One of the primary responsibilities the library has to its students, faculty, and staff is to provide effective and relevant information literacy instruction (ILI). Information literacy can be defined as “the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning” (Association of College and Research Libraries, Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education).

If your class has a significant assignment that asks students to gather resources, synthesize different ideas, and make sure they cite properly, consider adding an information literacy workshop or online tutorial to your syllabus. The library offers several options to deliver this vital instruction to your students.

To request library instruction, please fill out our form:

Instruction Policies and Procedures

In order to make library instruction the most effective for your students, please keep these ideas in mind when booking library instruction.

  • Instructor Attendance – Classes are more effective when the regular instructor is present in the room. It is common for students to have questions about the assignment or about the discipline that librarians are not well equipped to answer. Students are also typically more engaged and participative when their regular instructor is present. Please do not book instruction for dates that you are unable to attend.
  • Last Minute Instruction – Please allow us at least two weeks to prepare in-person lessons for your classes. We may not be able to accommodate bookings with less than two weeks’ notice due to librarian schedules or classroom availability. Online tutorials may take several working days to set up, so please keep that in mind when scheduling due dates for your tutorials.
  • Teaching Lab – The library has one full-time teaching lab located in room L108 with 30 Citrix computer workstations. Booking permission for this lab is limited to teaching librarians and is only available for information literacy instruction. Booking library instruction early is the best way to ensure lab availability. When this room is not available, the librarian may be able to book an alternative lab or deliver the class in your regular classroom.
  • Sending Assignment Descriptions -- Our tutorials work best when we make them very relevant to a student's current task. Please send us your assignment descriptions as soon as they are ready to ensure that we have the time to cater our workshops and assignment guides to your assignments.
In-Person Workshops

Your subject librarian can work closely with you to develop an in-person library workshops that introduces students to library resources and research skills. These activity-based workshops can be tailored to your assignments, helping students develop strategies that will carry them through your course and beyond.

Workshops can be delivered in our library teaching lab (L108) or developed for delivery in your regular classroom.  

To book an in-person library workshop, please fill in our Library Instruction Request Form:

Online Tutorials

Our online tutorials, delivered through Brightspace, help both learners at the college and distance students gain library research skills. All online tutorials are accompanied by a series of quizzes that instructors can use to incentivise participation. We offer:

  • Introduction to Research – This tutorial introduces students to library research methods and is geared toward first-year students in all disciplines.
  • Avoiding Plagiarism – Langara instructors explain plagiarism in a series of short videos. They discuss intentional and unintentional plagiarism, explain why students need to be aware of the issues and consequences, and provide clear solutions to help them practice academic integrity.
  • Can I Use This? Evaluating Your Sources – This tutorial provides students with a 5W (Who, What, Where, When, Why) Framework to apply to resources that they find both through the library and on the open web. Short videos walk students through the evaluation process with several example resources.

For more information, please see our guide here:

To book an online library tutorial, please fill in our Library Instruction Request Form:

Online Assignment Guides

Give your students a road map to your research assignment! Your subject librarian will create a customized guide with recommendations of resources and search strategies. With our new system, you are able to embed these guides directly into your Brightspace course.

You can see examples of guides through our Assignment Help page:

To request an assignment guide, please contact your subject librarian:

Test Drive Assignments

Does the library have what your students need to complete your assignment?

Speak with your subject librarian when you are designing an assignment that involves library use. We can test drive your assignment with you to identify:

  • existing library materials that support your assignment
  • new materials to add to our collection
  • strategies and resources (including Internet resources) to recomment to students
  • library instruction for your students

Contact your subject librarian here:

A test drive can lead to the creation of an assignment guide (distributed in print and/or on the Web) to help students with the research component of your assignment. You can see examples of guides through our Assignment Help page: