Instruction & Research Help at OU Libraries

Instruction and Research Help team members offer customized sessions connected with OU courses. In these sessions, librarians work with faculty and students on the resources and skills needed to conduct research in a specific discipline or for a particular need. Such sessions often include:

• An introduction to the Libraries’ services and resources
• Instruction in using the Libraries’ online tools to find print and online materials available through the Libraries’ collection
• Using the Libraries’ online databases to find academic journal articles
• Using specialized resources such as handbooks, data sets, and reference materials
• Guidance for searching the internet for reliable and accurate web resources
• Techniques for evaluating a range of information sources

Instruction sessions include hands-on time for learners to begin their research processes, during which the librarian can provide direct and specific support for their needs. Librarians can also create guides to library resources for specific courses – on such pages, students can access links to the most relevant subject-specific databases, online reference materials, course handouts, related websites, and other resources for their research.

Library instruction sessions happen online in video conferencing platforms (e.g. Zoom, Google Meet), in the Kresge Library’s instructional labs, and in other campus classrooms when groups are larger in size. Faculty members should directly contact the Subject Librarian for their discipline or reach out to the Coordinator of Instruction and Research Help to arrange for course-related library instruction.