NCLA Con 2025

While traditional library instruction offered in a one-shot model often focuses on finding and evaluating sources, librarians often lack an adequate platform for further guiding students through deeper concepts within the Information Literacy Framework for Higher Education. Gardner-Webb Library designed a series of application-based workshops in collaboration with the university's Student Success division, which also serve as an alternative to our traditional information literacy & instruction offerings. Our workshops include podcasting, 3D printing, Copyright 101, utilizing University Archives, and visual design using Canva. These workshops emphasize hands-on learning and visual literacy, equipping students with the skills necessary to integrate research into their academic and professional work. Each session is designed to help students move beyond the research phase and into the creation and communication of knowledge. For example, students can use podcasting to engage in scholarly discourse in a low-stakes environment, and Canva to visualize data and research findings. These workshops foster deeper engagement with materials while building transferable skills. A key component of our program's success is our collaboration with the Student Success division on campus. This partnership has allowed us to tailor workshops to student needs, ensuring alignment with coursework and career readiness goals. The demand for these workshops has grown significantly, with faculty requesting customized sessions for their students as well as their own faculty-focused workshops to support professional development, research dissemination, and tenure promotion. An unforeseen benefit to the workshops has been a reframing of how librarians are viewed on our campus. While our campus community frequently praises the library's helpfulness, it is often within the context of traditional research support. These workshops have highlighted the broader scope of the library's contributions to teaching and learning, giving faculty and students a greater understanding of the diverse range of expertise the library offers. Given our library's small staff size, we greatly benefit from creating strategic partnerships across campus with CETL and Student Success. We have also been conscious of making the workshops part of sustainable change so that the workload is manageable. This session will discuss how our library implemented these workshops, strategies for effective campus partnerships, and best practices for expanding library's instruction beyond the traditional one-shot model. Attendees will leave with practical and actionable ideas for integrating application-based learning into their own instructional programs, fostering innovation, and reinforcing the library's role as a key player in student and faculty success.