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News from the Field

Miami-Dade Community College

Acquisition, Programs, Services

Miami-Dade Community College/Florida International University
Librarian Exchange Program

By Nancy Kalikow Maxwell

Did you ever feel like someone was watching you? For librarians teaching library instruction at Miami-Dade Community College and Florida International University, it was more than just a feeling. Thanks to an MDCC/FIU Library Observation Exchange Program, almost twenty librarians observed their peers or were observed teaching library instructional sessions.

The exchange program was sponsored by a newly appointed MDCC/FIU Library Information Literacy Work Group, charged by their respective administrations to develop a platform for cooperation and collaboration to enhance information literacy at both institutions. Sherry Carrillo from FIU and Nancy Kalikow Maxwell from MDCC co-chair the Group.

The Work Group launched the exchange as its first activity because few librarians knew much about the instructional offering at the other library. The Group's initial goal was for two librarians to participate in the exchange in the Fall semester, yet ten librarians participated. The program was extended into the Spring semester and nineteen librarians participated in total.

Participants were invited to share their experiences at two Work Group sessions where unanimous enthusiasm was expressed for the program. Miami-Dade Community College librarians were particularly interested in two FIU instructional offerings: a librarian-taught composition course geared specifically for hospitality students and a re-designed English class curriculum. FIU librarians took special note of Miami-Dade Community College's librarian-taught, one-credit course on Internet research.

Librarians from both institutions were impressed by the expert level of instruction witnessed. "Wonderful," "gifted" and "intimidating" were some of the words used to describe the instructional styles seen. Those who were observed felt the experience helped them focus on their instructional objectives, as well as putting them on "their best behavior" for their colleagues. The Work Group will now decide how to follow up this exchange with future joint programs and services.

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Last modified: April 1, 2003.