Using practical examples from librarians in the field, this book lays out current issues in online learning and teaches librarians how to adapt a variety of library services—including instruction, reference, and collection development—to online education.
Recent studies highlighting the challenges faced by online learners show that skills librarians are uniquely qualified to teach, such as information and digital literacy and source evaluation, can improve academic performance in online courses and enhance the online learning experience.
Just as embedded librarianship was developed to answer the needs of online courses when they emerged in the early 2000s, online learning librarian Christina Mune now teaches “online librarianship” as a set of realistic strategies for serving a variety of online education models. Each chapter of Libraries Supporting Online Learning addresses a different strategy for supporting online students and/or faculty, with all strategies derived from real-world practices.
Librarians will find information on best practices for creating digital literacy tutorials and dynamic content, providing patrons with open access and open educational resources, helping patrons to avoid copyright issues, promoting peer-to-peer learning and resource sharing, posting to social media, and developing scalable reference services. The tools and practical examples in this book will be useful for all educators interested in increasing the efficacy of online learning.
Features
- Offers practical strategies to librarians responsible for supporting hybrid and online courses and degree programs as well as MOOCs
- May be easily adopted as a library science textbook for those teaching instructional design, instructional technology, distance librarianship, or academic library issues courses
- Includes case studies on assessment information and grant writing for administrators and library advocates
- Informs all educators interested in increasing the efficacy of online leaning in higher education
- Is suitable for inclusion in academic collections supporting library and information science
Christina D. Mune, MLIS, was online learning librarian for San José State University, in San José, CA, before serving as director of information technology services and most recently as associate dean of innovation and resource management. After supporting one of the first higher education MOOC trials between San José State and Udacity, she has been exploring how libraries can contribute to student success in all types of online learning environments. This exploration has led to numerous publications and presentations on the academic library's support of online learning, digital literacy, and the adoption of open educational resources.
Reviews
"Timely, valuable, and essential reading for all librarians and educators."—Library Journal Online, Starred Review, February 1, 2021
"This book is explicitly recommended for individuals working in the field of LIS."—Choice, August 1, 2021
"This is a well-organized and thoughtfully comprehensive treatment of the subject and a great place to find practical guidance and inspiration for many different roles within libraries of all types."—Technical Services Quarterly, September 1, 2021
"This book couldn’t come at a better time. Libraries have been challenged to rapidly transform their services to better meet the needs of online learning in the COVID-19 era. This contribution provides the practical information, resources, and tools that libraries need to provide access, develop community, and foster engagement for their online learners and users. Even after the pandemic, libraries will need to continue supporting a range of learners—from those who come to the library in person to those who are online learners. This book provides the essential information to ensure libraries are able to successfully support these online learners."—Sandra Hirsh, Associate Dean for Academics, College of Professional and Global Education, and Former iSchool Director, San José State University
"A timely, thoughtful, and useful book. I only wish that I could have read it 3 months ago. Mune explains what online learners need and offers practical advice for building online community and engagement through library programming. Librarians who already have some experience with online learning will benefit from Mune’s thorough and systematic approach. And librarians who find themselves suddenly tossed into the stormy seas of online educational support should grab this lifesaver and hold on tight."—John Wenzler, Dean of Libraries, CSU East Bay
