Section Two: Library Orientation
Section 2: Library Orientation
Summary
Library orientation is an important precursor to IL teaching. This section includes:
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Library orientation: the key issues (p. 9)
Short orientation sessions (pp. 9-10)
Longer orientation sessions (pp. 10-12)
Interactivity – including the Cephalonian Method, Library Bingo and Library
Jeopardy (pp. 13-16).
Whilst many of the techniques covered elsewhere in the Handbook are relevant to
library orientation, this section gives specific advice on this area. If you are a Library
Operations Manager this section may be of particular interest, or if you are a new
Subject Librarian you should find this material helpful when planning your first
orientation sessions. If you already have substantial experience of delivering library
orientation, you may be interested in the suggestions for incorporating interactivity at
the end of the section.
Library orientation: the key issues
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The aim of library orientation is to inform students about the services provided
by ULS and when, where and how these can be accessed
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Library orientation should always be offered with the agreement of the course
co-ordinator and you should check with the School’s disability contact to
ensure that the needs of any disabled students can be met
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Library orientation is typically the first contact a new student will have with a
member of library staff. For this reason, it is vital that students leave the
session with a positive impression of the library and its inhabitants!
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The timing of a library orientation session is crucial. Although it is sometimes
difficult, try to negotiate with the School to arrange a slot which is timely and
of a suitable duration.
A short orientation, e.g. at the start of the first semester
If you are allocated a slot at the very start of semester (possibly within a wider School
induction event), don’t be tempted to overload students with detailed information: a
precise run-down of borrowing entitlements, detailed Voyager demonstrations and
information on the number of photocopiers in the library will overwhelm. Students
are bombarded with new information at this time and will find it impossible to take all
this in!
Keep it friendly, relevant and short. Give a good first impression by being welcoming
and approachable; students should feel positive about contacting you when they
require help.
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Section Two: Library Orientation
Keep the learning outcomes modest and give basic information only. Give relevant
handouts such as the library site guide and Voyager guide which students can read
in their own time.
Suggested content
Elements could include:
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The location of the library and opening hours
How to understand a reading list and find the items on it
Where the library IT rooms can be found
Accessing library resources and email via the MWE
At this stage, students’ requirements may well be more IT- than library-related: check
with the School to find out if an IT representative has already covered the key points
below, or will be doing so imminently. If not, consider addressing these yourself:

How to access the internet to email home (students may not be registered to
use the network yet, and provisions are made annually for international
students to access the internet prior to registration)
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How to log on to the network and also the MWE, for on- and off-campus
access
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Where to go to hire a laptop
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How to access Cardiff University E-learning (Blackboard)
Check if there are any questions before you finish. If you cannot provide an
immediate answer, offer to pass a response via the course organiser or, if you have
instructor access, post a message on Blackboard.
If you are allocated a short orientation slot, try to negotiate an additional session
nearer to an assignment deadline at which more detail can be given.
A longer orientation, e.g. near the first assignment deadline
Library orientation should ideally take place at the point of need, i.e. when the first
assignment has been set and students need to make use of the library and its
resources. This might take the form of a slot within a compulsory ‘study skills’
module in the first semester.
At this point, students will be starting to think seriously about study and are likely to
be more receptive to what you have to say. The lesson plan can be more ambitious;
by the end of the session students might be expected to be able to:
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Find library buildings and services
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Recognise different material formats (book / journal / photocopy / other
specialist types)
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Locate these materials in the library
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Use Voyager to find materials from their reading list
Handbook for Information Literacy Teaching: July 2009
Section Two: Library Orientation
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Borrow, reserve, renew and return material and manage their Voyager
account
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Show awareness of the existence of electronic books and electronic journals
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Show awareness of photocopying / scanning / printing facilities and the laws
associated with their use
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Observe library regulations relating to responsible and safe conduct in library
buildings
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Show awareness of the availability of services for disabled users and know
how to access / arrange these if required.
Suggested content
Elements could include:
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Cardiff University libraries
o concept of the home library and other libraries
o opening hours *
o other instruction / training offered
o availability of help from service points
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Your University I.D. card
o how to get it if not yet received
o your library barcode number
o responsibility for the material borrowed on it – report loss immediately
o only you can borrow material against the card
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Voyager demonstration and / or practice exercise
o understanding a reading list
o keyword, author browse, title, journal search options
o electronic resources available via Voyager
o online renewals and reservations
o viewing your library account
o point out that library communications will be sent to University email
addresses
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Material types and their locations
o short loan, main, reference, special collections, journals, folios
o purpose of classification and filing order of classmarks
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Borrowing
o procedure (including self issue where applicable)
o loan periods
o charges for overdues *
o regulations
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Section Two: Library Orientation
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Printing and photocopying / scanning
o how to use *
o networked payment account for printing and photocopying
o awareness of copyright law *
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Studying
o different types of study area e.g. silent, quiet, group discussion (and
booking procedures for group study)
o availability of laptop points, wireless network points
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Information Technology
o locations
o logging in procedures
o accessing the MWE
o understanding passwords
o sources of help and training
o availability of Wireless network
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Safe and responsible use of the library
o where eating and drinking are permitted
o noise (mobile phones, personal stereos)
o care of personal valuables
o location of fire alarms and exits
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Availability of facilities and services for disabled users
o extended loan periods
o book fetching service
o software to assist with grammar and spelling and visual impairments
o hardware to assist with mobility impairments
o whom to contact to arrange or access the above services
* Points marked with an asterisk might be best conveyed by referring to printed or
online guides rather than by verbal recitation!
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Section Two: Library Orientation
Interactivity in library orientation
A more detailed, timely library orientation needs to sustain interest and students
should be enthused by the experience! You may find it beneficial to engage students
in some kind of activity.
Using the Cephalonian Method for library orientation
Case study 2
I’ve been using the Cephalonian Method for my first year undergraduate library
inductions. It makes the presentations a lot more interactive, interesting, humorous
and attention-grabbing – for the student as well as the librarian. It puts the fun back
into inductions and motivates the Subject Librarian again, increasing the students’
willingness to participate in future information literacy sessions. Use background
music, colour-coded cards with questions about available information services and
lively presentations to introduce INSRV to the students – I can highly recommend it!
Sonja Haerkoenen, Arts and Social Studies Library
For further information see:
Morgan, N. and Davies, L. 2004. Innovative induction: introducing the Cephalonian
Method. SCONUL Focus, 32, pp. 4-8.
Cephalonian Method
This is a world-famous method of library orientation, invented at Cardiff University. If
you feel inspired to try it, here’s how:
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Organise your orientation material into themed areas such as ‘Finding reading
list items’, ‘Facilities and services’ and ‘Miscellaneous information’
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Devise a series of questions for each theme and prepare an answer slide for
each question
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Colour-code your answer slides using a different colour for each theme, and
produce coloured laminated question cards to match
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Section Two: Library Orientation
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Hand the cards randomly to students as they arrive. Print the colour on the
card to avoid excluding students with colour perception impairments.
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Work through your colour-coded themes inviting your audience to deliver their
assigned questions. For each question, select the corresponding PowerPoint
slide. Bear in mind that you will not know the order in which the questions will
be asked within each section.
For examples of typical Cephalonian Method slides, see Example 1, p. 99.
Alternatively, a link to a complete Cephalonian orientation presentation can be found
on the INSRV IL web page.
HILT Pick
Why not try combining the Cephalonian Method
with ‘clickers’ technology for students to vote on
answers to questions? This will involve your
audience to an even greater extent!
Library Bingo
Pioneered by Andy Jackson (University of Dundee)1, this is another way of
confounding students’ expectation that they have just arrived at a ‘boring library talk’.
How to play:
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Give each pair (or small group) of students a blank ‘bingo card’. This will
have a grid of, say, 6 empty boxes printed on it.
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Ask each pair to write in the boxes six services or resources they think the
library provides
1
Jackson, A. 2007. Are we having fun yet? Interactive lecturing techniques for librarians.
ALISS Quarterly 2(4), pp. 35-39.
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Section Two: Library Orientation
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Begin the bingo session by calling out items from a prepared list of library
services, e.g. ‘Printing & Photocopying’, ‘Borrowing Books’ and ‘Getting Help’.
Ask the students to strike off items whenever they have a good match. After
you call each item, give an explanation of that service or resource. You may
call from your list at random for a true ‘bingo hall’ experience or follow the
more measured advice of Andy Jackson:
to sustain this process, the presenter should start with less ‘guessable’
resources (e.g. thesis binding, self-issue) at the beginning, with featured
resources becoming more general in nature (e.g. books, photocopying
facilities) towards the end.2
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A prize could be awarded for the first group to cross off all the items on their
bingo card
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Round off the game by asking the remaining students to call out any other
services they had entered on their cards. Explain whether these are offered
and, if not, why this is so. This is a great way of starting a dialogue about the
purpose of the library and its services.
Jeopardy
Library Jeopardy is a variation on a US TV quiz show and was developed by library
instructors at Georgia State University Library3. It is also extensively used by Billie E.
Walker4 at Penn State University.
How does Library Jeopardy work?
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The instructor creates a bank of questions and answers, grouping them under
various categories with one of a range of notional ‘prize values’ attached to
each question.
Image provided by Nichole Berry, Reference Librarian, Collin College, Texas.
2
Ibid, p. 36.
3
Leach, G. J. and Sugarman, T. S. 2005. Play to win! Using games in library instruction to
enhance student learning. Research Strategies 20(3), pp. 191-203.
4
Walker, B. E. 2008. This is jeopardy! An exciting approach to learning in library instruction.
Reference Services Review 36(4), pp. 381-388.
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Section Two: Library Orientation
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The category grid is shown on the projector screen and teams of 3 or 4
students take turns to select a category, e.g. Citation basics, and a prize
value
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In each case, the instructor reads out the corresponding question giving the
team a set time in which to answer. The answer is then displayed on the
screen and discussed / illustrated as required.
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If the team gives a correct answer, they are awarded points according to the
prize value of the question. If they get the answer wrong, these points are
deducted from their score.
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The next team is invited to choose a category and prize value, and so on until
the questions have all been covered
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A prize of some kind could be awarded to the winning team.
Library Jeopardy can be used in other contexts. Why not try it to test understanding
at the end of a session covering search techniques and databases?
Other suggestions
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Hold an open discussion: for small groups, try initiating a discussion at the
start of the session by asking students what they expect from the library
service
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Invite written questions: for larger classes, leave cards and pens around
the room. Ask students to form groups and to come up with an appropriate
question, then ask as many groups as possible to read out their suggestions.
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Audience Response Technology (aka ‘clickers’): if you are feeling slightly
more adventurous, why not consider giving ‘clickers’ a try? This enables you
to pose questions to your audience which they can answer electronically via
handheld devices. Instantaneous feedback is delivered to your PC and hence
the projector screen! (See Section 5: Teaching Technologies, pp. 39- 40 for
further information.)
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Alternatively try the Ready Steady Cook approach if technology is
unavailable. Give your audience sets of coloured or labelled cards which can
be held up in response to the questions you have prepared. You could use a
PowerPoint slide to present the question and the available options.
For example:
Students will hopefully hold up the card labelled ‘C’ in response. This can be
a useful way of gauging student understanding.
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Section Two: Library Orientation
What next?
Library orientation is the start of what should be a rewarding relationship between
students and the library. In consultation with the School, follow this up with more indepth IL training. Your aim should be to equip students with the full range of skills
they need to get the best out of the library and its resources throughout the course of
their studies.
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