Building a Participatory Culture: Collaborating with Student Organizations for Twenty-first Century Library Instruction

Today's students are critical thinkers, collaborators, and creators. They expect to participate in twenty-first century learning environments not as passive information consumers (think lectures), but as active contributors (think team-based problem-solving). There are opportunities for instruction librarians to collaborate directly with student-led organizations. These partnerships have the potential to increase attendance at library events and provide platforms for students to engage in richer forms of exploratory learning that incorporate twenty-first century skills. This article will discuss the literature surrounding library instruction collaborations, identify "Librarian-Student Organization Collaborations" as an important form of partnership, and supply specific case studies of successful library instruction events based on these collaborations.