Designing Library Services to Meet Curriculum Needs

A successful offering of library services is closely tied to the needs of the institution’s curriculum. This chapter discusses how to analyze the institutional curriculum, learning goals, and course syllabi to design effective library services. These analyses can help librarians understand the most likely library needs of their student patrons, which are often closely aligned with the courses taught at the institution. Services that are aligned with projected curricular needs tend to ensure the most efficient use of library staff time and energy. Planning and delivering library services should consider both the broader scope of the curriculum and the subjects offered, as well as the individual assignments required of students in specific courses. To support that primary purpose, this chapter also includes discussions on (1) working with teaching faculty to create course-related programming, workshops and services, (2) principles for setting up course reserves, (3) optimizing library subject guides for anticipated student research needs, and (4) aligning services with the institution’s educational delivery format (on-campus, commuter, distance).