Instruction Support Services

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The NCSU Libraries can provide research assistance to your classes, either in D.H. Hill or in your own classroom. We offer a selection of instruction plans to meet your needs:

• Beginning the Research Process

  Preparation

  Students should have a research project to work on and should have at least tentatively selected a topic.

  Session description

  Librarians will give students an overview of the NCSU Libraries' spaces, collections and services. Students will learn how to select a topic appropriate in scope to their assignment. They will learn how to evaluate different information sources and choose the appropriate resources for their assignments. Discussion will cover how library resources differ from the free Internet and the prudent use of Wikipedia in academic research. Librarians will explain the differences between information found online, in books, and in popular, trade and scholarly publications. Students will use their preliminary research to pick out search terms and time will be reserved to test those search terms in the library catalog and Summon article search engine.

• Searching for Books and Articles

  Preparation

  Students will have chosen a research topic, done some preliminary research to assess whether there is enough information available to pursue the topic, and brainstormed keywords based on initial research. They will also have covered LOBO sections "Defining your Research Needs" and "Evaluating Resources."

  Session Description

  Students will get a brief overview of the NCSU Libraries' spaces, collections and services. By the end of the session, they will understand the differences between information found online, in books, and in popular, trade and scholarly publications. They should be able to evaluate different information sources and choose the appropriate resources for their assignments. In guided practice, they will use the library catalog to find books and Summon to find articles, refine their search strategy and gather new search terms.

• Advanced Topics

  Intended for courses in the major, this session will help students explore disciplinary research sources and develop research strategies. A subject specialist librarian will contact you to schedule and plan your session.

• DH Hill Mobile Scavenger Hunt

  (ENG 101 only)

  Preparation

  None

  Session Description

  The D.H. Hill Mobile Scavenger Hunt is a fun and active way to introduce students to the sometimes overwhelming library. Students will be grouped into teams; each team is given an iPod touch and 25 minutes to navigate the Libraries' physical and virtual spaces in order to answer questions about the resources and services critical to their academic success. By the end of the activity, students should have successfully located a book in the stacks, introduced themselves to a reference librarian, and used the Libraries' website to locate a journal.

  More information about the Mobile Scavenger Hunt