Resources for New Faculty

The Information Literacy Program at Syracuse University Libraries will deliver quality educational opportunities, inside and outside the classroom, to enable the Syracuse University community to succeed as members of an increasingly complex information society. Instruction is delivered within the Libraries by a diverse team of librarians who teach in a multitude of spaces, employ a variety of pedagogical approaches, and reach a wide range of student populations.

Librarians can help course instructors improve student learning by integrating information literacy skills into the curriculum. When class assignments require extensive use of library materials, for example, instructors might discuss with subject librarians how to help students engage with library resources and services. For more information on how SU Libraries can support student learning within your classes, please visit our instructional services webpage or contact your subject librarian. 

Check out the Learn at SUL! , a workshop series covering a wide range of research topics. If desired, faculty and course instructors can assign attendance at one or more workshops as an extra-credit activity.

Does your course require students to do research? Remind your students that SU Libraries staff are here to help! Please consider adding the following syllabus statement, in full or in part, to your syllabus, assignments, or online learning platform. Please contact your subject librarian with any questions. 

Research Assistance
Need sources for your research projects but don't know where to start? Searching for a book, article, or data to support your argument? Not sure how to cite a source in your bibliography? Ask SU Libraries! Research help is available in person, by phone, text, email, and online chat. Librarians can meet virtually with students one-on-one or in small groups to discuss focusing on a research topic, identifying and evaluating sources, and searching library resources effectively. For research assistance, please visit the SU Libraries Ask Us page: https://library.syr.edu/help/askus.php

In addition, each department has a designated subject librarian to support your in-depth research needs. You can contact the subject librarian for this course, [insert librarian's name], by email at [insert email address].

Syracuse University librarians have created a wide variety of online research guides to help you and your students discover research tools, explore the research process, and locate helpful resources for a wide variety of academic topics and specific courses. Please contact your subject librarian to discuss whether your students might benefit from a course-specific research guide. 

The Libraries accept requests for electronic and physical books/items to put on Course Reserve. We continue to provide reserves materials electronically to ensure that all students, on and off campus, can access these materials easily. Access to physical reserves will also be provided when an e-book version is not available. If your course reserve request requires that we purchase an item, we will purchase the e-book version if available and compatible with the Library's platform. E-resources have the benefit of allowing an unlimited number of students to access these resources from anywhere at any time. If a video or musical recording can't be found in our many online media collections, DVDs and CDs can be placed on physical reserves.

Syracuse University Libraries provide a wide variety of documentaries, films, sound recordings, and video resources that can be used to support instruction. We focus on acquiring streaming and online resources  to support online and hybrid instruction. For more information on locating, reserving, and using multimedia to increase student learning within your courses, please visit our Video Collections guide . 

By adding library resources to your course website, whether through Blackboard, 2U, Moodle or another online platform, you make it easier for students to become aware of and access library databases, journals, articles, and other library resources you expect them to use in their coursework and research. Correctly linking to these electronic resources provides permanent and stable links for students to gain access even when off campus, supports good copyright practices (rather than, say, uploading pdfs), and allows SU Libraries to more accurately assess which resources are being used. For additional information, please visit our guide on Linking to SU Libraries' Online Resources.

Syracuse University Libraries supports the information and library access needs for all SU community members, including online faculty and students. For information on how SU Libraries might support you and your students, please contact your subject librarian or visit our research guides on Resources for Online and Distance Students and Copyright.