Supporting teaching (staff)

Birkbeck Library can support your teaching in various ways and also help you support your students in using the Library and improving their research and digital skills. 

Browse how the Library supports teaching

Accessible teaching materials

• Birkbeck For All provides advice about producing accessible teaching materials for disabled students. 
• If you have key textbooks that print impaired students require in accessible digital formats, let the Library Disability and Dyslexia Service know. 

Copyright guidelines 

• Find out what you can legally copy and share for studying, research and teaching. 

Improve your students' DIGITAL and information skills

• Your subject librarian can collaborate with you to integrate information and digital literacy skills into your course, to improve your students' learning experience.
• Birkbeck Library understands that the best way for students to reflect on and develop their information and digital skills is in the context of their area of study. With this in mind, we have developed an Information and Digital Literacy Skills Framework to help integrate this kind of study skills development into your curriculum.  Please contact your subject librarian to discuss how this framework can be used.

Inclusive readings (decolonising the curriculum)

• This Inclusive Reading guide is a way of highlighting the current work that is being undertaken at Birkbeck with decolonising teaching and learning. This guide is a product of this and acts as a signpost that this is happening.

Induction and skills sessions for students

• At the start of the new academic year, your subject librarian can offer an introduction to the Library for your students. The nature, content and length of these sessions can be agreed beforehand. 
  • Smaller groups can come to the Library. 
  • Larger groups can be introduced to the Library wherever they are being taught. 
• Possible sessions might include:
  • how to use the Library catalogue 
  • using databases and online resources 
  • subject resources on the Internet 
  • how to do a literature search 
  • how to cite references. 
• More advanced sessions can also be arranged for your students later in their course of study. 
• Your students can contact their subject librarian for one-to-one sessions if they are having difficulty finding materials or using a particular database or online resource. 
• Your students can improve their Library skills by working through the Library and Information Skills module on Moodle. 

Order print resources and digitised readings

• Ensure your key or essential readings are available as digitised readings or e-resource links for Moodle.
• There is currently no budget for print resources.
  

Reading lists guidance

• Please send us your reading lists and/or handbooks, to ensure we have the right books in stock - read our Reading List Guidance for Teaching staff. 

Other ways we can support you 

• Contact your subject librarian to: 
  • inform them about any new topics or areas of study 
  • check the accuracy of the information you provide to students about the Library on reading lists and in handbooks. 
• Find out about our guides, which can help you and your students with various aspects of using Birkbeck Library.