Specialized Workshops & Instruction Sessions
Ohio University Libraries provide additional learning opportunities to increase your information skills and knowledge in creative ways.
Don't see what you need? Feel free to submit an idea or contact your subject librarian for more options by discipline.
On-Demand Content
Tutorials, workshops, and virtual tours created by OHIO librarians, archivists, and staff, available any time online.
Take a virtual tour of Alden Library with our "This is Alden Library" video series!
Learning goals: Students will learn about the many resources and services that Alden Library offers via a series of short videos dedicated to various areas of the building.
Duration: Nine 2-3 minute videos
Mode: Online Video Series
This interactive tutorial was designed for first year students at Ohio University and acts as an introduction to the Libraries’ collections, services, and support. The tutorial prompts users to practice searching strategically and practice searching Libraries’ resources. A quiz is included within the tutorial, and a certificate of completion is provided upon completion.
Learning goals: Students will learn the important skill of narrowing a research topic, and understand the differences between databases, search engines, and other resources. Additionally, students will conduct basic searches in Library Search, the library catalog, OhioLINK, and our digital special collections.
Duration: 30 - 45 minutes
Mode: Interactive Tutorial
This interactive plagiarism tutorial walks students through the basics of plagiarism including the definition of plagiarism, what paraphrasing and quoting are, and how to detect plagiarism. A quiz is included within the tutorial, and a certificate of completion is provided upon completion.
Learning goals: Attendees will understand what plagiarism is and the steps they can take to ensure that they are using resources responsibly.
Duration: 20 - 30 minutes
Mode: Interactive Tutorial
Zotero is a citation manager that is available for free and is used by many students, faculty, staff, and librarians at Ohio University. This tutorial is designed to walk you through the basics of setting up and using the Zotero software and account to manage your references and citations. The tutorial can be viewed as one video, but it is also broken up into smaller videos, in case you have specific questions.
Learning goals: Attendees will be able to download Zotero and create an online account, set their preferences for style guides, pull citations in from Library Search and Google Scholar, organize their citations using folders, tags, and notes, and finally create citations and references in the style of their choice.
Duration: 50 minutes
Mode: Online Video Series
Requestable General Library Sessions
These requestable, group sessions are open to all students, faculty, and staff in groups of 5 or more. Most sessions can be delivered online, in person, or in a hybrid setting. When requesting a session, please allow 3 weeks to schedule the session.
Research Data Management (or RDM) describes the organization, storage, preservation, and sharing of data collected and used in a research project. Good RDM practices involve planning and managing around and through the entire data lifecycle of your project (from collection to preservation). In this session, a Research Services librarian will provide an overview of research data management, data management plans, and tips to keep your research data organized and accessible.
Learning goals: Attendees will become familiar with the various stages of research data management, as well as the options for making data open and accessible. Attendees will understand the main components of a data management plan (DMP) and why they are federally mandated. Attendees will discover the DMPTool platform to help manage DMPs.
Duration: 60+ minutes
Mode: In-person, online, or hybrid session / presentation
Location: Athens Campus (if in-person) / all campuses available for online
This session, led by a Research Services department librarian, will introduce researchers to tools and approaches used to measure research and creative work impact (a.k.a. research metrics, bibliometrics, scientometrics, altmetrics) and journal ranking metrics including impact factor, H-Index, and CiteScore – and address their pitfalls. The session will include how to enhance research and creative work impact through scholar profiles and identifiers (like ORCiD and Google Scholar profile). Session will include a long period for questions to workshop together.
Learning goals: Attendees will identify the difference between various metrics that measure journal rankings and scholarly impact. Attendees will understand how ORCiD and other scholarly identifiers can enhance their research and creative work impact.
Duration: 60+ minutes
Mode: In-person, online, or hybrid session / presentation
Location: Athens Campus (if in-person) / all campuses available for online
Finding films and film titles to stream and make available to your students and classes can be challenging. Library staff will demonstrate how to find and navigate through our top streaming video platforms. Platforms discussed will include Kanopy, Swank, AVON, and Films on Demand.
Learning goals: Attendees will learn how to use streaming film platforms to learn more about the content and learning tools (for example, making clips) provided within the platforms.
Duration: 60+ minutes
Mode: In-person, online, or hybrid tour / presentation
Location: Athens Campus (if in-person) / all campuses available for online
This orientation is intentionally designed to connect international students to Ohio University Libraries’ information resources and familiarize them with services, technology, and spaces. This will help ease the student’s transition to academic life and study in the United States and assist in developing foundational information skills necessary for successful learning and academic outcomes. The session will briefly explain the various services, and spaces in the library and provide an in-depth look at finding resources.
Araba Dawson-Andoh, Subject Librarian for African Studies and the Social Sciences, will lead both incoming and current international students to explore the unique services, spaces, and resources the Ohio University Libraries offer. You will discover how to search and access millions of online and print materials, reserve spaces to study, and more.
Learning goals: Attendees will discover basic information such as managing your library account, services such as research help from subject librarians, finding books and journal articles, correctly using, and citing sources, access to technology, and reserving spaces at Alden Library.
Duration: 60 - 90 minutes
Mode: In-person or online tour / presentation
Location: Athens Campus (if in-person) / all campuses available for online
Requestable Special Collections Sessions
Explore our Archives & Special Collections with librarians and archivists from the Mahn Center. When requesting a session, please allow 3 weeks to schedule the session.
Artists' books can challenge our notion and understanding of what a book is, how it looks and functions. They are created by artists who take a creative approach not only to the physical concept of a book, but also to how to communicate a narrative or other information. Join Special Collections Librarian Miriam Intrator for this pop-up where you will be able to handle a broad variety of artists' books, whether to analyze the content or be inspired by the format or structure.
Learning goals: Attendees will practice handling and analyzing artists' books as primary source objects. Attendees will describe materials, format, structure, content, and interpretation of the books. Attendees will gain an understanding of what makes an artists' book a rare book. When applicable, attendees gather inspiration for their own making of an artists' book.
Duration: 45+ minutes
Mode: In-person session/presentation
Location(s): Athens Campus / all campuses available if scheduling allows
Instructors or other groups may schedule a curator's walk and talk for a specific exhibit in Alden Library. Topics may include the process of curating the exhibit, the collection(s) from which the material came, and of course the themes and content present in the exhibit. Requestors will work with the exhibits committee to arrange a walk and talk with the relevant exhibit curator or a thoroughly trained representative.
Learning goals: Attendees will learn about the Libraries' collections, explore relevant topics and themes using primary sources, and learn about the process of description and display in exhibits.
Duration: 30+ minutes
Mode: In-person tour
Location(s): Athens Campus
Medieval manuscripts are something you often see on display in museums, behind glass. In this learning opportunity, Special Collections Librarian Miriam Intrator will teach you how to handle and analyze manuscripts as well as manuscript facsimiles, either as a general introduction or related to a specific topic or area of interest.
Learning goals: Attendees will practice handling and analyzing medieval manuscript material. Attendees will consider and debate book breaking as a practice, and the issues with purchasing individual leaves on the market. Attendees will gain language to describe elements of medieval manuscripts including, but not limited to, substrate (paper), scripts, decorative elements, materials and techniques used in manuscript creation, later additions or edits, and medieval binding, shelving, and usage practices.
Duration: 60+ minutes
Mode: In-person, online, or hybrid session / workshop
Location(s): Athens Campus (in-person) / all campuses available online or in-person if scheduling allows
Browsing bookshelves is how we serendipitously discover books we didn't even realize we were looking for. This is your opportunity to schedule a time to browse the rare book collection with Miriam Intrator, Special Collections Librarian.
Learning goals: Attendees will explore the size and scope of the rare book collection. Attendees will be able to identify possible research topics and narrow or clarify a research topic. Attendees will consider the book as a physical object within the context of a research topic or project.
Duration: 30+ minutes
Mode: In-person session / presentation/tour
Location(s): Athens Campus, Mahn Center for Special Collections
Zines continue to be an important means to communicate information in a low cost, hands-on, subversive and creative way. In this workshop, led by Special Collections Librarian Miriam Intrator, you will view items in our Zine Collection to learn more about the format, and then decide how you want to send your own message by making your own zine.
Learning goals: Attendees will gain insight into the history of zines and zine making. Attendees will practice handling, analyzing, and discussing zines as activist primary sources. Attendees will access their own creativity to come up with a message and format, to select materials to create their own zine to take away or to add to the Zine Collection.
Duration: 45+ minutes
Mode: In-person session / presentation
Location(s): Athens Campus / all campuses available if scheduling allows
Don't see what you need? Feel free to submit an idea or contact your subject librarian for more options by discipline.