Keeping it Online: A Case Study of Virtual Library Lounge Instruction Sessions

During the fall of 2021, I piloted offering six virtual library lounges to the Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts) community on a range of information literacy topics, which included, Navigating the Catalogue & Search Strategies, Identifying a Research Topic: Mind Mapping, Evaluating Sources and Misinformation, Introduction to e-Resources, Finding and Using Images in Your Assignments, and Using Library Resources to Kick Start Your Career after AUArts. With the evolving need to provide in-person, online and hybrid modes of instruction, the virtual lounges were offered remotely to remain flexible with the changing needs of students due to courses taking place online and in person during the fall of 2021. The motivations for piloting the virtual lounges were twofold: to increase access to library instruction virtually that scaffolded students’ learning over the fall term and to test information literacy activities that will be used to create an information literacy micro-credential course to be offered at AUArts. The poster is a visual reflection of the virtual lounges, outlines the successes and challenges experienced during the case study and provides recommendations on best practices for implementing a similar project