Humanizing Virtual Library Instruction: Anchoring Teaching Presence in Online Information Literacy Sessions

Abstract

Abstract The onset of the 2020 pandemic caused traditional in-person library instruction to expeditiously move to virtual environments. In an effort to maintain the personalized human touch and interactions that occur between librarians, students, and faculty, the constructs of teaching presence were embedded into online informational literacy sessions at a small private institution in the Northeast region of the United States. This article explores the integration of teaching presence to humanize virtual library instruction. Findings and implications of this study can inform future work of librarian educators as online instruction continues to increase at higher education institutions.