Library Instruction West 2018

Academic librarians face an ongoing challenge – introducing students to the vast amount of information available through research databases without forcing them to sit through boring, old-school lectures and demonstrations. So, how do we captivate our Millennial and Plural (post-Millennial) students’ interest, especially in short one-shot instruction sessions? Our answer – Speed Databasing.

A cross between online dating apps and speed dating events, Speed Databasing gives students a chance to “meet” multiple databases during one class session. Librarians act as matchmakers by creating clever personal-ad style profiles for each database, and by reminding students that connecting with a database requires going beyond “first impressions” (i.e. the basic search page). Whether students find the “perfect match” for a current assignment or their “soulmate” in a database they will use throughout their academic career, Speed Databasing is an engaging and memorable approach to library resource instruction.

During this interactive workshop, participants will join in an energetic round of Speed Databasing to experience the activity for themselves. The presenters will discuss their experiences creating and implementing this active learning exercise at their institutions, and provide feedback from other librarians who have implemented this activity. The presenters will also discuss a community of practice that is developing around this activity that will help participants by providing ongoing support and collateral materials after the workshop is over.