The document provides an overview of Nicolette Warisse Sosulski's experience providing instruction and outreach as a business librarian at the Portage District Library. It discusses the types of research instruction she provides to patrons through chat reference, in-person, and for specialized groups like entrepreneurs, job seekers, and seniors. This includes impromptu instruction to help students and others with urgent research needs as well as planned instruction through presentations, classes, and "guerilla instruction" approaches. The document emphasizes adapting instruction methods to different audiences and situations.

1. Instruction and Outreach at the
Public Library
Nicolette Warisse Sosulski
Business Librarian, Portage
District Library
Staff Reference Librarian,
OCLC Questionpoint

2. About Me—How Did I Get Here?
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MLIS 2004 iSchool, University of Washington
Business Librarian Portage District Library
December 2005 to present. Also manage
Reference and Database Collections
public library chat reference internship with 24/7
(now QuestionPoint) March 2004-June 2004,
hired as staff librarian June 2004
Day job business librarian in a public library,
where I field academic reference questions each
day as well as those by members of the general
public
Database Trainer, Midwest Collaborative for
Library Services
Chair, MLA Economic Development Community of
Practice

3. Research Instruction-Chat
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You might think you are doing
straight reference. Fasten
your seatbelts, you are in for
a rough night. You are a
public library. You figure K-12
reports on countries,
endangered species,
controversial issues…maybe a
few genealogy questions.
Where are you located. You
are down with that…BUT

4. Internet Instruction-Chat
You get a community college student,
returning scholar, or first or second
year university student who has
blown off their Intro to Libraries at
their college library, has a research
paper due tomorrow, and has
never heard of a database… They
are your cardholder even though
they need to be at a completely
different library. Or they are at a
for-profit online degree-granting
institution that does not teach
research.
They are writing a paper for sociology
on patterns of abuse—you think…

5. “I need to write my papr for sociology on
the bk Bastard out of Carolina and wy she
had to be abused becuz it was the south
and so you had to have a man so the
mother had to do hir hare so she culd be
staying pretty for her huzband to kepe
him so she did not have time for a job so
she had to bak up her man to keep a
howse in the south and she let hir dauter
be abused and there are no scholarly
artilkes on google on that becuz I have
ben loking for 6 dayz and it is due in 4 hrs
HELP”

6. Research Instruction-Chat
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This is what a database is
Database articles get you better
grades than Google (motivation)
Your school has them but only you
can get into them—I can’t.
Type exactly what I tell you to and
this is why (or copy and paste
because they do not spell well)
Your Norton Internet Security is set
high so it may be blocking you out
Start out with fewer search terms,
like abuse, family, society.
Next time do a little preliminary
research before handing in your
paper topic.
Everything is not in the one
database. That is why we buy more.
CQ is not good for psychology or
health.

7. Research Instruction-Chat
This is totally on the fly because
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it is Sunday night
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Nobody has done their homework
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In a second window you have a 6th grader who is telling you that the
NASA site you sent her pictures of Pluto from “sux” because the planet
is purple and planets are not purple, they are brown (space cameras
have violet filters to make craters stand out).
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In your third window you are dealing with a patron who is asking you
“what source one would recommend for a sociology paper on peer
pressure on the internet, as well as what databases and websites
would provide statistics? Since the patron is using the word “source”
and is from Martin Luther King library in San Jose, you know that the
LIS students are doing their “have an internet reference experience”
assignment again.

8. Research Instruction: FTF
Planned and executed
On the fly
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Home Schoolers
Invited talks to classes at
high schools, especially at
advanced level.
Beginning of the school year
featured class
MOTIVATION: MOM, DAD, OR
TEACHER
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A
local community college
student comes in on a federal
holiday Monday when her school
is closed with an assignment due
Tuesday.
A mom going back to school for a
Master’s in Psych who wants to do
her research upstairs while the
fifth grader does her report on
Zaire down in the youth
department. You get to explain
to her why you do not have a lot
on Jungian archetypes, and how
to use her college library from the
public computers. She also did
not go to library orientation.

9. Research Instruction: FTF
Planned and executed
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See Intro to
Research
Powerpoint
On the fly
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Reprise of chat ref
BI

10. Entrepreneurs about to write
business plans
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SCORE, and the Small
Business and Technology
Development Center of
Michigan (SBTDC) refer or
require an intro to
business research course
as part of the coaching
curriculum for new
businesses that they
counsel. Independent
people thinking of starting
a business or nonprofit
come too—Business Plans
require data. Teaching
this also requires
expectation management.

11. “I need to know how many people in my three county region are
divorced, or single, have $20,000 of disposable income a month, and
own disobedient dogs that need to be trained.”
“I want to know how much money is spent on pharmaceuticals ,
cosmeceuticals, and nutriceuticals aimed at reducing the appearance
of aging each year by people in the Midwest.”
“I need to know a nonprofit that I can start to help people so that
they can live their dreams, and I need to find what grants I can get to
start.”
“I need to know how many affluent sufferers from gluten intolerance
would be willing to pay for gourmet cooked –to-order meals in a 20
mile radius from this kitchen address.”
See Power point on Business Research Essentials.

12. With these two types of BI,
teaching not only what you
have but what neighboring
universities and colleges have
is paramount. You also really
need to explain that not
everything is on the web if
you [the librarian] only do
your job.

13. Jobseeking and Finance
Kids
 Motivation: Parents,
Teachers (may get
class credit), and
snacks. Keep them
guessing with weird
pictures, odd facts,
and occasional near
cusses.
See “Get a Job”
Powerpoint
Grownups
 Motivation: Fear,
however this group is
much less likely to
want to sit through a
conventional class,
even if they need it.
Guerilla Instruction

14. Guerilla Instruction: It’s not a Class, It’s a
Discussion Group
http://library.morningstar.com/tracki
ng/note.aspx?
id=372924#MrktForLibraries

15. Guerilla Instruction: It’s not a
class--it’s a review session
RESUME HACKS
Friday, January 7th
11:00 AM
Age Group: ADULTS
You have looked over some resume
books, you have your resume
together, and you don’t think you
need a class—but it would be
good to get somebody else’s
opinion on this. We can help! On
the first Friday, take your lunch
hour and come in. Bring your
resume and we will look it over.
Let us catch the errors, rather
than a potential employer.
No registration required.

16. Guerilla Instruction: Fries-withthat Librarianship
Establish yourself as the
goddess of golden
information nuggets—
with every transaction
give them one more
thing.
“Did you know that
you can click on ‘cited
by’ and all kinds of
related articles will
show up?”

17. Fries
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When they ask for a GED book, teach them
Learning Express Library database.
When they ask for a resume book, show them the
interview videos.
When they ask the order of a series by Nora
Roberts, show them www.fantasticfiction.com.
When they look for a medical book because “they
have the thyroid”, show them
www.medlineplus.com

18. Computer Instruction
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Seniors
Classes can be less
effective—many seniors
tend to be full of fear and
need one-on-ones. They
also will not tell you if they
are on the wrong screen in
a class and then will be
really upset by the end of
class. If you are doing this
in a lab, grab some people
to be “lab rats” and circle
around to make sure
people are on the right
page. Or draft the NHS or
a scout troop to tutor.
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Jobseekers
Much more likely to deal
with a class situation but
still the lab rats are a good
idea—these people will be
checking their email and
losing their places
sometimes. Plan for time
for very particular
questions pertaining to
their situation.

19. I have just one word for you…
screenshots!
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You will be
teaching the
internet, or
databases, or
overall research
strategy using
google scholar.
The internet will go
down at least
once. The
likelihood of it
happening is
directly
proportionate to
the impatience of
your class.