Year-on -year first-year undergraduate students are introduced to the university library and the wider information landscape to which it is a portal in Welcome Week at start of the academic year. These sessions, comprising tours and ‘information landscape’ sessions offer students a first engagement with their subject librarians and the print and e-resources and special collections.
A body of literature has developed critiquing the front-loading practice of delivery of critical library skills sessions at the outset of undergraduate careers. Much of this accounts of a traditional lectured-centred, passive learning approach predominating and suggests the timing of delivery determines consequent information retention problems. While these accounts are largely anecdotal and lack the empirical data of longitudinal studies, they ring true to library teams across UAL. In reviewing studies of transition to university and engagement with information literacy Charlotte Barton (2017) characterises the typical fresher student as exemplifying the Dunning-Kruger effect i.e. they are unaware of their ignorance of the field and consequently over-estimate their skill level. The data we collect on follow-up 1-2-1 information literacy sessions with individual students has convinced us that for whatever reason (lack of preparation; overwhelming torrent of information in first weeks) persisting with this delivery mode is ineffective.
A minor adjustment to our first engagement with students was trialled in Welcome Week 2025. LCC Library switched its delivery of the tours and collections component of inductions a fair-based format drawing together Library staff, Academic Support, Language Development and representation from across Student Support Services. Multiple models for delivering induction sessions noted in Barton’s survey were ostensibly invested in moving students toward active learning but these initiatives allowed no student initiative or voice to emerge e.g. students reading questions from cards, filling in worksheets to follow a tour.
Fig. 1. LCC Library Fair 16 September 2025.
Our switch of mode reminded me of the fair atmosphere of Freshers weeks in decades past, excepting professionals rather that peers were touting for interest. We laid out our wares (assistive technology, special collections, student made works…) and encouraged handling and questions and posed questions to the subject groups as they engaged. As we structure our course support on subject specialisation (i.e. librarians have designated courses) the programming of course groups to visit the fairs was managed individually to ensure relevance, with wider services in attendance throughout. My colleagues and I reciprocated student interest with mini-talks on the history of the college, printing techniques, favourite collections items… While we gathered no empirical data on the fairs our review meeting noted: ‘The sense was that the fairs were a better induction for the students to the space than a tour and that, overall, the interactions we had with the students had more depth and were of a better quality.’ Although the follow-up ‘information landscape’ sessions were delivered in the usual mode we noticed greater engagement having already had the opportunity to impart subject knowledge and enthusiasm – unfortunately this in no way relieves the problem of information overload and poor retention.
The alternative of delivery of information literacy sessions at the point of need is also offered though we are concerned that initial session has setting an off-putting tone by the time this comes around. New digital self-led modules has been developed, we are monitoring take up. I intend to develop some shorter alternative induction sessions featuring an active learning approach informed by the content of the PG Cert.
Reference List:
Barton, C. 2017. Exploring the experience of undergraduate students attending a library induction during Welcome Week at the University of Surrey. Journal of Information Literacy, 11(2), pp.105–117. Available at: https://journals.cilip.org.uk/jil/article/view/322/294. [Accessed 17 March 2026].
Image List:
Figure. 1. Clarke, G. (2025) LCC Library Fair 16 September 2025 [Photograph].