Quelling the Boredom with Alternative Instruction: Augmented Reality, Escape Kits, and Scavenger Hunts

From 2016-2019, Jacksonville State University (JSU) librarians embraced the call to incorporate increased active learning into traditional library information instruction. Librarians began this process by integrating the use of a scavenger hunt into the Houston Cole Library’s new orientation tailgate event. Breakout EDU Escape Room kits with a custom-built storyline were added to teach basic research skills and help lessen library anxiety in First Year Freshman Experience courses. Augmented reality (AR) was incorporated into Business Orientation classes to increase student understanding of specialized business information resources. These activities helped librarians fulfill Houston Cole Library’s mission of creating a student-driven learning environment focusing on the Association of College Research Libraries (ACRL) information literacy framework. The research, planning, and implementation processes involved in the initiation of scavenger hunts, escape activities, and AR interactive stories at JSU have numerous applications across all educational levels and disciplinary focuses.

From the Beginning: Creating a Diversity and Multicultural Education Course at Jacksonville State University

In the fall of 2015, a new secondary education class, Diversity and Multicultural Education, was introduced at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Although many multicultural theorists emphasize the importance of students taking diversity/multicultural education courses in college, there is no real model for creating such a class. This article creates a framework for how to conceptualize and teach a diversity and multicultural education course at the university level. It discusses the creation of the class through a critical pedagogy framework, the units which comprise the course, and the connection to current events. The article also includes student reflections about personal growth due to taking the new course, as well as personal reflections from the author.

Sharing the Albatross of E-Resources Management Workflow

Management of electronic resources is a time-consuming and, at times, a difficult process. Although the management of electronic resources is often seen as a strictly technical services endeavor, it should be considered a multifaceted process requiring all areas of the library. This chapter will provide a detailed account of how one library handles the electronic resources management workflow in a collaborative effort. It will be especially helpful for libraries working with a limited staff and resources and libraries trying to foster a more collaborative relationship between technical services and public services. The objective and mission of the chapter is to present successful library electronic resources workflow concepts in a straightforward and realistic approach. It aims to provide useful information on current workflow applications, procedures, and ideas from practicing library professionals at Jacksonville State University (JSU) that will contribute to the literature and area of electronic resources management. This chapter will provide considerations for workflow enhancements and detail the advantages of centralized workflows and collaboration between units.