LIRT (Library Instruction Round Table)

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The mission of the Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) is to provide a forum for discussion of activities, programs, and problems of instruction in the use of libraries; to contribute to the education and training of librarians for library instruction; to promote instruction in the use of libraries as an essential library service, and to serve as a channel of communication on library instruction between the ALA divisions, ALA and ACRL committees, state clearinghouses, Project LOEX, other organizations concerned with instruction in the use of libraries, and members of the Association.

Learn more about LIRT on the ALA website.

Free Information Literacy Webinars in July

  • 1.  Free Information Literacy Webinars in July

    Posted 20 days ago

    All are invited to attend the following upcoming webinars, being offered as part of the Teaching Information Literacy webinar series.  

    Starting with Writing Studies to Initiate Library-Led Faculty Development

    July 13, 2026
    12:00-1:00 (Eastern)
    To register: https://go.osu.edu/writingfacdev
    Presenters: Kendall Morgan, Darci Thoune, and Shannon McClellan Brooks, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

    Partnerships between libraries and first-year writing have long been central to information literacy instruction. These collaborations take many forms, from one-shots to more embedded models. As faculty development or "train the trainer" approaches to information literacy integration gain traction, this workshop examines how these relationships can serve as a strong foundation for librarians launching instructor development opportunities on their campus. Participants will learn how a year-long pilot collaboration between a first-year writing program and a librarian revealed points of intersection and difference in disciplinary discourse, which helped shape what train-the-trainer initiatives on their campus might look like.

    Search and Find: How Cataloging Supports Information Literacy

    July 15, 2026
    12:00-1:00 pm (Eastern)
    To register: https://go.osu.edu/catalogingil
    Presenter: Rocki Strader, Catalog/Authorities Librarian, The Ohio State University

    A key component of most information literacy instruction focuses on how to help learners find and access information. While teaching librarians are often proficient in teaching search strategies and keywords, learners' ability to actually find materials is also significantly impacted by the "behind the scenes" work of catalogers. In this interactive webinar, a cataloger will outline some of the key intersections between information literacy and cataloging. Teaching librarians will gain a deeper understanding of the elements that make search strategies work, and catalogers will see how their work affects learners' success.

    When Faculty Are Our Students:​ Exploring the Integration of Information Literacy After a Faculty Development Workshop

    July 20, 2026
    12:00-1:00 pm (Eastern)
    To register: https://go.osu.edu/facultystudentssu26

    Many instructors expect that students will develop and demonstrate their information literacy through research assignments but are often frustrated with the results, because students (as novices) may be unfamiliar with disciplinary jargon and conventions that are mostly implicit to instructors (as disciplinary experts). Academic librarians have sought to bridge this gap by providing instruction directly to students, with mixed results. An alternative method, in which librarians offer professional development programming to teach the teachers how to integrate information literacy, is gaining increased attention, although assessment of the efficacy of these efforts is still limited. Our presentation explores if this kind of library-led instructor development programming is effective for integrating information literacy into courses and/or curricula. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine participants from a formal library-led instructor development program. In the presentation, we will share initial results from our study and discuss the implications for how we approach the goal of supporting the integration of information literacy into the curriculum.

    You are also welcome to attend the following webinar, being offered by the Meaningful Inquiry program.

    Leveraging Librarian Faculty Partnerships to Demystify the Scholarly Conversation

    July 28, 2026
    12:00-1:00 pm (Eastern)
    To register: https://go.osu.edu/leveragingsu26

    The ACRL Information Literacy Frame of the Scholarly Conversation can often be tricky to teach, particularly to first-year undergraduates without much exposure to disciplinary fields and activities. Many of the associated knowledge practices and dispositions require decoding the hidden curriculum to understand the practice of scholarship. Through close partnership and collaboration, a librarian and Writing Program faculty member at Boston University have turned to the metaphor of the Burkean Parlor to demystify the concept of the scholarly conversation for undergraduate students embarking on their first research project. The presenters will share the Burkean Parlor activity and assignment they developed and student-created artifacts reflecting their learning. Participants will consider how they can incorporate this framing into their own instruction practice - whether as librarians or faculty - and how the activities might be adjusted depending on the depth of faculty-librarian collaboration.



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    Jane Hammons
    Head of Teaching & Learning
    The Ohio State University
    hammons.73@osu.edu
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