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Information & How to Book

The Library offers an array of workshops with two primary focuses: information literacy and our special collections. Workshops can be hosted in the Library Lab, your classroom, or via Zoom. In some cases, an online video or tutorial may be available.

For all workshops, faculty are asked to:

• Use our Bookings page to schedule the session. Please wait for confirmation from one of our library staff members; they will share an Outlook invitation with you.
• Schedule the session at least one day before the workshop. We prefer having at least a week's notice to prepare.
• Be flexible with scheduling. The day and time may need to change due to scheduling conflicts.
• Please stay with your students throughout the workshop. Do not leave.

Course-Specific Workshops

• Visual Culture 1: Gateways to Art and Culture (AHCS 122)

  • Duration: 60 min.
  • A librarian will introduce students to the library, research strategies (including keeping a research log for the i-search paper), and how to use OwlCat.
  • Please note: This workshop is most effective when held in the Library Lab, because there will be a tour of the library and the opportunity for hands-on practice locating a print book in the stacks.

• Writing as Discovery: Thought Lab 1 (ENGL 108)

  • Duration: 60 min.
  • Students will learn how to incorporate and cite sources.

• Visual Culture 2: Unpacking Art, Power, and Modernity (AHCS 123)

  • Duration: 60 min.
  • Students will learn how to find and evaluate quality images.
  • Please note: This workshop is most effective when held in the Library Lab.

• Thought Lab 2: Foundation Seminar (LIBS 115)

  • Duration: 60 min.
  • Students will learn how to critically evaluate sources based on the criteria for writing evaluative annotations.

• Capstone (LIBS 440)

  • Duration: 30–60 min.
  • In this "Research Refresher" workshop, a librarian will cover research resources and strategies, how to get reference help, and how to use the library's catalog.
  • New for Fall 2025: We will cover Critical AI Literacy.

• Sophomore-Level CAIL Electives (CAIL 200)

  • Duration: 30–60 min.
  • In this "What is Research?" workshop, students will learn about how to do effective research, including specific methodologies and best practices.

Special Collections Workshops

Explore items from our special collections with the guidance of a librarian. For these sessions, we begin with a brief overview of what special collections are and the specific collections we have at the Otis College Library. Then, we view, handle, and discuss the physical materials. 

Topics may include:

• Artists' Books
• Josef Albers' Interaction of Color
• Zines
• Rare books
• Archives

Our Special Collections Librarian is happy to curate a specific selection of items tailored to your needs. Reach out to Morgan Yanni (myanni@otis.edu) for more information. To allow time for selecting and processing materials, please schedule these sessions at least two weeks in advance.

General Information Literacy

• Introduction to OwlCat

  • Duration: 30 min.
  • Students will learn how to effectively use the library's online catalog, OwlCat.

• Guided Research

  • Duration: 60 min
  • A librarian will work one-on-one with students to help them find a topic, find sources for a topic, or navigate our research resources.
  • Please note: This session is most effective when held in person in the Library Lab.

• Citations and Annotations

  • Duration: 30 min.
  • Students will learn how to properly cite sources and create evaluative annotations for research projects.

• Copyright and Fair Use

  • Duration: 30 min.
  • Students will be introduced to copyright laws in the United States, fair use, and the public domain.

• Databases Tutorial

  • 30 min.
  • A librarian leads the students through accessing and using a specific database, including creating an account, searching, and citations. Popular databases include JSTOR, The New York Times, and Grammarly EDU.

• Finding and Evaluating Images

  • 60 min.
  • Covers evaluating non-print sources, problems with description, and search tips and tricks.
  • Please note: This session is most effective when held in person in the Library Lab.

Faculty-Led Workshops

Faculty can request to use the Library Lab for their own instructional workshops. No library staff will be present. Please note that this is not available for an entire class period. Librarian-led and SLC workshops have scheduling priority.

Feedback Form

Your feedback helps us improve! If you have scheduled or attended a library workshop, please take a moment to dhare your thoughts with us by filling out the form linked below.