Research and instructional Services Unit Service Policy

The KSU Library System's Research & Instructional Services unit supports the missions and strategic goals of the Kennesaw State University (KSU) Library System and the University through its research support and information literacy instruction services. 

All RIS services contribute to student success through a variety of instruction techniques, such as guest lectures, asynchronous learning materials, course integrations, one-on-one research consultations, and point of need reference assistance. Librarians, in partnership with teaching faculty, teach students information literacy topics like how to develop appropriate lines of inquiry, select sources, craft search strategies, communicate in professional and scholarly settings, as well as discipline-specific research skills.  Library faculty further foster patrons’ information literacy and self-sufficiency by providing instructional guidance on research methods, research tools, and research material evaluation.

 

For more information on the research services offered at KSU please refer to the Research Help page.

For more information regarding library instructional services please see the Library Instruction Program page. 

Competencies
All staff providing research and instruction will adhere to the highest professional standards of knowledge and proficiency possible according to the: 

• ACRL Standards for Proficiencies for Instruction Librarians and Coordinators
• ALA Professional Competencies for Reference and User Services 

 

Code of Ethics 
All services provided by the Research & Instructional Services unit, regardless of whether they take place at a formal service point or in some other context, will be governed by the standards articulated in the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association. 

 

Patrons
All RIS services are intended for Kennesaw State University students, faculty, staff, and affiliated researchers. Requests for services from non-affiliated users will be approved at the discretion of the service facilitators or Director of RIS.

 

Equity of Service 
Library faculty will provide services to all users without discrimination based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, or disability. For more information please see the KSU Library System Accessibility Policy and the KSU Organizational Effectiveness, Leadership Development, and Inclusive Excellence department.

 

Legal, Medical, Tax, Political, or Personal Advice

The Library System will not provide legal, medical, tax, political, or personal advice.

 

Liability 
The Library System assumes no liability for any misinformation and/or interpretations drawn from sources cited in response to queries.

 

Disclosure 
The Research and Instructional Services Unit reserves the right to revise these policies as necessary. Service facilitators will respond to requests made during normal business hours.

 

Instruction
The KSU Library System requires at least 2 weeks’ notice to process instruction requests. All requests should be submitted using our online Instruction Request Form.  The requestor, or their representative, must be present at synchronous classes that are held on-campus. 

The learning outcomes for library instruction sessions are based on the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy and are customized to fit KSU student needs based on the expertise of the librarians and feedback from faculty.

 

Research Consultations
The KSU Library System provides Research Consultation Services at all KSU Libraries and via online meetings. Research Consultations are offered by appointment only and are scheduled for 60-minute sessions. Appointments should be requested at least 48 hours in advance using our online Research Consultation Form.  A research question or project description must accompany all requests.

The service is available Monday through Friday from 9am – 5pm. Any research consultation request made for a Monday after Friday at 4pm will not be guaranteed. The service is suspended during campus closures and may be suspended during intercessions at the discretion of Library Administration. 

Research Consultations cannot be used in place of a library instruction session or in place of a visit to our Help Desk. The KSU Library System welcomes course-library partnerships and recommends that teaching faculty complete the Instruction Request Form to arrange for a librarian to meet with their students. The Research Consultation Facilitator will only honor appointment requests to resolve a research question or support a work project in a particular research project. Instruction sessions can be scheduled using the Librarian Teaching Request Form. If a patron fails to attend more than one scheduled research consultation without notification within a semester, their access to the service may be suspended for the remainder of the semester. 

 

Reference
The KSU Library System provides Reference Services at all KSU Libraries and online via the help!Desk, telephone, email, or chat. Asynchronous support is provided through the FAQ database. In the event of closure, reference services will continue to be provided, when possible, via chat, email, and through the FAQ database.

Reference staff will provide complete, accurate, and timely information in response to all questions. In most cases an "answer" will take the form of instruction in the use of research materials. These interactions will usually be between 5-15 minutes in length. If additional help is needed, patrons will be advised to make a research appointment. For questions submitted via email, a response will usually be sent within one business day.