Recent research suggests general instruction programs are a thing of the past. With low turnout numbers, the University of Calgary discontinued this type of instruction in 2009. Over the past year we informally reflected on the noticeable upward trend in requests for point-of-need library help. In the spring of 2016, librarians and support staff decided to re-envision a general instruction program. Using the new ACRL framework and an engaging and fun approach, a new experience was created to appeal to first year students and those students needing a library refresher. Striving to make scholarly research accessible and engaging to all our students, bold, fun and welcoming advertising was employed. The session content delivered was research and information literacy based, with priority given to learner needs and feedback. Our presentation will detail our assessment plan, reflections on what worked/didn’t and the impact on our instruction program moving forward.
Outcomes:
– Participants will have an opportunity to re-think their advertising approach to engage with new academic library learners in an accessible way.
– Participants will have an opportunity to re-imagine their instructional approaches.
– Participants will re-consider what type of content is most needed by their user groups.
