Reinventing information literacy
instruction through experimentation
and play
Jemima McDonald &
Sophie McDonald
UTS Library
lib.uts.edu.au
@jemimaeve @misssophiemac

Where we were
Scary anonymous library
Stern shushing librarians
Sit down and face front classes
The walled garden
Wordy webpages are woeful
The B word
Image credit: Young Woman Sleeping On A Pile Of Books. Photography.Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 2
Nov 2011. http://quest.eb.com/media/image.htm?mediaId=154_2887017

What changed
Library of the future
Staff encouraged to
experiment with new ways of
thinking and doing things in
preparation for our Library of
the Future. Plan to move in
2016. Leading to cultural
change.
Web 2.0
New tools and ways of
engaging with information has
changed the way our clients
find, use, create and share
information. Leading to
changed needs and
expectations of our clients.

Info lit changes
More expansive view of information literacy
Delivered in non-traditional ways e.g. via social
media and blogs
Screencasts for interactive online support
Simplify the language, structure & content of
the class (more hands on)
More in line with what/how students are using
their own searching tools e.g. Google Scholar
Use basic search interface in databases
Gaming elements
Quizzes
No more B word (at least not to undergrads)
Use of web tools into classes

Cultural change
Pirate hat Wednesday
Planning day
Edible books
Sustainability
Engagement
Forum
Yammer

Collaboration
Image: Cell Biology student posters displayed in the library
Work with student support units to: Work with Faculty to:
• Deliver IL • Showcase student work
• Feedback on what students need • Joint projects
• Events library staff can be involved in

What we’re doing
Face to face classes
Faculty workshops
Power sessions for staff
Game-based learning
Online support
Instant chat
Study Skills
YouTube screencasts
Just in time learning
Flexible delivery
Mobile support
QR codes
Promoting IL via social media
Focus on First Year Experience
Focus on Research students and ECR

Information Literacy f2f classes
Optional classes
• Orientation program
• Intro to Library research - Xtranorml quiz
http://youtu.be/Q4rU4_LhZmA
• Classes in Chinese: library research
&referencing
• Referencing: how to reference using Harvard
UTS style
• Mobile searching: finding information via
UTS Library mobile website, apps to help with
study/teaching/research
• Google Skills 1 and 2: including Google
Scholar, RSS feeds using Google Reader and
iGoogle

Information Literacy f2f classes
Optional classes
• Collaborative tools: using Diigo and Google Docs
• Finding images: creative commons licensing,
educational use and reusing images correctly
• Advanced database searching: including
mindmapping
• Finding statistics for Sciences and Social Sciences
• Make me famous: how to publish more
strategically by using ERA journal lists, impact
factors and maximise your impact by using the h-
index and other measures
• Get connected: how to use databases and social
media to connect with other researchers and share
your research

f2f Faculty classes
Organised by librarian and Faculty member
• Treasure hunts
• In lecture demonstrations
• Embedded information literacy instruction in
subject
• Embedded Library support in the uni Learning
Management System (LMS)
• Power sessions for staff
• Proactive approach to seeing opportunities for IL
• Design students “Amazing race”

Evaluating the fun
Informal:
• Are people paying attention?
• Lots of positive feedback after the
class “You guys give the most
wonderful workshops!”
• Feedback from interactions with
students in classes, Research Help Desk
Formal:
• Evaluation form on the library website
• 2 Question Survey each month
(Jemima anecdote)

Break time

Fun day
Why?
• First year experience
• Engagement
• Library is fun!
Games:
• Online quiz
• Murder mystery
• Perfect paper plane
• Treasure hunt
• Technology petting zoo
• Kinect
• XBox
• Sausage sizzle
• Librarian or not
• Face painting
• Photo caption competition
• Rogues gallery

Treasure hunts
Treasure hunts using QR codes
Nursing treasure hunts
Scavenger hunt apps
Online treasure hunt
Lesson: f2f treasure hunts more
successful

Screencasting
• Increase coverage of online tutorials
• Available for revision after class is over
• Specialised for academic staff to embed in LMS
• Introduced interactivity/quizzes
• InfoSkills Bank
• Youtube
• Embedr
• Trying different software
• Goal is to teach all information services staff
how to create screencasts

QR codes
Started using them in 2009
Using them on
posters, bookmarks, brochures to
link to online content and
competitions
Using them in the library to link to
instructional and informative
video via YouTube
Recently usage went through the
roof when we introduced ‘flush
ads’ with QR codes. That is back of
toilet door promos
Used them for Fun Day treasure
hunt to deliver clues
Usage is increasing along with
awareness and usage of our

YouTube
Started in 2009 with the Lib:flicks competition
Now have over 43,000 views with 20,000 of those for
one video
We have video tours of the library, instructional
videos, student and staff videos about their vision of
the library of the future, competition winners and
events
We link to YouTube videos via our website, library
news, Facebook and Twitter sites, and QR codes
Library staff are encouraged to create content
Benefits: accessible on all newer mobile devices,
easily embedded in website, LMS and shared on social
networks

Facebook
Started in 2009. Created a social media
policy, staff awareness and training.
Took at least a year to build up a strong
online community. Now have over 1400
Likes and over 5000 check ins. 1300
monthly active users
Library news feeds through
automatically. Also share links, tips,
vodcasts, workshops, competitions and
photos
People like and comment on our
updates, ask questions, make
suggestions
Web stats show Facebook is the highest
external referrer to our website after
Google
Facebook quiz

Facebook
Photo captioning comp during orientation

Twitter
Started in 2009
Not as popular as Facebook for
our community – over 1000
followers
Follow what people are saying
about us and respond directly
Watching official mentions
@utslibrary or uts library or
event hashtags
People checkin on Foursquare
Encouraging staff to tweet
from library events and
conferences to share
information with colleagues
outside the room – Global
reach

Flickr
Showing human face of library
Visual history
Engagement
Sharing
Competitions
Transparency

Blogs: Culture of reading
Encourage reading
Communication skills
Academic language
Indigenous Reading Group
Fortnightly Reading Group

Blogs: Research support
Save me time
Make me famous
Writing group for researchers
Diigo group for sharing links
Vodcasts of Research Week
Promoted via Facebook and
Twitter
Research tools & data

Research Week 2011
Collaboration with support staff
from across the university
Developed new workshops with
needs of researchers in mind
Expertise development for library
staff
Stronger ties with research
community
Blogging, tweeting all week
Vodcasts available

Research Week workshops

Mobile
Mobile Library website, catalogue with location
maps, room bookings, PC availability, subject
resources
Increase in people wanting to know how to use
tablets for study, teaching, research
Developing mobile literacy for clients and staff
by running mobile searching workshops and
staff mobile learning program
Delivering mobile friendly IL support via
YouTube, Facebook and Twitter
Testing mobile databases
Major projects for our Library of the Future:
RFID and library retrieval system (LRS) – we
MUST be mobile ready

What next?
Study Skills launch
Managing a large load of classes
More formal evaluation of IL over time
Embed Study Skills into UTS Online (LMS)
More game based learning investigating
new software
Mobile learning
Continue to
listen, watch, learn, experiment, play, desi
gn, implement and evaluate

Take aways
Information literacy has a huge role in the
future of libraries
As long as we consider the whole
information world of our clients and not
take a narrow view
We must consider digital and mobile
literacy
We must be engaged with our clients and
learn new skills to support them
We must promote what we do – where
they’ll hear it!

Questions?
Thanks!
And a huge thanks to all the UTS Library staff
who have worked so hard to make all these
wonderful things happen
Jemima McDonald &
Sophie McDonald
UTS Library
lib.uts.edu.au
Jemima.McDonald@uts.edu.au
@jemimaeve
Sophie.McDonald@uts.edu.au
@misssophiemac