Libraries are all about learning, and this inspires everything we do.
In addition to the learning and teaching we practice and facilitate in our curated space, collections and in the way we do our work, we also offer more formal teaching in the form of:

Classes
One to One sessions   
Query Desk

The classes we offer are inspired by our sense of our role as teachers within DkIT. On this page you can read about our teaching philosophy, what we teach and classes. 
Please read the Library’s Teaching Philosophy to get a sense of our approach.

Library Teaching Philosophy
As a Library our role is to support and facilitate learning, education and knowledge creation.  We promote Information Literacy as defined by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL): a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”

This is expressed in ways as diverse as how we arrange the Library space, how we catalogue and make material accessible, how we curate collections and of course in our face to face dealings with readers. 

As a Library we believe learning happens when:

• We facilitate scholarly conversations – written or oral
• We assist in the socialization of learners into academic communities and spaces
• We create opportunities and spaces to critically engage with, and reflect on the Information Environment

We believe that learning happens best when we work together with learners and aim to be learner-centred in all our facilitation and teaching.  In our face to face classes and instruction we promote learning by asking learners to engage with, think about, inquire into the Information Landscape and by giving them time to practice and discover for themselves. 

In our teaching our goals are:

• To facilitate learners to discover the Information Context they operate in as both learners and citizens
• To empower learners to see themselves as, and to become, active creators of information and not just consumers
• To work with learners to develop and enhance the skills they need to operate and create in a scholarly context
• To promote critical thinking and questioning
• To use Threshold Concepts as a way to promote deeper understanding

In order to do this work we ask everyone in the Library to engage in professional development, to commit to learning, to develop our skills, explore new things and to reflect on our practice. 
We seek better ways of knowing our impact and whether we make a difference. Many of us who teach face to face will seek feedback from you. You are welcome to submit feedback to us at any time.
We also gather and analyse data to measure our impact.

In our work we are continually engaging with peers and other Libraries whose scholarship and practice inspires ours.  CELT and the many academics in DkIT who are engaged with teaching also inspire and influence our work.

We welcome partnerships with academics and opportunities where our mutual skills and approaches can assist learners.

You can read some of the individual Teaching Philosophies of Library Staff.

What Do We Teach?
In these classes we teach and focus on Information Literacy. Information Literacy is defined as a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information" (ACRL 2000).
Information Literacies are essential in navigating the way through information as a learner and citizen and in knowing how to create information that contributes to your discipline. They include knowledge of how to use the Library and its tools.  Information Literacy skills are not the same as computer literacies.  Information Literacy skills focus on skills to critically engage with, and create knowledge as a learner, reseracher, academic, citizen and decision maker.
Our approach to Informtion Literacy teaching is framed by over 20 years experience, our Library and Teaching Philosophy, our sense of DkIT’s approach to learning and research and our knowledge of contemporary information and pedagogical approaches.
For these reasons we are using the Association of College and Research Libraries’s Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (ACRL 2015). 
This approache uses Threshold Concepts as the recommended way to structure engagement, teaching and learning about Information Literacy. 
These concepts are:

• Authority Is Constructed and Contextual
• Information Creation as a Process
• Information Has Value
• Research as Inquiry
• Scholarship as Conversation
• Searching as Strategic Exploration

We are incorporating these in all of our classes.

Classes
Classes can be booked by any member staff or directly by students themselves. We can facilitate groups up to a maximum of 20 students in our Training Room in the Library.
The standard classes we offer are as follows: 
Tour: Tour of the Library's spaces with a brief description of some of our services. This is essential for all First Years. Please begin with this.  Tours are available in September (we may not be able to offer them later as usage is high and tours disturb others) so please book this first. 
First Steps: Designed for first-time users of the Library to assist learners new to finding, accessing and understanding academic information. Please read more and book now.
Next Steps in Scholarship: Tailored classes for progressing users of academic information in any year and delivered by your library subject team. Read more about our intended learning outcomes and book now.
Developing Your Research Skills: Classes aimed at those beginning research for dissertations and more in-depth work at level 8, 9 and 10. Read more and book now.
Harvard Referencing and Plagiarism: An introduction to the Harvard Referencing style used in DkIT with a focus on academic plagiarism. Read more and book now.
Mendeley Reference Manager: An introduction to the free Mendeley referencing manager and PDF organiser. Book now.
Drop Ins: These are Drop In Classes and held regularly. Read more here. Booking is not required.
One to One Classes: Book a customized session.
Bespoke Classes: We are happy to work with you on a bespoke intervention.
Mini Classes: 15 minute tutorials in your own classroom

Some Practical Information You Need To Know
Generally, sessions can be facilitated during term from Tuesday to Thursday between 9am and 5pm. Each session lasts about 40 minutes.
Training will be delivered preferably in the Library Training room, or you can organise a room and agree this with our teachers.  See our requirements for delivering a session below.  The Library Training Room has PCs and laptops for use there. Learners are also welcome to bring their own devices.
Like everything else learners needed time to unpack what they learn and for this reason we are unable to facilitate bookings for the same group/people on consecutive days or closely after each other.  Please read our Teaching Philosophy above for clarification.
The Library collects information on attendance for internal statistics and they are not available for any other purpose.

What We Need When We Teach in Terms of Space

Here is what we need to teach:

• Participants can log in to the internet
• Each student has access to a PC or a personal device
• Maximum participant number is 20 people
• A screen/projector and PC for instructor
• Area has a flexible layout
• A completed online booking request (using the appropriate link above)
• Space is given between the sessions for learners to reflect and absorb learning

References:
Association of College and Research Libraries. (2000). Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education [online]. Available from: https://alair.ala.org/handle/11213/7668?show=full [accessed 17 August 2017].

Association of College and Research Libraries. (2015). Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education [online]. Available from: http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework [accessed 17 August 2017].