions or by meeting the group in a smart classroom (i.e., with Internet connection and projector) outside the library.

The PL-2005 and PL-5005 classrooms are reserved for librarian-led instruction sessions, librarian professional development sessions, and library administration use. Any other use of these classrooms must be authorized by the Library Director or the Library Instruction Coordinator.

Instruction for Off-Campus Groups

We do not give guided tours of the library; only instruction sessions based on an assignment. The library will schedule instruction sessions for groups from outside CSUSB under the following conditions:

• The group must be high-school level. Grades lower than high school may quietly walk through the library, but we do not provide library instruction for those groups. Please keep in mind that the library's target audience is college students and faculty; most of our resources are not suitable for use by children.



• Requests for instruction for high-school students must be made in writing/via email at least one week in advance and must include a copy of the students' research assignment. No schedule request is final until the Instruction Coordinator has sent a confirmation email to the requester.



• The instruction must be immediately applied to a practical task. Students must come with their research assignment and should be given sufficient time to successfully complete the assignment during their library visit.



• There must be at least two adult teachers/chaperones for every 25 students. (Please note that our largest classroom comfortably seats only 24 students.)

We respectfully ask that you consider the limitations of our services before bringing large groups of students into the library, even if you are not requesting an instruction session. The sudden presence of a large group all working on the same task can put a severe strain on the availability of our public-access research terminals and on our ability to provide assistance at the Reference Desk.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Instruction Room PL-2005 offers several adaptations for students with disabilities:

• Two computer tables at the front of the room that can easily be moved and raised or lowered for users in wheelchairs.



• An accessible terminal with JAWS screen-reading software, ZoomText screen magnifier, and a trackball mouse with click-lock buttons. Headphones are available for use with the screen reader.



• A second terminal with ZoomText screen enlarger.

Instructors, please indicate when scheduling your session that you have a student or students needing accommodation.

Because an average library instruction session is intensively computer-based and fast-paced, users who rely on a screen reader may find it more productive to schedule a personal instruction session with one of our Reference Librarians, either in the library or in the campus Assistive Technology Center. Contact Barbara Quarton, Head of Reference, bquarton@csusb.edu or x77553, for more details.

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