Library instruction request by visiting schools or groups

Department: Research Services

Procedure: Processing a Library Instruction Request from an Outside/Visiting School or Group

May 2018

Purpose: This procedure explains the process of processing a library instruction request from an outside/visiting (non-Valpo) school or group. The process begins with the receipt of the request and ends with the completion of the library instruction session. The requests will be received from the high school teacher/administrator via this public-facing webpage: http://library.valpo.edu/instruct/schoolrequest.php

Overview: The Christopher Center often receives requests from area schools to provide instruction for area students (usually high school) in using the Christopher Center Library. If a prior working relationship isn’t already established, the contact person at the Library should be the librarian with liaison duties for High School Student Outreach (please refer to http://library.valpo.edu/liaison.html).

Required Knowledge/Skills: The only knowledge needed beyond this procedure is to have an awareness of the availability of teaching classrooms CLR 261A or 261B.

Procedure:
Step 1:*Initial contact with the liaison librarian should be made via email, according to the public-facing webpage explaining the procedure: http://library.valpo.edu/instruct/schoolrequest.php. However, it is possible that the high school teacher/administrator might contact the liaison librarian via phone. If the initial contact is via the general contact email (library.services@valpo.edu), please refer the requester to the instructions on the public-facing webpage: http://library.valpo.edu/instruct/schoolrequest.php.*
Step 2:Once the email request is received, the liaison librarian should verify the nature of the request and the time requested.
*1) Check the Library Services calendar to verify that we are open http://library.valpo.edu/hours.html.*
2) Also check the general campus academic calendar http://www.valpo.edu/registrar/acadcalendars.php as we do not schedule instruction during midterms, the week prior to finals, nor finals. If the requester has requested dates that fall only during those restricted periods, the liaison librarian should respond immediately to the requester asking that they choose another date.
3) Check to see if either classroom CLR 261A or 261B are available for any of the date preferences. We do not schedule instruction during extremely busy Valpo-instruction times. If the request has been made for one of those times, the liaison librarian should respond immediately to the requester asking that they choose another time.
4) If one of the requested dates meets the time criteria and space availability, tentatively book the room via EMS.
Step 3:The liaison librarian with High School Student Outreach should plan to teach the session. However, in some instances, this librarian will not be available during the desired times for the session. Additionally, in rare circumstances, the liaison librarian might feel that the class and its assignment(s) would be served better by a librarian with particular subject responsibilities. In such a case, the liaison librarian should work with her/his appropriate colleagues to find a librarian to teach the class.
Step 4:The liaison librarian should email the requesting high school teacher/administrator, confirming the date and time of the instruction session. The reply should include the following information (adapt in your own language):
A thank you to the person for their school/organization’s interest in the library.
An explanation that you will be their main contact person within the library from now on until the end of the visit. (Note: if another librarian is covering the session, the liaison librarian should write to the requester and CC the librarian who will be doing the instruction, as a way of making an introduction.)
*Ask that any information not provided with the request be given as soon as possible, as per the public-facing webpage: http://library.valpo.edu/instruct/schoolrequest.php*
If the requester would like the students/visitors to receive free library cards, confirm with the Director of Research Services that this courtesy is still being provided. If it is, the librarian should work with the Circulation Managers to create the cards, providing them with the following information contact (provided in advance from the classroom teacher):
Each student’s name, address, email address, and phone number.
The contact librarian handling the visit should keep in contact with the requester, especially if waiting on more information (topics, contact info, etc.).
Step 5:On the day of the visit, the contact librarian should be ready to greet the visitors as they enter the Community Room and be available to them throughout the course of the visit. If others are to be involved, such as other librarians or Circulation Managers, the contact librarian should make plans with them prior to the visit.
Step 6:''' Following the visit and instruction session, the contact librarian should fill out the statistics form for the appropriate time academic time period https://www.intra.valpo.edu/library/formlinks.php. The contact librarian should also determine what, if any, follow-up or assessment should take place.