Brigham Young University’s Harold B. Lee Library Recipient of the LIRT 2017 Innovation in Instruction Award

The Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT) of the American Library Association is pleased to announce that the 2017 Innovation in Instruction Award will be presented to the Brigham Young University’s Harold B. Lee Library at the ALA 2017 Annual Conference in Chicago.  The award will be as part of the LIRT 40^th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday June 24, 7-9 PM at the Hilton Chicago Williford Room A during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

Created to recognize a library that demonstrates innovation in support of information literacy and instruction, this year’s award specifically recognizes The Y-Search Tutorial created by BYU Instruction Librarians.  The project team included Elise Silva as primary author and producer of the tutorials and Leanna Fry-Balci as project manager.

With approximately 130 first-year writing sessions per semester taught by over 40 library instructors the Y-Search Tutorial sought to provide a consistent, student-centered focus to instruction.  Incorporating the principles of the flipped classroom and blending learning approaches to library instruction the tutorial utilizes short, practical video instruction, earning assignments and interactive, gamified learning tools to appeal to a variety of learning types.  The tutorials cover a variety of information literacy concepts.  Each module also includes suggested assignments that can be modified by the writing instructor and interactive tools that helped solidify the concepts introduced in each module.  Assessments of the tutorial indicatae strong support and efficacy across the board from instructors to students. Y-Search represents a consummate example of a polished package utilizing effective assessment and based on best practices in library instruction.

When notified of the award, Elise Silva stated, “We are grateful for the recognition because we worked very hard to make a practical teaching tool that could work in a variety of contexts.  We hope it is widely used.  Of special importance to us were the interactive learning tools (found in each module) which helps students practice complex concepts in an engaging way.”

In addition to applauding the project’s initiative and success at Brigham Young University, the awards committee also noted the program’s low cost and ability to be easily re-produced at other institutions.  Visit the project’s website for more information.

The Library Instruction Round Table was started in 1977 with the intent to bring together librarians who provide library instruction across all types of libraries -- academic, public, school, and special libraries.  2017 is the fourth year that the Librarian Innovation in Instruction Award has been awarded.  The Harold B. Lee Library will be presented with a $1,000 cash prize and a plaque at the LIRT 40^th Anniversary Celebration, scheduled for 7-9 PM on Saturday, June 24, at ALA Annual in Chicago.  The Harold B. Lee Library will also receive a $500 travel stipend for its librarians attending ALA annual.

Find out more about LIRT, its mission and the awards on LIRT'S website. 

LIRT Innovation in Instruction Awards Committee included Beth Fuchs of the University of Kentucky (Chair), Meghann Kuhlman of the University of Wichita, Emma Oxford of James Madison University, Peter Ramsey of Baylor University, and Michael Saar of Lamar University (Committee Chair).

This page was created on behalf of the Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT)  by the ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR).  The ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (HRDR) serves as the staff liaison to the Library Instruction Round Table (LIRT). For additional assistance, comments or questions please contact HRDR at hrdr@ala.org.