Library Workshops & Orientations
The Renton Technical College Library offers a variety of information literacy workshops for RTC students, faculty and staff. These workshops teach how to find, evaluate and use information more effectively, efficiently and independently.
The lists below are some ideas for workshops we can do. Instructors are encouraged to request customized workshops for their classes based on the needs of their class, including combining or dividing up some of the topics listed below. For more information about scheduling a library workshop, click here.
| Orientations | Includes Info About |
| Orientation to the RTC Library | Overview of basic library terminology, the RTC Library’s collection, services offered at the Library, and how to access those services (including any current restrictions, e.g., Covid-19). |
| Online Resources | Includes Info About |
| Library Research |
We can do basic or more advanced versions. For basic, we provide an overview of basic search strategies and a demo of several library resources. For advanced, we include hands-on practice with a few databases and resources pertinent to students’ specific programs and classes (e.g., CINAHL for Nursing and Allied Health students, SIRS Discoverer for ELA students). |
| Online Research | This workshop is highly customizable in consultation with the instruction librarian. Potential topics include how to conduct basic and advanced searches in Google, scholarly vs. popular sources of information, and finding reputable and reliable online resources for specific disciplines and subjects. |
| Job Search | Introduction to free resources and tools for job searching and career navigation/planning. We can highlight and demo resources to land your next job, including what’s available through the RTC Library, Learning Resource and Career Center (LRCC), WorkSource, online resources, and the King County Library System. |
| Citation and Bibliography | Learn about giving credit for others’ works, how to avoid plagiarism, and using helpful tools like Noodletools to create MLA or APA-style bibliographies online. |
| Online Catalog and Finding Materials in the RTC Library | How to conduct searches in the RTC Library’s online catalog, how to read and interpret Dewey Decimal and call numbers in order to find materials on the Library’s shelves. |
| Other Workshop Topics | Includes Info About |
| Getting the Most from Your Textbook | How to use the table of contents, index, glossary, and other parts of your textbook to find information effectively and efficiently. This workshop can be customized to open textbooks or other Open Education Resources (OER). |
| Selecting the Best Sources of Information for Your Paper | Magazines vs. journals, primary vs. secondary sources, variety of information formats and sources, how information “ages,” web sites vs. online databases, criteria for selecting sources. |
| Fake News | Learn about fake news, misinformation, and disinformation, why it’s a problem, and how to identify and avoid it. Discover strategies to evaluate the quality, credibility, and validity of online sources. |
| Workshops for Faculty & Staff | Includes Info About |
| Fake News | This train-the-trainer workshop provides an overview of online misinformation, lesson ideas, and resources for teaching information literacy (aka media literacy). Learn how to embed information literacy and critical thinking skills into your curriculum using examples of online fake news and misinformation. Together, we will brainstorm activities and assignments to make this relevant to your students and your learning outcomes. |
| Basic Library Tours | Anytime the library is open is a great time to arrange for a tour of the library and to see what collections we have available for your departments and disciplines. Also, find out how to request materials to be added to the library collection to support your programs, classes, and your own professional development (contact Librarian@rtc.edu to set up an appointment). |
| Copyright Basics | Learn about copyright and guidelines for using intellectual property created by others. |
| OER and Creative Commons | How to search for and incorporate Open Education Resources (OER) or Creative Commons Licensed (CC-by) resources into your courses and save students money on expensive textbooks. |
| Faculty Research Support | Are you personally taking classes or degree programs to enhance your professional experiences? Let the Librarians help teach you sound research practices and how to improve your own bibliographies and class papers. We can also show you professional development resources available to faculty/staff to gain new skills or advance in your career. |
| Using Library Resources in class | Learn how to link directly to articles and full-text eBooks from Library databases in your syllabus or your course. Using resources already owned by the library (in print or digital) not only adds variety and currency to your instruction materials but could save students money. |
Information About Scheduling Workshops
| Information | Details |
| Available to: |
Any current RTC faculty or staff member and to current RTC students as arranged with their instructor. Instructors are expected to attend workshops with their class unless specific arrangements have been made with the librarian. |
| Dates and Time: | As requested by RTC faculty for their classes. Done by mutual arrangement with any RTC librarian. Some drop-in workshops may be scheduled by RTC librarians for any RTC patron to attend. |
| Location: | RTC Boeing Library Classroom (RTC Technology Resource Center, Room C-204) or another electronic classroom by arrangement. |
| Workshop Size: | Up to 24 attendees with a desired minimum of 5 attendees. |
| Workshop Content: | Each session is designed to be competency-based active learning and may include an assignment to assess competency. (Assignment is optional per instructor’s request). |
| Workshop Length: | Each workshop session is designed to be one hour in length (although there is room for adjustment). There may be some time available in the workshops to complete the workshop assignment, but some assignments may need extra time outside of the workshop to be completed. |
| Workshops Series: | Workshops can either be scheduled as individual units or as a series of sessions based on the request of the instructor. |
| Customized Workshops: | RTC faculty may request customized workshops for their classes in addition to the list of workshops. |
| Prerequisites: | Some sessions may have recommended prerequisites (such as basic keyboarding and mouse skills or the completion of another workshop session). |
| How to schedule: | Done by RTC faculty or staff member in conjunction with an RTC librarian, preferably with at least one week’s notice when possible. To schedule a library orientation or workshop, click here. |
| Questions? | Contact librarian@rtc.edu or (425) 235-2331. |
CONTACT
Kristin Ferguson
Faculty Librarian
kferguson@rtc.edu
(425) 235-2492
Liaison to:
- Business Management
- Information Technology
- Culinary Arts
- Transportation Technology
Di Zhang
Faculty Librarian (Instruction)
dzhang@rtc.edu
(425) 235-2352 ext. 5571
Liaison to:
- College and Career Pathways
- General Education
- Allied Health
- Advanced Manufacturing