Librarians' experiences of the teaching role

A Canadian national survey of library staff involved in instructional work recently found that one third of those staff see the instructional element of their work as a duty or expectation, while a small proportion view it as an imposition.The study found that

substantial barriers exist in the form of external challenges over which library staff have little control (e.g. difficult administrative environments, challenges posed by ever evolving technology, and difficult users), and the intrapersonal challenges experienced as a result of personal characteristics and a perceived lack of preparation for the teaching role.

You can read more about the findings and the recommendations at

Julien, H. and Genuis, S.K. (2011) 'Librarians' experiences of the teaching role: A national survey of librarians', Library & Information Science Research, 33(2), pp. 103-111. doi:10.1016/j.lisr.2010.09.005

First EDU-LIB meeting

The first EDU-LIB meeting will be held at 10.30am on Tuesday 31st May 2011 at the Glucksman Library, University of Limerick. This initial gathering will function as an informal opportunity for librarians who teach to get together, to share teaching tips and experiences and to discuss how teaching demands are changing the nature of their day-to-day work.
If you are interested in sharing any aspect of your teaching experience and in discussing the impact of the teaching role on library services, then please join us.

AGENDA

10.30 Welcome and Introduction

10.45 Three minute introductions from participants

11.15 Discussion: Librarian as Educator

12.30 Future EDU-LIB meetings