2024 Core Forum

Technical services librarians do not often participate in library instruction. At our university, the technical services librarian partnered with an instruction librarian and teaching faculty on a DEI grant to explore issues of information privilege with students in first-year foundation classes. We are investigating existing systems of information collection and dissemination, with the premise that such systems are often inequitable and potentially harmful. We are teaching students how data algorithms play into information distribution, the reasons for missing and marginalized perspectives in published research, and privilege in access to information. Our experiences with this grant showcase how metadata and collections librarians can share their expertise in electronic resource acquisition and collection development, as well as show the principles of critical cataloging in metadata and classification are relevant to patrons.  We will demonstrate how our instruction sessions have made students more successful in finding and evaluating information.