Developing a Best Practices Plan for Tutorials in a Multi-Library System

Abstract

In 2010, the University of Iowa's library system administration created a task force to conduct a reevaluation of tools and spaces used for video tutorial creation across a multi-library system. Following this effort, a working group was charged with improving documentation and staff awareness of resources for developing video tutorials. The group observed that librarians were often independently creating videos that were variable in quality, lacked consistent branding, and were not often shared with others. This article will describe experiences at the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences at the University of Iowa in selecting video tutorial software, and striving to establish a more structured process, including team-developed guidelines, for tutorial creation in a multi-library system. Project limitations and areas for future work will also be presented.

KEYWORDS:

• Best practices
• collaboration
• guidelines
• online instruction
• tutorials

Notes

Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/wmrs.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Amy E. Blevins

Amy Blevins, MALS ([email protected]) is Clinical Education Librarian and Liason to the Carver College of Medicine

Jennifer Deberg

Jennifer Deberg, OT(BS), MLS ([email protected]) is Clinical Education Librarian and Liason to the College of Nursing

Chris Childs

Chris Childs, MA, ([email protected]) is Health Sciences Education and Outreach Librarian and Liason to the College of Public Health; all at Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242.