Those of you familiar with the service-learning literature have likely seen the name Dr.

Last week, hundreds of instruction librarians gathered in Columbus, Ohio for the biggest LOEX conference ever.  I was thrilled that the planning committee included a presentation about service-learning in the program.  Chris Sweet, Information Literacy Librarian at Illinois Wesleyan University, presented a case study of a course with which he was involved at his institution.  He was embedded in an environmental studies senior seminar that empl

The new issue of LOEX Quarterly is out and part II of my article is published.  It isn't posted in Wright State University's CORE (Campus Online Repository) yet, but it will be there soon.  Check back here next week, perhaps: http://core.libraries.wright.edu/handle/2374.WSU/5843 Barry, M. (2011).  Librarians as Partners in Service-Learning Courses (Part II).  LOEX Quarterly: 38(2), Article 4.

I am very fortunate to have the opportunity this week to travel with the Social and Environmental Sustainability in Appalachia (UH 202-203) course to southeastern Ohio (Athens County).  We are learning a ton and making lots of new friends as we complete social and environmental projects in the community.

It's week 4 of the quarter, and I'm almost literally swimming in service-learning projects.  In addition to the information literacy course I co-teach, I'm also librarian-partner for two service-learning courses this quarter.  The Honors interdisciplinary course about social and environmental sustainability (UH 202-203) and an English composition course (ENG 102).  I am also preparing a syllabus for a service-learning course I will co-teach next quarter, UVC 103:  Campus-Community Connections in the First Year.

UH 202-203, Environmental and Social Sustainability in Appalachia, students will come to the library for a research workshop next week.  This week, I created a libguide to point them to some resources that can help them think of topics (in addition to class material and the novel they are reading, Strange as this Weather Has Been by Ann Pancake).  I showed them the libguide at the beginning of class yesterday and told them the more they think about their topics before they come, the more time they will save during the workshop.

Just this week, I learned that I will have a new opportunity this quarter.  I am embedded librarian in a service-learning interdisciplinary course, UH 202-203:  Environmental and Social Sustainability in Appalachia.  This will include a 6-day service trip to Southeast Ohio, an area hard-hit by coal mining and economic struggles, to work with several community partners over our spring break.  And, yes, I'm going on the trip!  In fact, we may partner with one of the Athens County Public Libraries to complete a service project for them as well.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how excited I was to dig into Dan Butin's book Service Learning in theory and practice:  The future of community engagement in higher education.  I've just started the book this evening.   Even in the preface, Butin forces the reader to challenge what they know about service-learning.  He proposes that service-learning should find a disciplinary, academic "home" in the curriculum.  He suggests that service-learning as it exists now is a "social movement" but he believes we need to think about an academi

It's hard to believe it's been nearly a year since I launched Service Learning Librarian.  I'm celebrating a little early since I know I'll be in the throws of teaching, etc. in a few weeks on the actual anniversary.

Another article highlighting an example of integrating service-learning and information literacy found me this morning, Combining academic service-learning and information literacy: A new framework for an introductory women's studies course by Solange Simoes and Suzanna Gray can be found in the Eastern Michigan University Digital Commons at http://commons.emich.edu/sotl/vol2/iss1/8/