Staff

As a Library and IT Services (LITS) resource, the DiSCO is supported by a cross-disciplinary team of LITS instructional staff – Research and Instruction Librarians, Instructional Technologists, and the Distinctive Collections Engagement Librarian. Our team engages with faculty, staff, and students to provide instruction in areas of information literacy, technology, and the Special Collections and College Archives. .

Mission

The LITS Instructional Staff uses a literacies framework to teach skills and habits of mind that students need to be savvy users and producers of information and lifelong learners.

How We Partner with Faculty and Staff Across the College

LITS Instructional Staff collaborate with faculty and staff in both curricular and co-curricular spaces to develop innovative pedagogy, promote students’ critical thinking and academic success, and aid in students’ vocational exploration. This includes:

• Providing curricular, research, and assignment consultations
• Teaching instructional sessions on research strategies and digital projects
• Supporting critical infrastructure such as Moodle, Panopto and Posit (RStudio) servers

How We Engage with Students

We meet students at various points in their St. Olaf journey, in classes, via work in student organizations, on personal projects, or career exploration efforts. This may include:  

• Course-related instructional sessions on research strategies and digital projects
• One-on-one and small group consultations
• Managing the DiSCO and Cave makerspace
• Consulting with / providing training for student organizations
• Supporting Moodle learning management system
• Supervising student employees

Our Pedagogy

We use a literacies framework to teach skills and habits of mind that build the concepts students need to be savvy users and producers of information and lifelong learners. Our instruction draws from these fundamental principles and is shaped in collaboration with faculty.

A Liaison for Every Department

Every academic department has a dedicated Research and Instruction librarian and Instructional Technologist liaison for faculty (see below). Liaisons consult with faculty on projects involving research and help to train students in related areas.

What We Ask of Faculty

• Two-week notice – Due to high demand and limited staff, we encourage you to contact your liaison librarian/technologist as early as possible to arrange for class instruction in order to ensure their availability, and a minimum of two weeks prior to your desired instruction date. If your liaison is at capacity during your class time they will share some online resources to support your course, and may be able to schedule an instruction session for a later date.
• Consultation with your liaison for all new assignments or courses – We believe that in order to set your students, and ourselves, up for success it is important to discuss the project in advance to allow us time to tailor our instruction for your students. Please plan on making an appointment with your liaison well in advance of the desired instruction session.
• Assignment Description/Syllabus – In order to ensure a high-quality, pedagogically sound instruction session with your class, we ask for the completed assignment description or syllabus describing the assignment at least two weeks prior to the instruction session. We understand that there may be tweaking up until the assignment is introduced, but the general assignment description and desired learning outcomes are extremely helpful for us in planning our instruction.
• Make student consultations optional – Librarians and Technologists often consult with students one-on-one or in small groups for specific project support. Due to the high volume of these consultations, we ask that meeting time be reserved for students that seek it out, and not as a course requirement.

For general questions, see help links to the right. For specific research and instructional support, see staff and liaison information below.