The Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) provides a forum for discussion of activities, programs and problems of instruction in the use of libraries or information literacy; 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 instruction in the use of libraries.
TxLA’s Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) Summit is a virtual, one-day conference on library and information literacy instruction topics in academic, public, school, or special libraries. Attendees will interact with other library instruction enthusiasts and learn from one another in a collaborative, intimate, low-stress environment. All interested in library instruction and information literacy are welcome to attend and apply to present. You do not have to be a member of TLA or LIRT. This year’s summit will occur on Friday, October 11, 2024, via MS Teams.
Cost: $30.00 for members and $45.00 for non-members.
Welcome!
9am-10am: Discussion on all aspects of instruction
Room A 10am "Take Me to Your Reader: Artificial Intelligence in the School Library Instruction"
Dr. Misty Shattle, Jaimie Ridley, and Jesse Javillonar
The release of ChatGPT in November 2022 sent shockwaves through K-12 schools. Although artificial intelligence as a tool excited some, it terrified others causing many school districts to ban its use. In the year and a half since the release of ChatGPT, a plethora of AI platforms have been released. During this time, schools have begun to integrate these tools into their academic tool kit. As school librarians begin to explore these tools, they are discovering new and creative ways to embrace the platforms and integrate them into their library program. This presentation will highlight some of the AI platforms available and how school librarians can utilize them to enhance school library instruction. Information accessibility, personalized learning, virtual librarian assistance, automated cataloging and organization, enhanced research skills, interactive learning materials, data-driven insights, support for diverse learners, professional development, enhanced collection tools, and presentation outlining and creation are topics that will be covered in this presentation.
Room B 10am "Beyond Boring: Teach Like a Teacher"
Laurie Bruns
Librarians are constantly teaching - through orientations, one-one-one sessions with students, or classroom settings! However, most of us are never taught to be teachers! Come learn about effective instruction from a former K-12 teacher turned Reference Librarian. I'll teach you easy ways to interact with your students and professors, so they stay engaged during your sessions. You'll get to experience collaborative and active learning, and I'll show you how to embed it within your own teaching! (I promise, we'll leave the cutesy school stuff behind!)
Room A 11am "Pirates, Puzzles, and Pathways: Gamifying Library Instruction for First-Year Success"
Katherine Hooker, Emily Thorpe
During the last four years, librarians at Southwestern University's Smith Library Center have dabbled in different forms of gamification for their undergraduate First Year Seminar library instruction. All incoming students receive a one-hour instruction that aims to orient them to our spaces and resources, while also providing them with a workable foundation in information literacy and library research skills. Rather than relying on the typical static lecture alone, SU librarians have integrated scavenger hunts, breakout kits, and digital escape games to enhance the first year student experience and deepen students’ understanding of crucial concepts. Gamified learning can be more interactive, engaging, surprising, and memorable, thus achieving the dual goal of making learning stick while also giving students a fun and palatable impression of their campus library. All library games were themed around the unique SU campus culture and mascot- the Pirates- and thus also increased students’ sense of belonging, a critical component of new student success and retention. Presenters Katherine and Emily will speak about the various games, discuss the pros and cons of each format, delve into tools and resources available to create these games, and make recommendations of how to successfully integrate games into your own library instruction plans.
Room A 12pm "Renew Your Passion for School Libraries: AI Tools for School Library Services"
Dr. Laura Sheneman, Dr. Jessica Thompson
In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents unprecedented opportunities for school librarians to enhance their roles as facilitators of knowledge and innovation within their communities. This presentation aims to equip school librarians with practical insights and strategies for harnessing AI technologies to streamline their daily tasks and elevate their services to students and teachers alike.
Room B 12pm "Really interact during library lessons with Nearpod"
Linda Gray
Are you having problems keeping your students engaged during library instruction? Are your students reluctant to speak out about what they are learning or need during a lesson? Are your supervisors asking for meaningful assessment regarding the success of instruction sessions? Nearpod is a web-based tool to create presentations that can include interactive slides, videos, and game-based learning activities. These can be in-person or asynchronous student-paced lessons. Nearpod encourages your students to enter answers if they don’t want to speak up in class, keeping them focused on your teaching and giving you feedback as the instructor. In addition, it offers reports on the lessons that you can share with teachers and use for assessment and statistics. Be ready with your own device with internet access to take part as a student in the sample lessons.
Room A 1pm "Harvesting the Instruction Power of AI through all Library Types"
Kimberly M. Gay
This workshop will showcase the committed effort to academic integrity through-out all levels of librarianship and the libraries that are served. The workshop will share new research and best practices for collaborative models in addressing student success across the spectrum of innovative curriculum instructional design technology on AI, plagiarism and academic integrity. Through building a culture of collaboration between librarians, teachers, faculty, ISD boards, State and National Level curriculum standards, academic affairs, this program will outline the best practices in instituting an AI Library Workshop that tackles the guidelines to support student success, from plagiarism challenges to library resources and services and academic integrity endeavors.
Room A 2pm "Overcoming Database Despair: Fostering Success When Students Do Research"
Collin Stephenson
In this presentation, we will discuss processes and strategies to increase information literacy engagement and research success on campus. The strategies can be applied to academic campuses, especially for undergraduate-underclassmen courses, or to public high schools. Using my own experiences and data, I will explore what's worked (and what really HASN'T worked) to take a high school campus from having 5,000 database queries to 200,000 database queries per year, and how my teammate and I have overhauled our research instruction for undergraduate core classes. Throughout the presentation, we will try to address the following questions:
1. How do I convince someone to collaborate with me?
2. How do I get students to participate with something as dense as research?
3. How do I know if I've been successful in teaching research skills?
4. How can I diversify my research instruction to meet differing student needs?
In addition to exploring those questions, audience members will gain access to sample materials that we have used on our campus for outreach and instruction.
Room A 3pm "Navigating Diversity in Generative AI Tools"
Marj Atkinson
In this lightning round presentation, we will explore the pivotal role librarians play in guiding patrons through the complexities of Generative AI, with a focus on diversity and inclusion. As these AI tools become increasingly integral to research and information retrieval, it's essential to understand the biases inherent in their development. This session will highlight key findings from systematic reviews that uncover these biases and offer strategies for librarians to educate patrons on using AI tools critically and responsibly. By fostering an awareness of DEI in AI, librarians can empower their communities to engage with these technologies thoughtfully and equitably. Learn practical approaches for integrating these considerations into your library instruction and support services.
Margaret Dawson / Chair 2024-25 | Lorely Ambriz / Past Chair 2023-24 | Hope Beyer Chair-Elect 2025-26 /Laurie Bruns / Secretary/Treasurer Joshua Wallace / Councilor | Linda Gray / Alternate Councilor
TAMUCT Committee: Margaret Dawson and Dawndrea Casey