UVic Scenarios
The scenarios below have been developed using data from focus group discussions. They act as FAQs for instructors with limited time, offering practical answers without requiring a full review of the toolkit. Please use these scenarios as a foundation to guide your own ideas and approaches.
A subject librarian receives a request from a faculty member to find more inclusive sources with decolonial perspectives.
Prioritizing the faculty's request to improve representation of equity deserving groups is essential in many disciplines. To include more inclusive voices in collections, utilize available toolkits and checklists, and engage with instructors to learn about the diverse...
How can a library staff member help international students from diverse cultures feel comfortable and welcome in the library?
Ensuring that international students from diverse cultures feel comfortable and welcome in the library involves a number of different steps which begin with a sense of belonging. Students coming from a variety of cultural backgrounds, have diverse linguistic skills and...
How should a librarian conduct an instruction session to guide students in critically evaluating academic and non-academic sources?
Understanding the different information literacy sources and conventional academic sources such as peer reviewed journals, books, book chapters, non-academic sources such as oral histories, social media, blogs, etc. Introduction to Evaluation Frameworks: Introduce students...
How can instructors and librarians help international students with cultural differences or knowledge gaps to avoid plagarism?
International students often have diverse academic experiences when compared to students from Canada. May have a different perception of plagiarism and academic integrity. For example, students from Asia often find themselves contemplating whether to cite someone or...
A liaison librarian is asked by a faculty member about how to identify and use less-biased and more inclusive resources and databases.
Many librarians acknowledge that library collections, like other human legacies, contain biased content rooted in colonization, discrimination, and oppression due to historical and political reasons. Responding to faculty requests, as previously mentioned, is challenging....
How to guide students who have experienced personal or familial trauma to approach the topics of colonization or oppression.
Guiding students who have experienced trauma in dealing with materials related to colonization or oppression requires a sensitive and trauma-informed approach. Here are some steps to consider: Ensure that the library is a welcoming and safe space for all students. This can...