Presented at LILAC 2017

1. CULTIVATE THE GROUND
BEFORE THE PLANT
Developing an organic environment for
implementing successful information
literacy training
Ai Gooch & Esther Wilkinson

2.  Background
 Case study: working with
Essex Business School
 What we learnt
 Future aspirations
WHAT WE’RE GOING TO
TALK ABOUT

3. THE
BACKGROUND…

4.  Arrival of new Director of
Library Services at Essex
in June 2015
 New Library Services
strategy in June 2016
 Library Services
reorganisation, including
new post of Student
Engagement & Learning
Support Manager
IT STARTED WITH…

5. RE-VAMPING OUR IL TRAINING

6. TREASURE HUNTS
WE REPLACED OUR TRADITIONAL-STYLE LIBRARY
INDUCTION TOURS FOR NEW STUDENTS WITH:
STUDENT AMBASSADOR-LED TOURS
SELF-GUIDED VIDEO TOURS

7. NEW LIBRARY INDUCTIONS

8. NEW TOOLS AND APPROACHES
WE ALSO STARTED USING
CLASSROOM-BASED IL SESSIONS
IN OUR

9. NEW TOOLS / APPROACHES
TO TEACHING IL

10. COLLABORATION

11. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

12. THE STORY OF ESSEX BUSINESS SCHOOL & LIBRARY
CASE STUDY

13. PROLOGUE
HOW IT ALL STARTED

14. I KNEW NOTHING …

15.  Researched
organisational
chart
 Informal interview
 Follow up with a
prototype of an
online resource
 Tailored using
feedback
IT STARTED SMALL…

16. GROWING
COLLABORATIONS

17.  More online resources
 Reading list training for academic staff
 Workshops for students
 Module-embedded sessions
 Drop-in sessions
 Exam preparation events
 An online student community
GROWING COLLABORATIONS

18. Works
hops
EVE
NTS
Onli
ne
reso
urce
s
VALUE OF INFORMAL CHAT
Blah blah blah
What are you
talking about?

19. FIND A STUDY
BUDDY PROJECT

20. AGAIN WITH A CHAT
EBS
Wanted to
promote peer
learning &
considering
creating a
student
communityy
Library
Interested in
supporting
students
learning
environment

21. ORGANIC GROWTH …
EBS
LIBRARYTEL
STUDENT
SUPPORT
ITS
TDC

22. Pulled in various
peer mentors and
student
ambassadors to
lead the online
community
STUDENT-LED

23. WAITING IS PAINFUL

24. FINALLY …

25.  The first
impression of the
library
 Did the first
impression change
after working
together?
 Pros and cons of
working with the
library
 Any advice for
librarians?
EBS PERSPECTIVES
Dr Samer Gharib
Academic Skills Officer @
EBS Learning Team
https://youtu.be/5vke-JW8a3g

26.  Value of informal conversations
 Be concrete
 Be patient
 Be ready to listen and help out with
wider projects
LESSONS

27. FUTURE ASPIRATIONS

28.  Continue to collaborate with the
University’s Academic Skills & TEL
Teams and the Essex Business School
 Develop our relationship with other
academic departments
 Get IL skills training embedded into the
core curriculum for all undergraduate
and taught postgraduate courses
WE’RE HOPING TO…

29. ANY QUESTIONS?

30. Ai Gooch
aito@essex.ac.uk
Esther Wilkinson
ewilkin@essex.ac.uk
OUR CONTACT DETAILS