The document describes a library orientation scavenger hunt designed for students to explore the library spaces on their own terms. It discusses how previous orientations involved passive learning through tours and lectures, but students became more engaged after hands-on experience in the stacks. The scavenger hunt allows students to explore the libraries in teams, finding materials and locations based on clues. Teams document their progress through photos and discussion. Assessment shows students enjoy the active learning approach, though it requires significant class time, so an optional scoring rubric was added to determine winners.

1. LettingGo:How students can find their own way
The BasicLibrary Orientation
College Advising (COLA)
One-credit, topic-focused,
includes academic advising with faculty member
No research component!
Library Tour
Walking tour of Alderman, Clemons, & Special Collections Libraries
Ending with finding a book in the stacks
Feedback
Positive from both students and faculty
Assessment
Positive results of student understanding and learning
So why change?
Observational Assessment
We noticed silent students not engaging until the stacks exercise - after
experiencing the library on their own terms, they were enthusiastic,
animated, and suddenly brimming with questions
What we wanted:
A way for students to explore the library organically without direct faculty or librarian oversight
What we designed:
A scavenger hunt!
Students explore spaces with the support of their peers including: Alderman, Clemons, Special
Collections Libraries, and online Resources
1. Students are placed into teams
2. Each team member has a role
3. Teams are provided a series of clues
4. Each clue is a task to find materials/locations in the libraries
5. Every clue is documented with a photograph
 Freeform wiki
 Anyone with URL can post
 Embedded multimedia
 Instant collaboration and
communication
 Allows instant creation
Assessment
Summative:
After completing tasks, students return to discuss
the process by both:
Describing
e.g. “So where did you go to find the Declaration
of Independence?”
Demonstrating
e.g. “Can you show everyone how you found
your book using the catalog?”
Formative:
Team Padlets allow for comparison of team, to
both each other and between classes, in terms of
correctly answered clues
What We’ve Learned
Time
Students love the activity!
But it requires a significant amount of class time
Scoring Rubric
Students wanted a way to determine a winner of
the scavenger hunt. So we created an easy
rubric that counts completed clues, creativity, and
their ability to make us laugh
Online Resources
It’s more fun to find things in the library! Students
tend to skip the section for finding an article
Maggie Nunley
Teaching and Learning Librarian
University of Virginia
maggie@virginia.edu
@maggienunley
Paula Roy
Teaching and Learning Librarian
University of Virginia
PaulaRoy@virginia.edu
@pawlamarie
Constructivism
You Learn by Doing
Students build their own
understanding and knowledge
through experience
Have to interact with ideas, and
reflect on those interactions, in
order to create their own
knowledge matrix
ACRL Framework
Focused on values/dispositions:
1. Authority is Constructed
2. Scholarship as Conversation
3. Searching as Strategic Exploration
Infuse classes with ideas that:
 Students are Scholars
 Community of Classmates
 Push for Creativity
 Give Room to Fail
 Encourage Librarian Support
 Thrilling Discovery of Library’s Secrets