Schaffner's Library Instruction

In addition to providing research assistance to individuals, we offer library instruction sessions for classes meeting on the Chicago and Loop Campuses. We invite you to contact us at (312) 503-8422 if you will be requiring your class to use any of the following information resources and research techniques:

• Locating information about a person, place, event, issue, institution, idea or object
• Accessing statistics, government documents or other primary sources
• Finding book or film reviews
• Distinguishing between popular and scholarly treatments of a subject
• Tracing the path of a theory or discovery through scholarly literature

The best time to schedule a library instruction session is just as students are beginning a project that requires the use of information resources. Students appreciate the immediate relevancy to the task at hand, and are more likely to recall useful research strategies. Non-traditional students especially appreciate the opportunity to meet with a librarian who can assist in alleviating their library and research anxiety. Many non-traditional students have not done any library research in some time, and are apprehensive about their online research skills. Library research instruction sessions help students to complete their assignments more efficiently and effectively.

• Librarians are available to meet with your class Monday - Thursday evenings, and Saturdays as well.
• Sessions are also available to distance education courses.
• We ask for at least one week's notice when scheduling a session with a librarian. We take time to discuss your assignment with you, and create a customized presentation based on the needs of your class.
• Sessions usually last about an hour, and many instructors prefer to schedule them at the beginning of class.

During the course of our presentation, we usually focus on how to locate one or more of the following:

• Books at Northwestern University Libraries and beyond
• Articles in scholarly and popular journals (and how to tell the difference)
• Relevant and authoritative online resources

A complete list of Northwestern University Libraries online resources is available on our Electronic Resources [1] page.

Research guides for specific subjects are available:

• Research Guides by Subject [2] (SCS)
• Business and Management Resources [3]