Instruction & Workshops
The Libraries collaborate with campus and community partners in the creation of high-impact learning experiences that foster student information, media, data, and digital literacy. These partnerships may include courses, workshops series, customized learning objects, and embedded librarians in your courses.
Library faculty design and provide customized class sessions and workshops on a variety of topics related to information, media, data, and digital literacy.
Contact your subject specialist to request instruction for your course.
First-Year Writing and First-Year Communication instructors: use the Request Instruction Form to request a session. Please request instruction at least two weeks in advance to allow us time to plan with you. Questions? Contact the instruction team at library-instruction-g@vt.edu.
University Libraries offers three semester-long courses:
- ALS 1984: Introduction to Research Practices (also offered as an Honors course, UH 1604: Honors Research Practices) instructs students in the “behind the scenes” aspects of the research process, preparing them to conduct successful research studies. Course topics include literature searching, data management, building collaborations, ethical research conduct, and technical writing. A semester-long collaborative project on a research topic formulated by the group will be the lens through which these topics are explored and practiced. An active learning approach is used in which students engage in activities during the class period to practice the requisite skills and then apply those skills to their projects outside of class (3 credit hours).
- GRAD 5124: Research Skills for Graduate Students: This course helps graduate students understand the print and electronic library general and subject-specific information resources and enhances students' knowledge of information retrieval and management skills through database management and searching techniques. Participants create personal databases using commercial database-management programs; demonstrate and evaluate websites and demonstrate an understanding of electronic theses and dissertations.
GRAD 5024: Data Management Skills: This course guides students through the discovery of the importance and benefits of data management, including creating a data management plan. Topics include data organization, policies, documentation, storage, ethics, access, security, analytical tools, grant requirements (proposal and post-award), proper attribution, archiving, other issues and topics related to data in scholarly communication.
Library faculty teach both courses, which are one-credit and fully-online with pass/fail grading. GRAD 5124 is offered mainly in the fall, while GRAD 5024 is offered in the spring.
University Libraries offer students and faculty a variety of workshops related to our services, including data management and visualization, copyright and licensing, etc.
Additionally, we also offer workshops on topics related to our Studio spaces, such as 3D printing and modeling, VR development, collaborative project planning, and Internet of Things technology.
If there a topic not covered by our workshops that you would be interested in, please let us know by filling out this form.
We are also in the process of digitizing many of our workshops, so check our Youtube playlist for updates. For more information about our specific workshop offerings, please see our upcoming events.
Faculty workshops can also be found through Professional Development Network (PDN), look for offerings sponsored by University Libraries.