Bringing the Library into Service: Understanding Service Learning |
12/11/2018
 1-2pm

Service learning is an educational approach that relies on combining traditional instruction with meaningful work or service in the community. This approach has become increasingly popular as institutions have discovered the value of having students become engaged citizens in their communities and learn by doing. Unfortunately, these initiatives often forget to include a key player on campus: the library.

Just because the final assessment is not in the form of an essay or a research project, it does not mean students will not need the library’s help. From helping students find information for their service projects to introducing topics such as information democratization and information privilege into the classroom, the library and the librarian can play a pivotal role in the service learning experience. There are plenty of benefits for the library and the librarian as well.

This webinar will explore different tried and true models of support the library can offer these initiatives. The models range in involvement and time commitment to suit librarians in all kinds of environments. From creating research guides and reading lists to in-class workshops and field visits, there is a sustainable way for the library to participate.

Participants will:

- Understand service learning and how it relates to the library.

- Discover different models of service learning support available to librarians and assess their suitability given the librarian's environment.

- Identify strategies for reaching out to those conducting service learning initiatives.

About the instructor: 
Marcela Y. Isuster, McGill University, Montreal. Marcela has been supporting community engagement and service learning at both teaching and research universities for over 5 years.