Library instruction has a positive impact on student success (Gaha, Hinnefeld & Pellegrino, 2018; Bowles-Terry, 2012; Wong and Cmor, 2011). Librarians at Forsyth Library collaborate with instructors to provide library instruction, teaching information literacy, research skills, and lifelong learning skills that students can transfer to other courses and apply beyond their time at FHSU. Library instruction is available to faculty, staff, and students of Fort Hays State University, and to schools in the surrounding area. Each year, the librarians at Forsyth Library teach an average of 140 instruction sessions that serve over 2,800 students. Instruction sessions vary by topic but tend to focus on the concepts of finding, evaluating, and using information for discipline-specific and academic purposes.
In the newly renovated library, there will be two classroom spaces to provide teaching environments and learning spaces for library instruction.
On the upper level, there will be a classroom on the southeast corner that will offer flexible seating for up to 24 people. In addition to being used for library instruction, this space will be available for professional development events, trainings, and workshops.
On the lower level, there will be a computer lab classroom near the west side that will have high-end computer stations for accommodating classes of up to 24 people. In addition to being used for library instruction, this space will also be used by the Institute for New Media Studies to teach video game classes and other advanced computing workshops.
For larger groups, the main-floor presentation space will accommodate up to 112 people. It features three presentation screens and flexible seating arrangements.
Whether the instruction session is a workshop in the computer lab with hands-on experience searching the library’s 230+ research databases, a library tour, or a classroom session that is more conducive to active learning activities, students will leave feeling more confident in the research process and using the resources and services at Forsyth Library.
