To consider the Smathers Libraries as a learning experience for your Quest course, or to talk with a librarian about possibilities, contact your subject specialist.
The Smathers Libraries can offer many opportunities to enhance the classroom experience. Our librarians and curators can help you to arrange:
- Active searching for information and critically evaluating sources.
- Hands-on introductions to library collections, resources, and technologies.
- Problem-solving activities and challenges designed around library materials.
Help orient students to the libraries
To introduce your students to the basics of navigating the libraries and searching for information, we invite instructors to integrate our ‘UF Information Literacy’ modules into their Canvas course. This includes video tutorials with assessment questions that will help in orienting all students to the libraries. These Canvas modules can be imported from Canvas Commons or from the Quest Training Course.
Experiential Learning
If you are interested in integrating the libraries into an experiential learning part of your course, contact your subject specialist at least a month in advance. If you are interested in creating a larger class assignment, like a capstone project, or designing a part of your class around materials in our Special Collections, contact your subject specialist as you are developing your syllabus.
Below are examples of experiential learning activities that can be done using the George A. Smathers Libraries’ materials and resources. If you’re interested in a particular approach, your subject specialist can help tailor it to the number of students enrolled and the subject area of your course.
Example Activities
Active searching: (1 Period)
The Instructor and Librarian work to identify research questions and resources that fit a course theme. Students are introduced to the library databases (including primary source/newspaper databases) and materials and spend time during the session searching for and evaluating information related to their research quest.
This type of activity is ideal when it is tied to an active learning activity (e.g., group/partner discussion). Multiple visits can be scheduled to further explore a class theme or learning objective.
Examples of library databases:
- AM (e.g. Women in the National Archive, Jewish Life in America)
- NewsBank (e.g. Access World News, America’s Historical Newspapers, America’s Historical Imprints)
- JSTOR Primary Source Collections
- Gale Primary Sources
Hands-On Collections: (1 Period)
The Instructor and Librarian work to select materials from the collections that fit a course theme. Students are introduced to the materials and the guiding question and have free time to engage with the materials and ask individual questions. This activity serves as the foundation for other projects or assignments during or outside class time.
This type of activity is ideal when it is tied to a reflection activity (e.g., class discussion, reflective writing). Multiple visits can be arranged to convey a class theme or learning objective.
Also check out the Learning Experiences with our Special & Area Studies Collections for more detailed examples and information.