Sample Library Assignments

Assignments to avoid:

The following assignments often frustrate students, teach them little about doing real library research, and result in a very poor library experience..

The Mob Scene
These are assignments in which the whole class must use the same book, article, or is looking for the same information. Such assignments usually lead to the loss, misplacement or mutilation of library materials.

Give students a variety of topics and sources to choose from. Place materials on Reserve as needed, or use photocopies of articles if you can confirm fair-use practice.

Scavenger Hunts
Searching for obscure facts and trivia is time-consuming and frustrating for students, and it teaches them very little about research.

Instead of assigning all of the students a list of questions, assign each student one question. Have the students discuss their answers, and the resources they used to find them in class.

Birthday Assignments
These are assignments in which students are asked to use back issues of newspapers to find out what was happening in the world on the day they were born. This assignment teaches students how to use a microfilm reader, not how to do research.

Instead of just reporting back, have students analyze and compare the information they find. Have students look at a specific area, such as the arts, or business. How does what was happening then compare to what is happening now?

"Only use..." Assignments
These are assignments in which resources are limited unnecessarily. Students might miss valuable resources if they are told to use only two particular titles.

Don't place any unnecessary limits on the number of sources that students can use.

Successful Assignments:

Although these assignments are within clearly defined subject areas, students are given enough leeway to choose the direction they want their research to take. Also, students are asked to analyze the information they find, giving them an opportunity to use critical thinking skills.

Below are some assignments that SCCC faculty have used successfully
over the years:

• Research an ethical topic in a career area
  
  
• Research a Fortune 500 company, and recommend whether or not to "take over"
  
  
• Compare and contrast the internal structures of Jupiter and Saturn with the internal structures of Uranus and Neptune
  
  
• Research a disease or microorganism using a variety of resources
  
  
• Construct an annotated bibliography on a topic that you are researching in any of your classes
  
  
• Watch a film, such as Amistad, and research related topics
  
  
• Plan a vacation; include location, itinerary, history and culture of site, accommodations, reservations, regulations, transportation...
  
  
• Select an author; find biographical and critical material on his/her works and write an essay on the links between their life and work
  
  
• Do a persuasive essay on a topic of interest; content must include strength of argument, evidence of support, integration of resources, and use of facts and statistics
  
  
• Research how women were treated in advertising in the 1950's, 60's, 70's 80's, etc.

Beyond the Research Paper

Looking to create a different kind of research assignment? You might want to have your students:

Search for film or book reviews for use in class discussion gather information for a panel discussion in class create annotated bibliographies on select topics nominate someone for a Nobel Prize prepare for a visit from someone from another culture develop a set of interview questions for a specific person