Library instruction sessions are one of the best ways to ensure that your students develop valuable research skills. Please consider setting aside class time for a course-related workshop on library resources.

Students who have the skills to find, evaluate, and use information are more successful in their classes and will be more successful at life-long learning after graduation.

Interactive workshops tailored for specific classes, assignments, and topics typically last 50 minutes and combine demonstrations of electronic resources, discussions of search strategies, and hands-on practice.  You may also wish to allow extra time for searching practice and individual consultations. Workshops can be scheduled in a campus classroom or in a library instruction space.

This menu is a list of the most commonly requested library instruction workshops for classes. All of the workshops listed below can be customized for a particular subject or course assignment. 

To schedule a library workshop for your class, please see the library workshop request form.

Introduction to Research at University Libraries
50 minute presentation (can add 30-45 minutes for workshop activities/ additional searching time)
These times can be broken up into varying demonstration and workshop segments as needed.

• General Search Tips
• Searching for Books, DVDs, and More
• Searching for Articles (Compass)
• Hands-on Practice Time/Consultation with Librarian

Finding and Using Articles
50 minute presentation (can add 30-45 minutes for workshop activities/ additional searching time)
These times can be broken up into varying demonstration and workshop segments as needed.

• General Research Tips
• Searching for Articles (Compass and Disciplinary Databases)
• Overview of citation styles and brief introduction to Zotero
• Hands-on Practice Time/ Consultation with Librarian

Three Googles
50 Minute Workshop

• Learn about three Google tools: Google Web, Google Scholar, and Google Book search

Introduction to Zotero
50 Minute Workshop

• Basic overview of how to use Zotero, a Web-based bibliography manager
• How to keep track of books, reports, journal articles, and Websites and then create finished bibliographies in APA, MLA, Turabian, or Chicago styles
• Overview of relevant citation styles
• Workshop has time built in to allow participants to download Zotero and begin exporting citation information to Zotero.

• An overview of the fine press and artists’ books in the University Libraries collection.  The fine press volumes are beautifully crafted, and the artists’ books play with the idea of what a book can be.  In addition, there is a collection of fine press and artists’ books related to Shakespeare.  Students will be provided with an opportunity to work with and handle these books (clean hands). To schedule a session on Artists’ Books, please contact Kate Crowe at katherine.crowe@du.edu or (303) 871-7944.

Using the Archives and Special Collections at University Libraries
50 Minute Workshop

• The Department of Special Collections contains the University Archives, the library's rare book and manuscript collections, the Beck Archives of Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society and the Carson-Brierly Dance Library. To schedule a session on Special Collections, please contact Kate Crowe at katherine.crowe@du.edu or (303) 871-7944.  You may also contact Jeanne Abrams, Director of the Beck Archives, at jabrams@du.edu or (303) 871-3016 for more information on The Beck Archives and the Rocky Mountain Jewish Historical Society.  

To schedule a library workshop for your course or group, please fill out the workshop request form.  You may also contact a subject librarian to discuss a possible workshop in more detail.