For+Teachers

  Research steps that work  I have found that students find success in the library and produce better research papers when we all go through something close to the following steps.  · Check out the library resources before you assign a topic. o If you give me the proposed topics ahead of time I can see what we have and what we need. I can even order some core books via ILL. If there is just not enough for the topic you propose, we can talk about alternatives. This will save you big headaches later. o The sooner I know the topics, the earlier I can find good search terms for your students. This helps us help them be successful researchers. · Make me part of the research process from the beginning. o I’ve even been in the classroom when a teacher has handed out a research assignment and began talking with kids about how I can help right away. As a result almost all those kids met with me independently and got a lot of help. They are much more likely to make use of the library when they see me interested in what they are doing. They don’t really come here if they are just told to. · Bring students into the library as early as possible after assigning a research project. o Inter library loan books take time to get here and in general the sooner we get the research started, the more resources they students will find. · Bring the students to the library for at least two periods – and invite me to meet with them. o For the first one I can briefly show them the sources I have found that will give them useful results. I can also help them order ILL books. During the second day we can work with them as they do more in-depth searching. We can get them on the right path from the start.