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Click here to Ask a Librarian. Research assistance is available by phone, email, or IM.

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research help
Click here for a list of Galvin Library research consultants and their subject specialties.

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The Academic Resource Center provides one-on-one and group help with coursework.

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writing assignments
The IIT Writing Center provides one-on-one help with writing assignments for both native and nonnative speakers of English.

Library Instruction at Galvin

Integrating library instruction into IIT courses
Galvin Library has professional librarians dedicated to teaching the IIT community information literacy based on the Association of College and Research Libraries Information Literacy Standards. Faculty can schedule introductory and advanced library sessions that are conducted by instruction librarians.  Integrating library instruction into your class provides the context that students need to connect the importance of library research into their academic career.

View our session descriptions to get an idea of the types of sessions we conduct. Better yet, customize your session(s) to suit the needs of your students and course content. Topics and time estimates are located below. Unsure of what will work best for your class? Contact libraryinstruction@iit.edu to discuss additional choices.
 

About the Research Process
Research expectations of college students (10 mins)
Research at the college level requires the demonstration of critical thinking skills using information generated by scholars and experts. Galvin Library provides access to scholarly publications across various disciplines via books, journals, and subscriptions to online resources that are not available for free on the internet.

Distinguishing between popular, scholarly and trade publications (15 mins)
The characteristics that differentiate these sources are not obvious to students. It’s important they are able to recognize information sources and understand their potential application to academic research.

Appropriate use of Google and Wikipedia in academic research (5-10 mins)
Google and Wikipedia can be used to search for reliable and scholarly information. Both offer a means for gathering subject terminology for use in searching library resources. Both also offer cited sources which can lead to full text resources provided by Galvin Library. The Library has several great plug-ins for Google that integrate search results with library holdings, directing students back to scholarly resources.

Deriving meaning from citations, references, and bibliographies: using their components for scholarly research (20 mins)
Why is it useful to be able to recognize the components of a citation? What purpose do citations serve? Is there a difference between a list of references and a bibliography? Understanding the components and distinctions between them are essential to the academic researcher.

Peer-review defined: identifying articles and discussion of the publication process (15 mins)
Peer-review can be a foreign concept to many students, and finding peer-reviewed articles is often confusing and frustrating for them. A discussion of the peer-review process, as well as how to recognize peer-reviewed articles is included in this topic. Knowing how to find and identify peer-reviewed publications enhances the quality of a student’s research.

Combining search terms with Boolean Logic (and, or, not) (10-15 mins)
How to use Boolean Logic (AND, OR, NOT) to build more precise search queries. This skill improves results whether using a catalog, database or search engine.

Finding and using a database's standardized (controlled) vocabulary (15 mins)
Databases use specific terminology for subject topics and the organization of information. Being aware of controlled vocabulary makes it easier to do comprehensive searches. Since terminology is not standardized across databases, identifying the features, limitations and strategies for using controlled vocabulary can create a significant advantage for researchers.
 

Using the Library
Using Galvin Library when not on campus (5 mins)
Access Galvin E-Resources (article databases and online journals) from off campus via the MyIIT Portal. Don’t let location get in the way of doing research.

Navigating the library website (10-15 mins)
New services and tools are constantly being added to the Galvin Library web site. Learn how to find what you need and discover new sources that provide an academic advantage.

Finding books at IIT and beyond (I-Share and Interlibrary Loan) (20 mins)
Galvin Library provides access to three catalogs. Understanding how these catalogs work together can guarantee the fastest option for obtaining materials locally or nationally.

IIT catalog records demystified (10 mins)
Catalog records contain a wealth of information in addition to the basic title and location. Learn how to read the IIT catalog to determine the usefulness of that resource for a topic, and how the record can lead to other resources on the same subject.

Accessing and using your library accounts online (10 mins)
Familiarity with using the MyAccount feature in I-Share and the MyILL interlibrary loan account maximizes convenience and minimizes confusion. Online account features are indispensable for any researcher who needs to request and receive materials via interlibrary loan, and to also easily track due dates of materials already checked out.

Finding the full text of an article (15 mins)
Finding a perfect journal citation is only half the battle; accessing it is the other half. Galvin Library has made getting the full text as painless as possible by integrating electronic resources and eliminating the need to search across several databases. Understand how these tools work together to deliver full text resources.

Subject specific database searching (consult with a librarian about the selected database and components to be covered)
Database interfaces are constantly changing. A subject specialist will acquaint your students with resources that play a significant role in a discipline’s research process. This session will include a thorough introduction, demonstrate best searching practices and expose flaws of which researchers should be aware.

Guided tour of the Galvin Library building (20 mins)
Where are older bound journals kept and how are they organized? Where are the photocopiers, scanners, and group study rooms located? Where can a student find assistance with research or overdue books? A tour of the library will show your students this and more, and will dispel anxiety about using an academic library.