Services for Faculty & Staff
Along with providing access to print and online information resources, the Drexel University Libraries provides many services to support faculty with their teaching, research and learning.
Research Support
Get support for all stages of your research. The Libraries provides access to valuable tools and resources to support your work—from access to information resources and help with citations, to guidance on Open Access and scholarly publishing.
Visit our Research Support webpages to learn more about how we can support Drexel researchers at every stage of the research process.
Teaching & Course Support
Drexel librarians work with faculty to prepare students to systematically approach research, critically evaluate information, and ethically create new works. We offer several resources and services to help build information and data literacy skills into course objectives:
We encourage you to review our library tutorials, and those we have curated from other institutions, and assign these tutorials to your class. If what you’re interested in isn’t listed, contact us to discuss creating a custom learning object or librarian-led recording for your course.
The Curricula Support Team will work with you to co-develop a lesson plan, including:
- Step-by-step instructions for walking through the plan in class
- An assignment for students, with all accompanying activities (e.g. handouts, quizzes)
- A grading rubric
Drexel librarians are experts in navigating information systems within a discipline. Bringing a librarian to your classroom gives your students the opportunity to receive on-the-spot feedback on constructing search strategies, selecting appropriate sources, and thinking through the implications of knowledge production and dissemination within a field. If your students could benefit from coaching in these areas, consider inviting a subject librarian to your course.
In-person instruction works best in a dynamic environment where the librarian will be circulating to work with individuals, pairs, and groups to provide custom feedback. Large lecture courses, or sessions where students are expected to work individually and report out, can be readily accommodated by remote instruction (i.e. Zoom). The preference for in-person or remote instruction ultimately is at the discretion of the individual librarian.
Contact the appropriate disciplinary support team to discuss all available options. Please note that we cannot accommodate all requests due to capacity constraints.
Librarians have created research guides for academic programs, subjects, and even specific courses. Browse our collection of research guides, and consider adding one to your Drexel Learn course site.
Upon request, Libraries staff will analyze syllabi to confirm access options for assigned course materials.
Libraries staff will provide an analysis of syllabi within two business days of submission. The analysis will specify whether cited resources are available online (links included) or in print. Staff will also identify any materials that are currently unavailable. The analysis will also identify materials that can be placed in the course reserves online and print collections to further support faculty course plans.
Please submit syllabi in Word Document format with complete citations to sharedaccess@drexel.libanswers.com.
What do we mean by information and data literacy skills?
We use the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, developed by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), and add to that a fundamental need for data literacy skills. We believe that these principles manifest differently through the lens of various academic disciplines: one size does not fit all.
- Authority is Constructed and Contextual – Identify signals of expertise and credibility while also questioning how authority is gained by whom, and why
- Information Creation as a Process – Recognize common pathways to create information within a discipline and challenge why certain processes and formats are favored
- Information Has Value – Attribute sources correctly, and examine the economic value of and barriers to information access in a discipline
- Research as Inquiry – Develop a personal and domain-specific approach to research as an iterative process of open-minded questioning, perspective-seeking, organization, reflection, and adjustment
- Scholarship as Conversation – Track shifting perspectives in a field, consider voices excluded from traditional scholarship, and contribute to the professional conversation to improve career opportunities and engage in social change
- Searching as Strategic Exploration – Find appropriate sources for an information need using nonlinear, iterative, and adaptable search strategies built upon disciplinary vocabulary
- Data Literacy – “The component of information literacy that enables individuals to access, interpret, critically assess, manage, handle and ethically use data” (Calzada & Marzal, 2013, p. 126)
Calzada Prado, J., & Marzal, M. Á. (2013). Incorporating data literacy into information literacy programs: Core competencies and contents. Libri, 63(2), 123-134. doi:10.1515/libri-2013-0010
Borrowing Privileges
Equipment and print and audiovisual materials are available for loan at the Libraries. In addition, faculty may take advantage of reciprocal borrowing privileges to borrow items directly from neighboring libraries. Visit the Borrowing Privileges webpages for more information.
Adjunct faculty enjoy faculty library privileges for the duration of their adjunct faculty appointments. Adjunct faculty members who unexpectedly encounter issues with access to library resources (for example access to online journal articles) should first contact their department to review their official status with the University and confirm the currency of their appointment.
Faculty assistants are able to borrow library materials for faculty provided:
- The faculty member writes a letter of authorization for the assistant to present to Circulation Desk staff. Authorization via email to LibAssist@drexel.libanswers.com is also acceptable.
- The student presents a valid Drexel ID.
Although the assistant's name will be recorded, they should not take out materials for faculty with their own Drexel IDs because students have different borrowing periods from faculty. Authorization letters from faculty are valid for one academic year and must be renewed every September.
The Drexel University Libraries provides services to Drexel's online learning community equivalent to those available on the physical campuses.
To request print material within Drexel University Libraries' collection, use the Request Item option in the DragonSearch record and select Distance Education Delivery as the pick up location. Once available, this material will be mailed to your home address. You can renew Drexel-owned books online. See more about Borrowing Policies.
To request articles and books from other libraries, place requests through ILLiad or EZBorrow. Print materials from other libraries will also be mailed to your home address.
Return all books at least five days before the due date to the Drexel University Libraries. If it is an interlibrary loan book, do NOT return it to the lending library. The cost of shipping and insurance for the return of all material is your responsibility.
Retired and emeritus faculty of Drexel University, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Hahnemann University, Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, and MCP Hahnemann University are invited to continue their use of the Libraries.
Retired and emeritus faculty are entitled to the following privileges at all Libraries:
- Borrowing circulating books (up to 10 books at one time for a 28 day loan).
- In-house access to databases and other electronic resources
- Access to computers in the Libraries, although current faculty, students and staff take precedence.
- Access to all Drexel University Libraries during evening and weekend hours. However, retirees and emeritus faculty who wish to use the Health Sciences Libraries at these times may need to make arrangements through the specific Library's Coordinator, due to building security regulations.
Additionally, emeritus faculty are also entitled to:
- Off-campus access to databases and other electronic resources
- Interlibrary Loan Services
- Document Delivery Services
- Reciprocal borrowing at participating institutions (visit Borrowing Privileges page for more information)
For more information on retired vs. emeritus status, please read the Emeritus Faculty Policy from the Office of the Provost.
Classrooms & Conference Rooms
Classrooms and conference rooms are available to Drexel faculty and staff for learning activities, including instruction, collaborative meetings/discussions, independent study, brainstorming, or interdisciplinary activities. These spaces are not intended to replace offices or departmental conference rooms and include learning labs, computer classrooms and conference rooms.
Research Connections is a designated conference room within W. W. Hagerty Library, offering a quiet space for Drexel faculty to retreat for individual work in proximity to others or for scheduled collaborative sessions. The space includes flexible and comfortable seating, a white board, projector, and speaker phone.
Uses include: faculty collaboration, interdisciplinary review of student work, pop-up conversations, meetings with liaison librarians, and work space for individual faculty. It is not intended as substitute office or classroom space.
The Research Connections space is located on the second floor of W. W. Hagerty Library and encourages faculty to connect over shared research interests and ideas. The space is available between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Seating for 12; occupancy is 22.
Reserve the Research Connections conference room
The Libraries has a variety of spaces available to Drexel faculty and staff, including Learning Spaces and Classrooms and Conference Rooms. See the Libraries' Libraries' Facilities Use Policy for more information.
Spaces vary in capacity and features. See reservation link for details. Reservations are not final until they have been confirmed by the Libraries.
Reserve a classroom or conference room
Course Reserves
The Drexel University Libraries’ Course Reserves service allows instructors to set aside books, films or sound recordings for class use, or to make articles or book excerpts available electronically through Blackboard Learn. Reserve lists typically include required and recommended course readings. Reserves help to alleviate the effect of ever-increasing textbook costs on students, foster student and faculty engagement, and create opportunities for library outreach.
For more information about course reserves and for step-by-step instructions on placing a reserves request, visit the Instructions for Faculty webpage.