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Information Competence Program

Please check the HSU Information Competence Page for a definition of information competence and links to information from national and CSU systemwide organizations.

For a complete list of the resources our Library provides to assist in learning, teaching, and maintaining information competence skills please see our Library Research Tutorials page.

In support of the California State University's commitment to information competence, the Humboldt State University Library offers the following services:

All Patrons

A touch-screen kiosk in the Library lobby near the entrance gives locations of the major library collections and service centers.

A virtual tour is available on our webpage. There is also a virtual tour of Art Inside the HSU Library.

The Library's homepage has several useful links including information about Library Services, Help in using the HSU Library Catalog, Research Guides, and a How Do I Find...? page. For a more structured and in-depth introduction, the OWLS: Online Workshop for Library Skills are recommended.

Librarians are available at the Reference desks on the first and third floors several hours during the week and on Sunday to provide assistance with any aspect of library use.

Humboldt State University Students

Individualized Instruction
  • Students can obtain individualized instruction in the use of the information resources in the Library and beyond at the Reference Desk on the 1st floor. Specialized help with federal or California State government documents and with Humboldt County resources is available at the 3rd floor reference desk. Students may also make an appointment with a reference librarian for in depth assistance in the use of information resources in a subject area. See Library Faculty by Subject Specialty for phone numbers and email addresses.
Introductions to the Library and Its Services
  • A librarian can provide general instruction. Course instructors or other contact persons should contact Martha Johansen, Library Instruction Coordinator, or the subject bibliographer for their department for further information.
  • Instructors may want to provide this level of instruction themselves, in consultation with the librarian subject bibliographer for their department. Please notify your subject bibliographer of your plans to present a library orientation session and give or send copies of any library assignments you make to your subject bibliographer in advance of making the assignment to your students. The Library Assignments page has tips, suggestions, and examples of effective assignments.
  • Instructors may assign material from the OWLS: Online Workshops for Library Skills to their students.
Course-Integrated Instruction in Research Skills for a Particular Discipline
  • Librarians are available to provide course-integrated instruction in research techniques and resources relevant to the discipline or course topic. These sessions may be one class period or several. They are usually offered to upper-division or graduate classes, or "introduction to the major" courses. For more information, please contact the librarian assigned to your department as subject bibliographer.

School Groups and Teachers

Librarians provide instruction to high school and community college classes as a supplement to instruction first provided at the local school. For more information, the teacher should contact the subject bibliographer for the subject most closely related to that of their class.

All teachers and interested individuals are welcome to make use of the OWLS: Online Workshops for Library Skills.

The Library does not offer tours of the building for non-HSU groups. Interested groups are welcome to conduct their own orientations, using the resources noted above. The organizer should contact the Information Services office at 826-4953 (if no answer, please call 826-3441) at least one week in advance to notify us of your intentions. If children through grade 8 are brought to the Library, they should be accompanied by at least one adult for every 10 children. Pre-finals and final exam week, noted on the Academic Calendar, are not good times for visits to the library. Please schedule your visits with this in mind.

Community Groups

Librarians provide instruction to nonuniversity groups on a very selective basis on subject matter connected with the university curriculum. Groups should contact the Information Services office at 826-4953 (if no answer, please call 826-3441) at least one week in advance to request an instructional session.

Groups are welcome to make use of the self-paced OWLS: Online Workshops for Library Skills.